A number of recent newspaper articles (see, for example, The Guardian’s Pre-Paid Funeral Plans Failing to Cover the Cost Of Dying) have argued that prepaid funeral plans fail to do fulfill their purpose: they do not cover the real costs of your funeral. With this in mind, Laura Richardson considers some of the key issues linked to whether a prepaid funeral plan bought today will cover the real costs of your funeral in Braintree when the time comes . . .

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Over the last few years there has been a dramatic rise in the number of people choosing to prepay for their funeral in Braintree in order to alleviate their loved ones of the financial burden when they die.

For many years now the cost of a funeral has risen well above the inflation rate and was estimated by the SunLife Cost of Dying Report in 2016 to average £3,900. This figure differs vastly across the country, and also in accordance with the exact preferences for your funeral. With the rising cost of funerals borne in mind, it can be extremely beneficial financially to pay for your funeral in advance, at the current costs rather than your estate or family members paying for your funeral at the increased future cost.

However, there has been some concern raised by recent reports that some prepaid funeral plans are not making provision for all of the necessary costs involved in a funeral and, as a result, family members are still being left with a large sum to be paid towards the funeral (see, for example, the aforementioned Pre-Paid Funeral Plans Failing to Cover the Cost Of Dying).

Age Concern raised initial concerns back in 1994, urging people to “make careful choices” when it comes to taking out the right prepayment plan for your funeral. However, this concern has been raised yet again this year following a report by Fairer Finance on behalf of Dignity. Therefore, it is vitally important that you understand exactly what your prepayment funeral plan includes, or perhaps more crucially, what it does not include.

The Fairer Finance report suggests that, in reality, the average cost of a funeral is £5,900, when including “optional” elements such as a wake including catering, a church service, flowers, orders of service, transport for family members and other such associated costs. The report also noted that some costs are not able to be predicted. For example, should you move to another area of the UK, the cost of your burial plot could rise by thousands of pounds. This type of cost, therefore, could be extremely difficult to pay in advance due to the wide range of costs across the country.

How can Andrew Douglas Wills and Legal Services help you?

Andrew Douglas Wills and Legal Services are able to offer several different options to suit your requirements and your budget for your funeral in Braintree and throughout Essex. Your no-obligation initial consultation will be free of charge, during which we can discuss your preferences and talk you through the exact details of what your plan can include.

We understand the importance of your peace of mind of knowing that your funeral costs will be fully covered by your prepayment plan and we aim to offer a simple, transparent plan which will meet your needs.

With this in mind, if you would like to discuss your prepayment funeral plan, please contact Andrew Douglas Wills and Legal Services via www.andrewdouglaswills.co.uk today throughout Essex.

If you would like to keep up with our latest posts and advice about estate planning through the regular advice that we provide to our clients in this regard, then please also feel free to –

Follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ADouglasWills.
Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/AndrewDouglasWills.
Follow us on Google+ at https://plus.google.com/b/117915389310253337582/+AndrewdouglaswillsCoUk/p