Pre-paid funeral plans: So you have to specify the funeral directors?

tooldle

collinsca said:

tooldle said:

Try the coop. They offer funeral bond (paid at today’s price). I’ve not long used my mum’s bond to pay for her funeral. Bond was bought in 1995.

Thanks - i cant seen anything online about a "funeral bond" - although they do have varying plans...

I have found 2 different co-op companies on trust-pilot and so i am nervous about co-op. Maybe i dont understand the company structure!?


one which is great:
The Co-operative Funeralcare - Southern Co-op Reviews | Read Customer Service Reviews of funeralcare.co.uk (trustpilot.com)
and one which isn't:
Co-op Funeralcare Reviews | Read Customer Service Reviews of coop.co.uk/funeralcare (trustpilot.com)

I now see first one is "co-operative", second is "co-op" - are these different companies?

There are a number of coops. My mum’s bond was purchased from southern Coop. When it came to using it, she was in Wales. We didn’t have a problem, the local coop funeral provider claimed from the coop who issued the bond. All the co-op funeral business I’ve dealt with are small local providers. They do share some services. They also offer free legal advice and have a helpline that calls several times to check on the responsible person as they navigate the death admin.
I found them very good. There were no additional fees to pay when arranging the funeral as I stuck with the arrangements already specified. Ours were for cremations. 

I’m not sure about the age range though.
My parents definitely had a bond, rather than a funeral plan. It was paid for in one lump (two bonds) and each specified what they wanted at the time of purchase. 

collinsca

tooldle said:

collinsca said:

tooldle said:

Try the coop. They offer funeral bond (paid at today’s price). I’ve not long used my mum’s bond to pay for her funeral. Bond was bought in 1995.

Thanks - i cant seen anything online about a "funeral bond" - although they do have varying plans...

I have found 2 different co-op companies on trust-pilot and so i am nervous about co-op. Maybe i dont understand the company structure!?


one which is great:
The Co-operative Funeralcare - Southern Co-op Reviews | Read Customer Service Reviews of funeralcare.co.uk (trustpilot.com)
and one which isn't:
Co-op Funeralcare Reviews | Read Customer Service Reviews of coop.co.uk/funeralcare (trustpilot.com)

I now see first one is "co-operative", second is "co-op" - are these different companies?

There are a number of coops. My mum’s bond was purchased from southern Coop. When it came to using it, she was in Wales. We didn’t have a problem, the local coop funeral provider claimed from the coop who issued the bond. All the co-op funeral business I’ve dealt with are small local providers. They do share some services. They also offer free legal advice and have a helpline that calls several times to check on the responsible person as they navigate the death admin.
I found them very good. There were no additional fees to pay when arranging the funeral as I stuck with the arrangements already specified. Ours were for cremations. 

I’m not sure about the age range though.
My parents definitely had a bond, rather than a funeral plan. It was paid for in one lump (two bonds) and each specified what they wanted at the time of purchase. 

Thanks for the views.

Looks like a bond is an old funeral product.: Co-Operative Funeral Bonds — MoneySavingExpert Forum

tooldle

@collinisca. Seems a strange experience. I used my mum’s at the end of last year. The new plans don’t seem quite so straight forward to me. 

collinsca

tooldle said:

@collinisca. Seems a strange experience. I used my mum’s at the end of last year. The new plans don’t seem quite so straight forward to me. 

Thanks.
I guess it is like most things nowadays... you don't get as much as you used to and there's lots of stipulations...
But besides that i think the protection against rising costs is a no brainer.

My only other issue, which is a pretty big one!...
I want to be buried not cremated and my locals parish church has just closed for any new burials due to lack of space... so i'm really not sure what options i have!

Savvy_Sue

collinsca said:

My only other issue, which is a pretty big one!...
I want to be buried not cremated and my locals parish church has just closed for any new burials due to lack of space... so i'm really not sure what options i have!

Other burial options are likely to be available. The local authority may have a municipal cemetery (as well as a crem), or there may be a natural burial ground not too far away. It may sound odd to suggest shopping around now, but BiL is buried in a lovely spot, and my parents' ashes likewise (with a burial option also available there). 

tooldle

As I as I understand it @collinsca there are now more choices if you wanted to consider a ‘greener’ option. Here are a few examples https://returnhome.com/top-5-cremation-alternatives-and-eco-friendly-options/ Co-op I believe started to offer the hydrolysis option last year. 

collinsca

Thank you both for the burial options advice

WYSPECIAL

collinsca said:

tooldle said:

@collinisca. Seems a strange experience. I used my mum’s at the end of last year. The new plans don’t seem quite so straight forward to me. 

Thanks.
I guess it is like most things nowadays... you don't get as much as you used to and there's lots of stipulations...
But besides that i think the protection against rising costs is a no brainer.

My only other issue, which is a pretty big one!...
I want to be buried not cremated and my locals parish church has just closed for any new burials due to lack of space... so i'm really not sure what options i have!

If your local church yard is closed most likely option is the local council cemetery. 
There may be other local churches that you could be buried in i for the PCC permits it but if your ex not living within the parish boundaries they don’t have to allow it.
Depending on where you live there may be a private cemetery.
Are you wanting to pre purchase exclusive right of burial somewhere now so that it isn’t sorted? You can’t do this in a church yard.

sheramber

I used Golden Charter.

They allocated it to  a local funeral director who was on their panel.

They say anybody can buy a plan regardless of age.

Alternatively you can enquire if a local funeral director deals with any companies. 

collinsca

WYSPECIAL said:

collinsca said:

tooldle said:

@collinisca. Seems a strange experience. I used my mum’s at the end of last year. The new plans don’t seem quite so straight forward to me. 

Thanks.
I guess it is like most things nowadays... you don't get as much as you used to and there's lots of stipulations...
But besides that i think the protection against rising costs is a no brainer.

My only other issue, which is a pretty big one!...
I want to be buried not cremated and my locals parish church has just closed for any new burials due to lack of space... so i'm really not sure what options i have!

If your local church yard is closed most likely option is the local council cemetery. 
There may be other local churches that you could be buried in i for the PCC permits it but if your ex not living within the parish boundaries they don’t have to allow it.
Depending on where you live there may be a private cemetery.
Are you wanting to pre purchase exclusive right of burial somewhere now so that it isn’t sorted? You can’t do this in a church yard.

Thanks.
Yes i appreciate you can't purchase exclusive rights.
What i really wanted is to be buried in my local village, where i have lived for 50 years, but after 400 years or so they have just closed the cemetery, so i basically don't have an option that i am happy with.