An introduction to funeral payment plans
Funeral payment plans are an easy and affordable way to arrange and pay for your funeral in advance. At Simplicity, you can plan your own funeral from as little as £15.97 per month.
What is a funeral payment plan?
A funeral payment plan allows you to pay for your funeral in advance, at today’s prices. With the average funeral in the UK now costing £4.184*, a growing number of people are choosing to take care of their funeral costs in advance with a funeral payment plan.
You can pay for a funeral plan in monthly instalments or a lump sum if you would prefer. Choosing a monthly funeral plan allows you to spread the cost of your funeral over a duration that suits you and your budget.
A funeral payment plan protects you against rising funeral costs, gives you peace of mind that your funeral will be carried out according to your wishes and relieves potential financial and emotional pressures on your family at what will already be a difficult time.
What does a funeral payment plan cover?
Exactly what is covered in a funeral payment plan will vary from provider to provider.
At Simplicity, we don’t want to take away the sentiment and remembrance that comes with a traditional funeral, but we do believe there is an alternative, more affordable way. That’s why we’re experts in direct cremation and low cost funerals.
Our prepaid funeral plans cover all of the essential elements of a simple funeral, with no more for your family to pay for the services covered in your plan. This includes collection from the place of rest at any time of day, care at our quality mortuary facilities, cremation fees, provision of a simple coffin, transportation of the deceased in a specialised funeral vehicle and the return of ashes.
Your funeral will be arranged over the telephone by our expert team of funeral arrangers. When the time comes, your family will simply have to make one phone call to start the arrangement process. There will be no need for them to visit a funeral home or to meet with a funeral director.
Our funeral plans do not include many of the expensive, ceremonial elements of a traditional funeral such as a hearse, limousines or pallbearers. This means we can provide our funeral services for much less than a traditional funeral director.
Choosing a funeral plan to suit you
There are a number of different funeral plans available on the market, so it’s easy to be feel overwhelmed by choice. At Simplicity, we offer three simple funeral plans for those looking to make their funeral arrangements ahead of time, starting from £1,495 or £15.97 per month.
First, decide if you would like a funeral with or without a service; if you do want a funeral service, you can then select a plan based on the amount of people you’d like to attend your funeral.
- The Lily Plan available from £15.97 per month – our lowest cost funeral plan provides a direct cremation anytime in the future. The funeral will take place without a service and without any mourners present.
- The Magnolia Plan available from £19.17 per month– a basic funeral with a short time in the chapel for up to 12 people. This will allow for a small group of family and friends to say a few words and reflect as they wish.
- The Orchid Plan available from £24.52 per month – a simple funeral with a family-led service. By choosing this option, your family will have the freedom to arrange a funeral service or ceremony in the chapel when the time comes. This option closely resembles what people may expect from a traditional funeral, but without a procession beforehand.
Choosing an instalment option
A Simplicity Cremations funeral payment plan allows you to spread the cost of your funeral; something not currently available from many funeral providers when paying for a funeral when the time comes.
We offer a range of flexible payment options, so you can choose to pay in a way that suits you.
- Pay in a lump sum – by making a single payment, you can relax knowing all costs are taken care of.
- Pay in 12 monthly instalments at no extra cost – we know a single payment is not a realistic option for everyone, that’s why you can spread the cost of your funeral across 12 months, without incurring any interest on the total cost of the plan.
- Pay in instalments across a duration that suits your monthly budget – you can spread the cost of your funeral across up to 120 months (10 years), provided all payments are completed by the 80th birthday of the person named on the plan.
Whichever way you choose to pay, you can be safe in the knowledge that your family won’t have anything more to pay for the services included in your plan when the time comes.
Please note, if you pass away before the balance of your funeral payment plan is settled, your family will need to pay the remainder of costs.
Why choose a monthly funeral plan?
Many people rely on their savings to cover their funeral costs, although there is no guarantee that their savings will have grown enough to cover the cost of their funeral when the time comes.
With the cost of funerals continuing to rise, locking in the cost of your funeral at today’s price is a smart financial decision.
Choosing a funeral payment plan allows you to:
- Protect your loved ones from the financial strain of arranging a funeral
With the average funeral cost several thousands of pounds, paying for a loved one’s funeral can sadly put some people into debt. A funeral payment plan helps to protect those left behind, by removing the financial burden on your family in the event of your death.
- Beat rising funeral costs by paying for your funeral at today’s prices
Taking care of your funeral arrangements with a funeral plan allows you to effectively freeze the cost at today’s prices. You will know how much your funeral will cost, without having to worry about inflation or price rises.
- Ensure your funeral is carried out according to your wishes
Paying for your funeral in advance not only helps to ensure your wishes are honoured when the time comes, but also relieves your loved ones from any stress or uncertainty over what you would have wanted.
- Pay in a way that suits you and your budget
Not everyone will have a few thousands of pounds in the bank to pay for a funeral plan in a single payment. A funeral payment plan allows you to pay in a series of affordable monthly instalments.
Is a funeral payment plan safe?
Yes, if you choose a funeral plan provider registered with the Funeral Planning Authority (FPA), you can be confident your money is protected. The FPA is a voluntary organisation set up to regulate providers in the UK’s funeral preplanning industry.
Simplicity Cremations are registered with the FPA so, no matter what happens, you will receive the funeral you have paid for when the time comes.
The money you pay for your Simplicity Cremations Prepaid Funeral Plan is held securely in the National Funeral Trust, independently managed by some of the UK’s most respected investment companies. The funds are held here until they are needed for your funeral.
It's easy to apply for a funeral payment plan
It’s easy to apply for a funeral payment plan with Simplicity Cremations; anyone aged 50 or over is guaranteed to be accepted.
To apply, you can:
- Buy online in a few simple steps
- Request a brochure and return the application form included to us by freepost
- Contact our expert team 24/7
Once your funeral payment plan is set up, we’ll send you your Planholder’s pack in the post, along with a Funeral Executor’s pack to share with your next of kin so they’ll have our contact details. When the time comes, all it takes is one simple phone call to put the funeral plan into motion.
*SunLife (2021), Cost of Dying Report, sunlife.co.uk/costofdying2021