Helping you make choices for the future
Our Funeral Plans enable you to arrange and pay for your Funeral Director Services in advance, which could protect your loved ones from uncertainty about your final wishes and risks of rising costs for these services.
According to the SunLife Cost of Dying Report 2023, the total average cost of a basic funeral, professional fees and send-off in 2022 increased by 3.8% since the previous year. And there has been an increase in personal borrowing to cover the cost of a loved-one’s funeral.
*SunLife Cost of Dying report 2023
The good news is that our Funeral Plans will fix the cost of Funeral Director Services and may help to reduce the financial burden on your family.
What’s included in a Choice Funeral Plan?
Funeral Directors Services
These are the essential services carried out by the Funeral Director. These services include the following:
A professional and caring funeral
- Assisting with legal and administrative arrangements
- Help with arranging the funeral
- An online memorial tribute web page, including the ability to enable charitable donations
- Collecting the Covered Individual from their place of death (or other location) within a 25-mile radius of the Nominated Funeral Director
- Care and preparation of the Covered Individual before the funeral in professional facilities
- Use of the Nominated Funeral Director’s Chapel of Rest, or private Rest Room in order to spend time with the Covered Individual during the Nominated Funeral Director’s opening hours
- An oak-effect foil veneered coffin
- A hearse to convey the Covered Individual to the place of service, crematorium or cemetery (within 25-miles of the Nominated Funeral Director)
- Funeral Director and up to four pall bearers to accompany and attend the service
Funeral Directors Services and Extras
By selecting Choice Plus, you secure the following additional Funeral Director Services:
- Professional embalming of the Covered Individual
- A chauffeured limousine for up to six passengers
Our Funeral Plans can be easily arranged and our friendly team are ready to help and discuss your requirements. You can visit us at our branch, call us or, if appropriate, arrange a home visit. You can also request a brochure direct from Choice.
Contact UsRequest a BrochureBuy a Plan
What’s not included in a Choice Funeral Plan?
The following aren’t included in a Choice Funeral Plan, however you can make Voluntary Contributions towards these costs.
Third Party Fees
Your funeral cannot take place without payment being made for Third Party Fees. These variable external costs may include doctors, ministers/celebrants, and cremation or burial fees.
These costs are beyond the control of the Funeral Director and are not included in the Funeral Plan. Payment will be required either at the time you purchase your Funeral Plan, or at the time of the funeral.
- You can contribute as much or as little as you like now, with the option to add in the future. Contact your local branch for an up-to-date estimate, but please note that any prices quoted are not fixed and you will need to pay the prevailing rate at the time of death
Additional Products & Services
These can include flowers, the wake, obituaries/press notices, orders of service, special transport and other individual arrangements that you may have in mind.
These costs are not included in our Funeral Plan, so you may want to make Voluntary Contributions towards these variable costs.
- Contact your local branch for price information, but please note that any prices quoted are not fixed and you will need to pay the prevailing rate at the time of death
- If you want to make a change to your plan, please talk to us and we will let you know what your options are
- Our local staff will be happy to discuss your ideas and provide costs/estimates to you
Voluntary Contributions are your decision
Depending upon the amount of Voluntary Contributions you make, this amount may or may not be sufficient to pay for Third Party Fees and Additional Products & Services. Additional costs may need to be paid for when the Funeral Plan is Redeemed. Prices will be charged at the prevailing rate at the time of Redemption.
For terms, conditions, exclusions and limitations, visit choiceplan.co.uk/terms
Payne & Sons Funeral Directors is a trading name of Funeral Partners Limited (Funeral Partners) which distributes Choice Funeral Plans, which are provided by Alternative Planning Company Limited (APCL). Funeral Partners is an appointed representative of APCL. APCL is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority with firm reference number 965282. APCL and Funeral Partners are part of the Funeral Partners Group.
Choice Funeral Plans Key Facts
Our prepaid Funeral Plan lets you arrange and pay for your Funeral Director Services in advance. It allows you to make arrangements for your funeral, which may protect your loved ones from uncertainty about your final wishes and risks of rising costs for these services.
Choice Funeral Plans can be purchased by anyone over the age of 18 with no health restrictions and no credit checks
We understand that some people would just like to secure the Funeral Director Services in their Funeral Plan, while others like to make contributions towards Third Party Fees (such as crematorium fees, Doctors’ and Ministers’ charges) and/or Additional Products & Services, in order to personalise the funeral service.
The amount that you contribute towards Third Party Fees and Additional Products & Services is completely your own choice.
Any shortfall in Third Party Fees or Additional Products & Services will need to be paid for at the time of Redemption. Please read the terms of your selected Choice Funeral Plan carefully so that you know what is and is not covered.
Funeral Director Services are detailed above and at choiceplan.co.uk. By purchasing a Choice Funeral Plan, you will have secured the cost of these services, protecting yourself from the risk of price rises for these services.
Payment methods include credit or debit card, BACS, cheque, or by instalments with direct debit. You can pay for your plan in branch, or over the phone by speaking with one of our team members.
You can pay by monthly instalments over one to ten years. The cost of paying for the Funeral Plan over a 12 month term is the same as paying upfront.
If paying over 12 months up to the maximum of 120 months, prices vary by age of the Covered Individual and there is an additional charge.
When you pay by instalments, changes to the amount of Voluntary Contributions can only be made once the plan is fully paid.
If the Covered Individual passes away within 12 months from the date of Activation, the Funeral Plan cannot be Redeemed unless the outstanding payments are made. If the Covered Individual passes away after 12 months, then no further payments will be required for Funeral Director Services, and depending upon the
amount of Voluntary Contributions made, additional payments may be needed for Third Party Fees and Additional Products & Services.
Choice uses the sums you pay to arrange a whole-of-life assurance policy with a UK-based life assurance company, which is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
You can nominate your Funeral Plan to a funeral home within the Funeral Partners network of funeral homes. Depending upon your circumstances, you may be able to nominate a funeral home outside of the Funeral Partners network. Please speak to us for more information.
If you move home, let us know and we can discuss the possibility of nominating a funeral home closer to you. There is no charge for this, as your plan is portable and all services will still be honoured.
In this unlikely event, your money is protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS).
Money you provide to us is protected by the FSCS up to the value of £85,000. In the event that we, or our Insurer, go out of business, you may be entitled to compensation.
We don’t expect you to decide on everything straight away. We want you to feel comfortable with your plan – so your personal wishes such as music choices and readings, can be added to or amended at any time
We also include £100 towards any headstone or memorial purchased from us at the time of need and
we will provide you with a helpline number of one of our partner companies who offer probate reviews.
When you purchase a Choice Funeral Plan, you will have access to a helpline offering practical support to you and your family on matters such as probate, wills, legal issues and bereavement support. This is operated by a third party.
Your Welcome Pack will normally be sent within 14 days from when your plan is activated.
This will contain a letter confirming the total amount paid (including the amount of any Voluntary Contributions you may have made), and include details of your Funeral Plan, the Nominated Funeral Director and a Certificate of Entitlement.
Due to factors outside of our control, you may not receive the funeral service that you planned for, for example in the event of a pandemic. We will work closely with your family in these circumstances.
You can nominate a friend or relative to become your Nominated Representative. This means they can be informed about your Funeral Plan and act on your behalf, if you so choose.
We take complaints about our services very seriously and we want to hear from you.
If you have a complaint about your Funeral Plan, please contact us and we will promptly handle this in line with our complaints procedure, which can be viewed at choiceplan.co.uk/complaints
Please contact us if you require a copy of our complaints procedure to be sent to you in a different format.
If dissatisfied with our response, you may be able to refer the matter to the Financial Ombudsman Service at
financial-ombudsman.org.uk or call 0800 023 4567.
If you wish to cancel your plan, please contact us. You can cancel your plan free within 30 days of purchase, or within 7 days of a Funeral Director initially being nominated to carry out the plan (nomination is required within 30 days of purchase of your plan).
After these timescales, a cancellation fee of £225 will be applied. If paying by instalments, you can cancel for free within 12 months of purchase.
Contact us
Thinking about a Funeral Plan?
Choice Funeral plans enable you to arrange and pay for your Funeral Director Services in advance, which could provide peace of mind to you and your family.
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