Prepaid Funeral Plans
Benefit from peace of mind and arrange the send-off you want by paying for funeral director services in advance, avoiding potential future increases in these costs.
What is a funeral plan?
A funeral plan is an easy way to arrange the funeral you want in advance. It allows you to specify your wishes and pay for the funeral director’s service included in your plan. An allowance towards third party costs is also included in the Golden Charter plans we offer. These costs are essential, non-funeral director services such as the cremation or burial fees, plus the minister or officiant’s fee to perform the service, which need to be paid at the time of the funeral. Third party costs are outside of our control. However, the allowance included in your plan may grow over time and there would only be more to pay at the time of the funeral if the third party costs exceed the allowance when you buy your plan, or if the costs increase by more than the growth of your plan.
Benefits of a funeral plan
- Peace of mind in knowing you have helped to save your family from the stress and worry of funeral arrangements and costs
- Arrange the send-off you want through the trusted, local funeral director of your choice
- By paying in advance for the funeral director’s services included in your plan, you can avoid any potential future increases in the cost of these services.
Golden Charter funeral plans
Everyone has different needs and requests, be it flowers, music or personal touches. We work in partnership with Golden Charter, one of the UK’s largest funeral plan providers1 to offer funeral plans tailored to your wishes.
By taking the time to understand your needs, we make sure your plan reflects the funeral you want and is right for you.
We believe the Golden Charter plans we offer provide value for money as well as choice. They are priced to ensure you receive the funeral you expect with no hidden charges or fees, without compromising on service and quality. Your payments are protected2 and, once your plan is paid for, they are guaranteed to cover the funeral director’s services within your plan. Please note that for those customers paying up their plan via the instalment payment option, your plan benefits will be in place after you have made twelve payments as long as your payments remain up to date.3
Golden Charter funeral plans are available to all UK residents, regardless of age and state of health.
To find out more about Golden Charter funeral plans and how they could work for you, get in touch and we will provide you with all of the information you need to make an informed decision for you and your family.
1 Based on a Golden Charter analysis and independent research of the funeral plan market size as at January 2023.
2 Your payments are held in the Golden Charter Trust. For more information on how your payments are protected please visit goldencharter.co.uk/faqs.
3 For the instalment payment option you must be under 78 at the start date of your plan and pay the total cost by your 80th birthday.
A.B. Walker is an appointed representative of Golden Charter Limited trading as Golden Charter Funeral Plans which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN:965279).
Prepaid funeral plan FAQs
Yes, from 29 July 2022 all funeral plan providers and directly authorised intermediaries wishing to sell these plans must be authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to do so.
A.B. Walker is an appointed representative of Golden Charter Limited trading as Golden Charter Funeral Plans which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN:965279).
Registered in England No. 02511598 Registered Office: One Fleet Place, London EC4M 7WS
Golden Charter offers a number of ways to pay for your funeral plan – simply choose the one that’s right for you:
- Single payment option – a one-off payment for immediate cover
- 12 monthly payment option – spread the cost with 12 monthly payments by Direct Debit at no extra charge. You will be fully covered once all of your payments are made
- Instalment payment option – for a lower monthly payment you can pay by instalments over a period of between two and 15 years. This option includes the Golden Charter Pledge, which ensures that if you die at any time after you have made 12 payments and your payments are up to date, the benefit of your plan will be provided, with no further sums to be paid. An instalment charge is included based on the term you select and is part of the overall cost of your funeral plan.
If you cancel within 30 days Golden Charter will refund the payment you have made.
Details of cancellation terms after 30 days of receiving your plan documents are included in Golden Charter’s Key Features document which is supplied with your funeral plan.
Yes, with Golden Charter funeral plans your payments are protected. Your payments are held within the Golden Charter Trust which is operated by a Board of Trustees, completely independent of Golden Charter and ourselves. Their role is to hold your payments and ensure that the funeral director services in your plan can be paid for – whenever they are required.
To find out more about the Trust and how your payments are protected, visit goldenchartertrust.co.uk
Everyone has different needs when it comes to funeral planning, so we make sure the plans we offer are as flexible as possible. We’ll take the time to understand your wishes and tailor a plan to suit you.
You can tell us about any preferences you have in mind – the type of funeral you would like to have, hymns, music or any other personal touches – and we’ll make sure your prepaid funeral plan takes these into account.
Contact us, or Golden Charter on 0808 169 4534, and let us of any change in personal details or your funeral requirements. We will update our records and your plan.
Contact Golden Charter on 0808 169 4534 to tell them you are moving so your plan records can be updated. As the plans are flexible, you will have the option to move your plan to a different funeral director local to your new address. Please note that this may incur costs.
When you take out your prepaid funeral plan, you’ll receive personalised plan documents. These include a summary of your plan, our details, your plan holder certificate and a personal membership card for you to carry in your purse or wallet. As your nominated funeral director, we will hold details of your funeral plan. When the time comes, one phone call is all it takes to activate your plan and get the arrangements underway.
You may want to make your family aware of your funeral plan details. If you have opted to have a nominated representative for your plan, they will receive a letter shortly after you have purchased your funeral plan. This will let them know that you have put a plan in place and provide our details.
If you are on holiday in mainland UK, we will arrange transportation back to the funeral home as part of your funeral plan. Overseas transportation is not included in your plan however we can help arrange this. We would always recommend you have travel insurance when travelling.
This will depend on the payment method you have chosen. Please refer to the Key Features document that is provided with your plan for more information.
Yes, you will be appointed as the plan holder’s representative.
Yes, as the plan holder’s representative, we will arrange for all correspondence to be sent to you.
We only work with Golden Charter funeral plans and do not accept any other type of funeral plan. If you wish us to assist in your funeral we can review your existing policy and advise you on your options.
In the unlikely event that this happens, we will inform you and Golden Charter will appoint a new funeral director in accordance with your wishes. Your funeral plan payments are protected* so your plan would still be valid.
* Your payments are held in the Golden Charter Trust. For more information on how your payments are protected please visit goldencharter.co.uk/faqs
Other considerations when planning ahead
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To speak to a member of our team call us on 0118 957 3650.
