Paying For Funeral In Advance

[cupotee]

Not sure where to put this.

My question is....having a funeral to attend next week I am realizing the near necessity in paying in advance.

Our friend payed for her and husbands funeral 7 years ago so now reaping the benefit with the higher charges these days.

I know from our own family how costs have rocketed. Mother in laws funeral.. 1987 £400
Mothers funeral 2005 £1800
Step Father 2008 £2020

Its too late for insurance at our ages i.e 81 and 75 but think it must be worth considering paying any time soon.

First, is there a cheaper undertaker or do they all charge the same.
Secondly I don't want any extra's on "my day".

I also do not want newspaper advertising the fact nor do I want extra vehicles.

If anyone MUST buy flowers I only want a single rose from anyone.

I am horrified at the cost so any advice will be valuable.

Thanks Sheila xx

[woofgang]

If you google prepaid funeral, there are loads of options. If it was me I would go for actually prepaying and deciding on what you want rather than an insurance a la "we all want to leave something behind for our loved ones" Michael Parkinson type thing as then the funeral is guaranteed to be paid for. Either choose a big chain of funeral directors or a local one that has some kind of back up scheme in case they go out of business.
Here's a useful article from Which
http://www.which.co.uk/money/insurance/reviews-ns/funeral-plans/what-is-a-pre-paid-funeral-plan/

[heathfield]

As the country's biggest funeral company, the Co-op have a good reputation and have a number of pre-pay schemes that are probably worth looking at...

http://www.co-operative.coop/funeralcare/Funeral-Plans/

[dollie65]

ive paid for my funeral in advance ive gone with age uk mainly because its a reputable company

[theviking51]

if you have the money then do a prepay. Funeral costs are going up all the time. its not so much the undertakers but the council/doctors and priests. Not all undertakers charge the same. Also basic coffins for crem are chipboard so to be honest are eco. Tell them what you want on the day and ignore some of the sales banter. Shop around. down my way the very basic funeral went up £500 in 6 months. And to others there is nothing to stop you using the undertaker then using a big car of your own to transport to crem or church, and using friend or family to carry in. I used to work as a undertakers assit.

[cupid04]

got mine paid for with the Co op and got the divi.

[DaisyNonna]

I often wonder how you know if you got value for money and how to complain if you are dissatisfied with the procedure.

[EDDIE51]

All undertaker MUST by law do a 'basic funeral' this is a simple but dignified service. They do not like people knowing this and will go out of their way to get out of offering it. Do not buy flowers from the undertakers they put at least 100% markup on them. The basic funeral has just 1 hearse for the body , you will have to supply your own 'bearers' to carry the coffin.
We have 3 undertakers in my hometown and at least 5 more a few miles away a close friend had to arrange a funeral for her Dad recently. She phoned them all and kept going back with the quotes and asking them to beat it, like for car insurance !, she eventually got a deal for £1200 when the first quote was £3500 for the same thing. They don't like you doing it but it certainly gets the cost down most people do not argue and just accept whatever they are told by the first one they contact.
If the person who organises the funeral is a pensioner or is on benefits then they are eligible for a 'funeral grant' from the government this is repaid out of the estate if there is enough cash in it, all funeral directors are compelled by law to offer a 'Basic funeral' for the amount of the funeral grant , but as I said they HATE you knowing this and will even deny it exists.

[EDDIE51]

Information on funeral grants here
https://www.gov.uk/funeral-payments
Remember all funeral directors MUST BY LAW provide a funeral for this cost if you insist on it, but they have all sorts of tricks to try to get you to pay more.

[eve73]

My husband and I are about the same age and we paid and arranged for our funerals three years ago, the cost was £2450 each, because we didn't want our children to have any expense. I would think it would at least £3000 now. That didn't include flowers or food for afterwards but we did book two cars because we have quite a large family.