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Dignity Report Warns that Thousands Could be Failed by Pre-Paid Funeral Plans
This week saw the release of a report about pre-paid funeral plans, commissioned by Dignity - one of the UK's biggest funeral plan providers.
In our view, the current lack of comprehensive oversight is allowing sharp sales practices and a lack of transparency to flourish in parts of the market.Alison Crake, President of the NAFD
Getty image courtesy of BBC News
The report says the scale of unscrupulous sales practices in the market is significant and growing.
The concern is for vulnerable people (and their families), who are targeted by rogue funeral plan providers. They are sold funeral plan products which will not cover the cost of the funeral, leaving families with a (sometimes not insignificant) shortfall to cover after the funeral.
The report does however, go on to say that buying a funeral plan from a reputable provider offers purchasers good value for money, as current prices are fixed.
Whilst BBC News, Money Saving Expert and other media outlets covered the recent report; the National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD - our professional body) (NAFD - our professional trade association), have long campaigned for the government to regulate the pre-paid funeral plan sector and have produced guidance for anyone planning to purchase a plan.
Gooding Funeral Services offers the Independent Way plan through Golden Charter; the leading independent funeral plan provider in the UK. Golden Charter plans are guaranteed in full by Golden Charter Funeral Plans & Legal Services and the company is registered with the Funeral Planning Authority. We offer the Independent Way funeral plan package to our clients because we consider it to be one of the most comprehensive funeral plan products on the market today. Our plan offers flexibility and great value for money, insuring that everything that can be covered by the plan, is covered.
The bottom line is; check out the credentials of your provider, understand the product and be clear about exactly what your plan will cover - before you part with your money.
