Pre-paid funeral plans and funeral wishes > Pre-Paid Funeral Plans
what is a funeral plan?
to specify your wishes and pay for the funeral director’s services included in your plan. As
customers often tell us, that can bring peace of mind to you and your family.
A plan from Golden Charter also includes an allowance towards third party costs. These are essential, non-funeral director services such as the cremation or burial fees, plus the minister or
officiant’s fee to perform the service.
At Thomas Brown & Sons, we work in partnership with Golden Charter to provide you with a
simple way to plan ahead. As one of the UK’s largest funeral plans providers1, Golden
Charter has helped over 900,000 people to plan ahead2, so we’re completely confident in
offering their plans to you.
Everyone has different needs when it comes to funeral planning, so we make sure the plans
we offer are as flexible as possible. When you get in touch, we’ll be happy to discuss your
funeral requirements and tailor a plan to suit you. Rest assured a plan from Golden Charter
is available to all UK residents regardless of age or state of health.
A plan to suit your needs
and tailor a plan to suit you.
We can discuss these at our premises or in your home, at a time that is convenient for you. If you’d prefer to discuss this over the phone or via email, we can assist with this too.
You can tell us about any preferences you have in mind – the type of funeral you would like to have, hymns, music or any other personal touches – and we’ll make sure your plan takes these into account.
What’s included in a pre-paid funeral plan?
be fixed at today’s prices and protected against rising costs.
These services typically include:
- Purchase
- Professional services and making arrangements for the funeral
- Transportation of the deceased from the place of death to our premises, chapel of rest or other suitable location
- Care of the deceased and preparations for family viewing if requested
- Advice on the certification and registration of death and related documentation
- Provision of funeral vehicles
- Advice on bereavement counselling
- Coffin or casket requested
additional third-party costs to consider. These are the costs for essential, non-funeral director services required to carry out a cremation or burial which need to be paid at the time of the
funeral. These costs are outside our control.
Depending on the plan type chosen, a Golden Charter funeral plan can include a contribution towards some third-party costs. They may include:
- Crematorium fee
- Minister or officiant’s fee
- Cemetery fee: the opening of a new or existing grave for burial or interment of cremated remains
Other third party costs that may be associated with a funeral include:
- Purchase of grave or lair
- Hire of church or other venue
- Fees or organist or soloist
- Memorial, such as a headstone, entry in a book of remembrance, or the planting of a tree
- Catering, floral tributes and newspaper announcements
There will only be more to pay at the time of the funeral if the third-party costs exceed the
allowance when you buy your plan, or if the costs increase by more than the growth of your plan.
However, even if prices rise in the future, you’ll have the reassurance of knowing there’ll be
nothing more to pay for our funeral director’s services included in the plan once your plan is
fully paid for – guaranteed.
Payment options to suit you
cost or make a one-off payment – simply choose the one that’s right for you. We will provide
you with the information you need to make an informed decision.
The retail price of your funeral plan is representative of the equivalent cost of a funeral today
plus an arrangement fee of £325 which is retained by Golden Charter to help cover the costs
of setting up your plan.
management3, the Trust is operated by a Board of Trustees, completely independent of
Golden Charter. Their role is to hold your payments and ensure that the funeral director
services in your plan can be paid for at the time they are required – however far into the
future that may be.
For more information on how your payments are protected, please visit
goldencharter.co.uk/faqs
Looking after you as a customer
As a Golden Charter plan holder, you’ll receive personalised plan documents, which include
a summary of your plan, our details, your plan holder certificate and a personal membership card for you to carry in your purse or wallet.
You can add a nominated representative to your plan if you wish to do so. Your nominated representative will receive a letter which will provide details of your plan and our details, as your chosen funeral director. They will have no authority to make changes to your plan. You’ll also receive a statement from Golden Charter every three years which will be sent via post.
As your funeral director, we’ll hold full details of your funeral plan. When the time comes, one
phone call is all it takes to activate your plan and get the arrangements underway.
Ready to take the next step? Get in touch today
As well as the comfort of having a plan in place, you’ll have the peace of mind that comes
with being able to help save your family from worry and expense in the future.
So why not take the next step?
Robbie Brown is an appointed representative of Golden Charter Limited trading as Golden Charter Funeral Plans which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN:965279).