FuneralCoop prepaid funeral plans

Planning ahead means your wishes are written down and the cost is covered, so your family has less to worry about.

A funeral plan lets you:

• record the music, readings and personal touches you'd like
• choose burial or cremation, and the funeral centre you'd like to look after you
• fix the cost of the products and services in your plan at today's price
• talk it through calmly now, rather than leaving decisions to your family at a difficult time

Choose one of our set plans, or create a tailor-made plan with one of our funeral planners. Every plan can be a burial or a cremation.

Tailor-made plans

A tailor-made plan lets you choose every part of your funeral, from the coffin and flowers to the music and the route.

You'll put your plan together with one of our funeral planners, at a funeral home or in your own home. We'll record each product and service you choose, with its price, so you can see exactly what's covered.

Every FuneralCoop funeral plan includes our funeral director's services and the third-party fees for the funeral you've chosen.

Our funeral director's services include:

• bringing the person who's died into our care, 24 hours a day
• caring for them before the funeral
• arranging the funeral and taking care of the paperwork
• advice and support for your family

Depending on your plan, third-party fees can include:

• the crematorium fee
• the fee for a minister, celebrant or officiant
• the burial or interment fee and preparing the grave
• a church service fee

What isn't included?

Your family can add anything that isn't in your plan, such as extra limousines, flowers or a newspaper notice. They'll pay for these when they arrange them.

Mileage may be charged if the person who's died needs to travel more than 30 miles from your chosen funeral home. Ferry crossings and tolls aren't included either.

If you'd like a burial

A burial plan covers the burial fee, but not the cost of buying a grave.

You can buy a grave in advance from the local authority or cemetery owner, where they allow it. Buying ahead lets you choose the cemetery and the grave you'd like. If you don't, your family will need to buy one at the time of the funeral.

We can't buy a grave on your behalf, but we can tell you who to contact.

Yes, a joint funeral plan names two people and can be used for the funeral of either one.

The two people don't need to be married, partners or live at the same address. Both funerals in a joint plan need the same products and services. You can still record different wishes for each person, such as clothing, music or jewellery.

The first person named on the application pays for the plan and receives all the paperwork. When the first plan holder dies, the plan can be used for their funeral or kept for the other person.

You can pay for your funeral plan in one go or spread the cost by monthly Direct Debit.

• One payment: by credit card, cheque, bank transfer or cash. We can only take cash at a funeral home.
• Monthly Direct Debit: over 12, 24, 36, 48 or 60 months. Paying over 12 months is interest-free. Longer terms include an instalment charge.

Once your plan is fully paid, we'll send your plan certificate within 28 days. Give a copy to the person who'll arrange your funeral, so they know what to do.

The money you pay for your funeral plan is held separately from our business, in a whole-of-life insurance policy, until it's needed.

Our funeral planners can answer your questions, by phone, at a funeral home or in your own home.