Funeral Plan FAQs

Your funeral plan allows you to arrange your own funeral and spread the cost over time. You choose your funeral package, which you agree to pay for monthly by direct debit.  You agree your monthly payment when you buy your funeral plan. Your monthly payments pay for an insurance policy with Royal London, and on your death the proceeds from the policy will be used to cover the cost of your funeral package. Ecclesiastical Planning Services, will carry out your chosen funeral package using their national network of funeral service providers.

What it covers depends on the type of funeral plan you choose. Typically a funeral plan will cover all your chosen funeral expenses – such as a coffin, limousine, and burial or cremation fees. You can find out more about our two types of plans here.

As long as you are a UK resident aged 50-80 we guarantee to accept you with no medical questions.

You pay to the anniversary date of your Funeral Plan on or after you turn 90, or until you die, whichever comes first. We refer to this as your Final Payment Date. You can’t ‘cash in’ your policy at any time.

Your Royal London Funeral Plan is designed to cover the costs of your chosen funeral package even if prices go up in future. So, with us, you can be sure there will be no ‘hidden costs’ further down the line. If you die after the first 12 months your plan is guaranteed to pay out as long as you’ve made all the payments due.  

No, your monthly payments are fixed and will never increase.

Yes. Even if funeral costs rise in the future, your funeral plan is guaranteed to cover the cost of your chosen funeral package when you die as long as your monthly payments are up to date, and you have had your plan for at least 12 months.

If you have reached the ‘half-way point’ of your payments (i.e. half-way between the start of your plan and the policy anniversary after your 90th birthday) your chosen funeral plan won’t be paid for but you will qualify for a contribution towards the cost of a funeral when you die – with most other providers you would get nothing back. If you have not reached the half-way point, your plan will be cancelled and you will get no payments back and your funeral package will not be carried out. You can find out more in our terms and conditions.

If you need to stop paying, you will qualify for a contribution towards a funeral when you die, as long as you’re at least halfway through paying for your funeral plan. That’s halfway from the start of the funeral plan until the plan anniversary date after you turn 90. The contribution towards a funeral will be paid to your personal representatives when you die.

No you can’t add to or upgrade your funeral package once you’ve bought your funeral plan. However, should your loved ones  want to add additional services or personal touches when they arrange your funeral, they can do so directly with the funeral provider. They will need to agree any changes and pay any additional costs to the funeral director as these aren’t covered by your funeral plan.

Your loved ones should contact the funeral provider shown on the certificate of entitlement. If you die after the first year and you’ve made all your monthly payments, Ecclesiastical Planning Services will arrange for your funeral package to be carried out with the funeral provider. Ecclesiastical Planning Services will claim on your insurance policy, and we’ll cover the cost of your funeral package. In some circumstances we’ll make payments to your personal representatives instead of Ecclesiastical Planning Services, for example if you have chosen to make a contribution payment towards extras like flowers or a wake.

If you die within the first year, your chosen package won’t be carried out. If you die from natural causes the payments you’ve made will be returned to your personal representatives. If you die from an accident, the value of your funeral plan will be paid to your personal representatives. Your chosen funeral package will be paid for when you die as long as you have been making monthly payments into your plan for at least one year. If you die within one year of your funeral plan starting, your loved ones should contact Royal London directly on 0345 266 5400. 

If you die outside of the UK, your funeral plan is still valid as long as your monthly payments are up to date. However, you should be aware that repatriation of your body back to the UK is not included as part of the plan. Your family will need to make those arrangements and pay for your repatriation separately.

Yes, you can claim from the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) in the unlikely event that Royal London was unable to pay claims under the insurance policy, if your funeral package hasn’t already been carried out. 

If this happens we will let you know, and Ecclesiastical will then appoint a new local funeral director from their list of local, independent funeral directors. Once Ecclesiastical have appointed your new funeral director, we will send you a new certificate of entitlement showing their details.

Ecclesiastical Planning Services is a funeral plan provider that has worked with a network of funeral directors for over 25 years. It is part of the Ecclesiastical Group which has been protecting people, property and funds since it was founded in 1887.

If you are moving, please get in touch to let us know so we can update your records. If you choose the Traditional Funeral Plan and your new home is 25 miles or more away from your current address, we will then appoint a local funeral director in your new area.

No. Your monthly payment is calculated when you take out your funeral plan. The monthly payment you make will never increase.

It’s important you tell your family about your plan and let them know where you keep your Royal London paperwork. This will help your loved ones trace the important information they will need. And, of course, we’ll be here to answer any questions they may have. Once you have arranged your plan, you will receive a Certificate of Entitlement which will make it clear what is included and explain what your loved ones should do when you die.

This option covers the typical expenses that you would associate with a traditional funeral such as; a funeral director, a limousine, a coffin, and allows you to spread the cost to reduce the financial and emotional pressure on your loved ones. When taking out this plan, you can choose between a burial or a cremation, you can also choose to upgrade the coffin, add additional limousines and leave an additional contribution towards other items such as flowers, a headstone or a wake.

If you choose the Traditional Funeral Plan, we will show you who your funeral director will be before you agree to take out your plan. They will be a local funeral director allocated by Ecclesiastical Planning Services. 

After we've set your funeral plan up, we'll send you a leaflet which you can use to record any personal touches you would like at your funeral. You can write them in here and let your family know where you keep it so they know what to arrange with your funeral director.

Although the Traditional Funeral Plan does not cover the cost of flowers or a wake, you can customise your plan to include an additional contribution towards other expenses such as flowers, venue hire or catering. This won’t be carried out as part of your funeral package but the financial contribution will be paid to your personal representatives so that they can add any of these additional items. You can let them know what additional items you would like by recording them in the 'When I'm Gone' booklet that we will send to you with your welcome pack.

You can choose to make an additional payment into your Traditional Funeral Plan, which will be used as a contribution towards the costs of additional extras such as a wake, flowers, or a memorial (such as a headstone or plaque).This contribution will increase by 4% every year until you die. We do this to help make sure the money you leave will not lose its value over time. For example a person aged 60 who adds a contribution of £100 today, the value of their contribution will be £210.68 after 20 years.

Many people are now considering cost effective ways to put together a less traditional, more personalised send-off. This option allows you to minimise the cost of your cremation expenses with a ‘no frills’ approach that does not include a traditional funeral service. Allowing your loved ones to scatter your ashes, have their own memorial or do something individual to you.

In order to minimise costs, your body will be taken to a crematorium at a time and place that best suits the cremation provider. For this reason, it will not be possible to arrange to view your body once collected for cremation. 

No. The Alternative Cremation Plan does not include a ceremony. It only covers the essential cremation costs. Also, your loved ones will not be able to attend the cremation itself. If a service is important to you, you may want to consider our Traditional Funeral Plan.

Once your ashes are returned to your family, they will be free to have any kind of funeral service or celebration they wish – however The Alternative Cremation Plan does not cover any of the costs associated with hosting these events. If this is important to you, you may want to consider our Traditional Funeral Plan which is designed to pay for a traditional funeral including a service and burial/cremation.

• Only pays for your funeral on death - no cash-in value.
• No funeral in the first year, if you die from an accident we pay the value of your plan to your estate. If you die from natural causes, we return the payments made.
• If you need to stop paying, you will qualify for a contribution towards a funeral when you die, as long as you're at least halfway through paying for your funeral plan. That's halfway from the start of the funeral plan until the plan anniversary date after you turn 90. You stop paying at that plan anniversary or when you die, whichever comes first.
•  Total monthly payments paid may exceed the cost of your funeral.
• Your funeral plan is made up of a Royal London life insurance policy and your chosen funeral package which is provided by Ecclesiastical Planning Services. On your death the proceeds from the policy are used to cover the cost of your funeral package.