Later life · England
Planning and paying for a funeral
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This guide is for people in England.
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Your wishes
You can say what you would want at your funeral.
You do not have to buy a funeral plan.
Write down what matters
You might choose music, people or a type of ceremony.
Tell someone you trust where your wishes are kept.
When someone has died
Check whether the person left funeral wishes.
Check for an existing funeral plan or insurance.
Check the whole price
Ask for a written list of all the costs.
Ask what is included and what costs extra.
Before you sign
Find out who must pay the bill.
Do not agree to a cost you cannot afford.
Paying ahead
A funeral plan pays ahead for agreed services.
It may not pay for everything.
Insurance is different.
Monthly payments
Ask how much you will pay altogether.
Ask what happens if you miss a payment.
Ask what happens if you die before finishing payments.
Check the company
The FCA checks funeral plan companies.
Use its website to check the company’s permission.
Ask someone you trust to help.
Ask about cancelling
Ask when you can cancel.
Ask whether you will get your money back.
Keep the plan documents safe.
Help with costs
You may be able to get help with funeral costs.
The rules depend on your situation.
The payment may not cover the whole bill.
Do not miss the deadline
Funeral Expenses Payment has a deadline.
Apply within 6 months of the funeral.
Ask for help with the claim.
If nobody can arrange the funeral
Contact the council where the person died.
Explain that no funeral is being arranged.
Ask what the council can do.
Taking part
Ask what will happen at the funeral.
Ask for the support and access you need.
You can choose another way to remember the person.
What you can do next
Ask someone you trust to help compare the choices.
Check the total cost before agreeing to pay.
Read the funeral planning guide Web pageThis link opens another website.
It may use harder words.
More useful links
- MoneyHelper: planning and paying for a funeral Web page
Compare prepaid plans, costs, exclusions and other ways to prepare. Free guidance; this is not a recommendation to buy a plan.
- FCA: check a funeral plan provider Web page
Official guidance and a link to the FCA checker. Check the provider’s specific permissions and contact details.
- GOV.UK: Funeral Expenses Payment Web page
Check eligibility, what may be paid and how to claim help with funeral costs.
- GOV.UK: Children’s Funeral Fund for England Web page
Help with certain child funeral costs. The burial or cremation must take place in England.
- MoneyHelper: help paying for a funeral Web page
Explains possible funding sources, paying from an estate and what to do when costs are difficult.
These links open other websites.
They may use harder words.
Planning a funeral, funeral costs and prepaid plans — Easy Read
Record funeral wishes, compare costs, understand prepaid plans and find help with paying.
England · Planning ahead or arranging a funeral after a death
Start with the person’s wishes
You can plan ahead without buying anything. Discuss burial or cremation, a religious or non-religious ceremony, music, people to invite and anything you do not want. Record cultural and faith wishes and any communication or access needs. Share the plan with someone you trust and the person likely to arrange the funeral. Keep it where they can find it. You can change your wishes.
If someone has died
Check for recorded wishes, a will, an existing funeral plan or insurance before making arrangements. A funeral director can help, but using one is not compulsory. The council can explain burial and crematorium arrangements. Registration, the coroner’s work or other formalities may affect timing, so ask before confirming a date. Explain what will happen to anyone who needs accessible information.
Compare the whole cost
Funeral directors must publish a standardised price list for specified services. Ask for a written, itemised quote showing the total for the funeral you want. Check transport, care of the person’s body, the coffin, burial or cremation charges, the ceremony, flowers, notices and catering. Some costs are optional. Ask what a cheaper option would change, including whether people can attend. Do not assume a headline price includes everything.
Agree who will pay
Check whether money is available through an existing plan, insurance or the person’s estate. The estate means the money and property left after death. Before signing a funeral contract, ask who becomes responsible for the bill and when payment is due. Do not assume a future benefit payment or money from the estate will cover it. Ask for advice if the cost is unaffordable.
What a prepaid funeral plan does
A prepaid funeral plan pays in advance towards specified funeral services. You might pay one amount or monthly instalments. It is different from life insurance, which pays money under the policy’s terms. Compare the overall cost, not just the monthly figure. Ask which funeral director can be used and what happens after moving home or dying away from home. Savings and insurance are other options; a plan is not compulsory.
Check a plan before buying
Ask for the plan summary and full terms in a format you understand. Check included services, excluded costs, limits on third-party charges, changes, cancellation and missed payments. Ask what happens if you die before finishing instalments or during a waiting period. Ask whether anyone would have to pay more. Keep the documents and tell a trusted person where they are. Take time to compare options and get independent money guidance.
Check the provider and cancellation rights
Use the FCA’s official checker to confirm the provider is authorised and has permission for funeral plans. Check its contact details there, particularly after an unexpected call. For a new regulated plan there is normally at least a 30-day cancellation period without a cancellation charge, and some circumstances give longer. Exceptions apply once the plan has been called on or the funeral provided. Ask the provider to explain the exact deadline, refunds and later cancellation fees before buying.
Funeral Expenses Payment
You may qualify if you or your partner receive a qualifying benefit and you meet the relationship and responsibility rules. PIP alone does not establish eligibility. Other relatives and money available for the funeral can affect the decision. The payment usually covers only part of the bill. Apply within 6 months of the funeral, including if you are waiting for a qualifying benefit decision. A claim before the funeral needs an invoice or signed funeral contract, not an estimate. Check the rules before committing to unaffordable costs.
Ask for help with an application
The government’s Bereavement Service helpline is 0800 151 2012. Ask about Funeral Expenses Payment and any other bereavement benefits. The GOV.UK claim page also has postal and accessible contact options. Ask someone you choose to help you understand forms and keep copies. If refused, ask for the reasons and advice about challenging the decision promptly.
Help after a child dies
The Children’s Funeral Fund for England can cover certain costs for a child under 18 or a baby stillborn after the 24th week of pregnancy, where burial or cremation takes place in England. It is not means-tested, but it does not pay every funeral expense. Ask the funeral director, burial provider or crematorium how the fund is claimed and which costs remain.
If nobody can arrange the funeral
Contact the council for the area where the person died as soon as possible if no suitable funeral arrangements are being made. It may need to arrange a public health funeral under its legal duties. If the person died in hospital, also contact the hospital bereavement team. This is not an automatic refund for a funeral you already commissioned. Ask about the local process, attendance, the person’s wishes and any recovery of costs from their estate.
Make attending accessible
Ask about step-free access, accessible toilets, seating, transport, a quiet place and support to understand the ceremony. Someone may want to attend only part of it or remember the person another way. Explain choices without pressure. A familiar supporter, photographs, objects or music can help. Keep support available afterwards and use the separate bereavement guide if wanted.
Words you could use
“Please explain the funeral choices, the full price, who is responsible for paying and any help available. I need this communication or access support: …”
More useful links
- MoneyHelper: planning and paying for a funeral Web page
Compare prepaid plans, costs, exclusions and other ways to prepare. Free guidance; this is not a recommendation to buy a plan.
- FCA: check a funeral plan provider Web page
Official guidance and a link to the FCA checker. Check the provider’s specific permissions and contact details.
- GOV.UK: Funeral Expenses Payment Web page
Check eligibility, what may be paid and how to claim help with funeral costs.
- GOV.UK: Children’s Funeral Fund for England Web page
Help with certain child funeral costs. The burial or cremation must take place in England.
- MoneyHelper: help paying for a funeral Web page
Explains possible funding sources, paying from an estate and what to do when costs are difficult.
These links open other websites.
They may use harder words.
Where the information comes from
Links checked 7 November 2026.
These links open other websites.
They may use harder words.
- GOV.UK: arranging a funeral Web page
Arrangements, funeral directors, price lists and ways to pay.
- MoneyHelper: planning and paying for a funeral Web page
Plan inclusions and exclusions, instalments, insurance and alternatives.
- MoneyHelper: help paying for a funeral Web page
Possible payment sources and help with costs.
- FCA: authorised funeral plan providers Web page
Checking authorisation, permissions and the official Firm Checker.
- FCA Handbook: funeral plan cancellation rights Web page
Minimum cancellation periods, longer periods and exceptions.
- GOV.UK: Funeral Expenses Payment eligibility Web page
Qualifying benefits and relationship rules.
- GOV.UK: claiming Funeral Expenses Payment Web page
Six-month deadline, documents, current helpline and ways to claim.
- GOV.UK: Children’s Funeral Fund for England Web page
Age, location and financial eligibility.
- GOV.UK: public health funeral guidance Web page
Council duties, local arrangements, NHS liaison and recovery from the estate.
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