UK Funeral Plans Compared 2026: Prices, Cover and What to Check

A UK funeral plan costs from about £1,600 to £5,000, paid in one go. We checked providers' own websites on 2 November 2026. The cheapest direct cremation plan was £1,595 (Farewill). The most complete attended plan we found was £4,967 (Dignity Signature). Since 29 July 2022, every funeral plan provider must be authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). That is the first thing to check, before price (FCA).

This page compares the main national plans on price and cover. It also lists the checks that protect your money. We are not a broker. We take no commission, and we do not give financial advice. We just want you to know what you are buying.

Why did the rules change in 2022?

Because thousands of families were let down. Safe Hands Funeral Plans collapsed in 2022, four months before the new rules began. About 46,000 plan holders got back roughly 4p per pound. We tell that story in the Safe Hands funeral plans collapse.

Before July 2022, the funeral plan market was not regulated by law. Now the FCA regulates them like other financial products. That gives you three protections, if your provider is authorised.

1. The FCA's rules apply. Providers must treat customers fairly and hold the money safely.
2. You can complain to the Financial Ombudsman Service if something goes wrong and the provider does not fix it.
3. The Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) may step in if the provider fails. It protects up to £85,000 per person per firm. It will try to give you a like-for-like replacement plan, or pay compensation based on today's price of the same plan (FSCS).

The FCA is blunt about firms that are not authorised: "you won't have access to the Financial Ombudsman Service" and "it's unlikely you'd get your money back" (FCA).

How do you check a provider?

Use the FCA Firm Checker. Search the provider's name. Choose "Funeral plan". Check that it is authorised, and that it has permission to enter into funeral plan contracts and to administer them.

Be careful with funeral directors who sell plans. A local funeral director may be an "appointed representative" selling another company's plan. Your provider is then the other company. Check that one.

Each provider below shows its FCA firm reference number (FRN) on its own website. Check the number yourself on the Firm Checker before you pay.

How much do UK funeral plans cost in 2026?

These are single-payment prices, read on each provider's own website on 2 November 2026. Instalment prices are usually higher.

Direct cremation plans (no service)

Provider	Plan	Price	FRN shown on its site
Farewill Funerals	Direct cremation plan	£1,595 (£1,695 by 24 instalments)	995901
Simplicity Cremations	Essential Cremation	£1,800	967130 (Dignity Funerals Ltd)
Dignity	Unattended	£1,899	967130
Golden Charter	Direct Cremation Plan	£1,950	965279
Distinct Cremations	Plans "from"	£1,995	965289
Pure Cremation	Pure Cremation plan	Quoted individually, instalments from £29.99 a month	965260

Pure Cremation stopped publishing one national plan price. It says it quotes each plan by area, and that prices shown on other websites "are not set by Pure Cremation" (Pure Cremation). So get a quote directly if you want to compare it.

Plans with a funeral service

Provider	Plan	Price	What the website says it includes
Simplicity	Simple Celebration	£2,400	Cremation plus a gathering of about 20 minutes for up to 25 people at the crematorium
Golden Charter	Standard	£3,800	Burial or cremation, a traditional service, a simple coffin, £1,100 allowance for third-party costs
Dignity	Essence	£3,850	Burial or cremation, a family member leads the ceremony
Golden Charter	Select	£4,150	As Standard, plus a higher-quality coffin, one limousine, 24-hour collection
Dignity	Grace	£4,409	A minister or officiant, one limousine
Dignity	Signature	£4,967	Two limousines, embalming, a minister or officiant

For comparison, SunLife puts the average simple attended funeral at £3,828 and a direct cremation at £1,628, at 2025 prices (SunLife, 2026). A plan does not save money today. It protects against future price rises for what it covers.

We also tried to read Co-op Funeralcare's plan prices on its own website, but the pages did not load for us. Co-op sells five plans, so check its site directly.

What is not covered by a funeral plan?

This is where families get surprised. A plan covers the funeral director's services listed in it. Other costs may not be covered at all, or only by a fixed allowance.

Golden Charter, for example, lists these as not included as standard (Golden Charter):

• embalming;
• the burial plot (an allowance goes toward opening a grave);
• a headstone or memorial;
• catering or a wake;
• the minister or officiant's fee;
• flowers, the order of service and notices.

What is a third-party allowance?

Crematoriums, cemeteries and ministers charge fees that the funeral director does not control. These are called third-party or disbursement costs. Many attended plans include a fixed amount for them. Golden Charter's Standard and Select plans include £1,100.

If those fees rise faster than the allowance grows, your family pays the gap. Some direct cremation plans fully guarantee the cremation fee instead. Ask which kind you are buying.

Other fees to ask about

• Arrangement fee. Golden Charter says its plan price includes a £350 arrangement fee that it keeps to set up the plan.
• Cancellation fee. Simplicity says it charges none. Others may. Read the terms.
• Instalment charge. Farewill's instalment plan costs £100 more than paying in one go.
• Collection limits. Some plans include collection only within a set distance, or in working hours. Golden Charter's Direct Cremation Plan covers collection within 25 miles in working hours.
• Body size limits. Farewill lists extra costs if the person is over 188 cm or 127 kg.

What 8 checks should you make before you buy?

1. Is the provider FCA-authorised for funeral plans? Check the Firm Checker, not just the website.
2. Who is the provider? If a local funeral director sells it, find out which company holds the plan.
3. What exactly is included? Get the full list, including the coffin, collection and the ashes.
4. What is the third-party allowance, and is it guaranteed? Know what your family might still pay.
5. What happens if you move? Golden Charter says plans can move to a funeral director near your new home, with possible extra costs.
6. What if you cancel? Ask what you get back, and whether there is a fee.
7. How will your family know? Name a representative. Keep the paperwork where people will look.
8. Are you paying more by instalments? Compare the total with the single price. Check what happens if you die before the last payment.

Is a funeral plan right for you?

A plan suits some people very well. It may suit you if:

• you have clear wishes and the money set aside now;
• you want to fix today's price for the services in the plan;
• you want your family to have one phone number to call;
• you have no one you trust to arrange things.

It may not suit you if:

• you might move abroad;
• you want to keep the money flexible for care costs;
• your wishes may change a lot;
• you could not afford to lose the money if you cancel.

Some people choose a middle way. They write their wishes down, set money aside in their own account, and tell their family where both are. This keeps control, but there is no price guarantee.

On a low income? In England and Wales, the Funeral Expenses Payment pays only up to £120 toward items a pre-paid plan does not cover (GOV.UK). Without a plan, it can include up to £1,000 for other costs. Check this before you buy.

What should you do before you buy any plan?

Write your wishes first. A plan is a contract for services. It is not a record of what you want. Decide on burial or cremation, a service or none, music, readings, and where the ashes should go. Then choose the plan that matches, not the other way round.

Our guides can help: how to plan your own funeral, direct cremation costs and cremation vs burial cost.

The Library's Funeral & Memorial Planning worksheet is one place to write those choices down. Its cost table lets you compare plan quotes side by side. Fill it in, then take it to the provider. You will know what to ask for, and what to leave out.