FAQs

Funeral Plans FAQs

We’ve answered the most frequently asked questions about our funeral plans below.

If you have any questions about our funeral plans that aren’t answered below, please contact us and we’ll be happy to help.

How do funeral plans work?

Funeral plans are designed to allow individuals to prearrange and prepay for their funeral expenses, ensuring that their end-of-life wishes are carried out while alleviating the financial and logistical burdens on their loved ones.
Our funeral plans give you the option to pay in one lump sum or simple monthly instalments (subject to age and health status), allowing you to choose the type of funeral you want at a cost that is easy to manage. This means everything will be arranged in time for when you need it.

Why should l pay now it’ll be years before I need a funeral?

We’ll all need a funeral one day and with costs expected to rise every year, it makes sense to plan your funeral while you can and fix the cost by paying for it now.

If I decide to purchase my plan over 12 monthly instalments, what happens if I die before I have paid them all?

If death occurs within the repayment period from natural causes, the plan will be cancelled, and the monthly premiums will be refunded back to the estate or to the individual who purchased the funeral plan on the deceased’s behalf. If the death was accidental, then the funeral plan will still provide the funeral benefits with no further balance to pay.

Can I buy a funeral plan for my spouse?

Yes, you can take out a funeral plan for anyone else. All correspondence will be sent directly to the person arranging the funeral plan and confidentiality is assured, unless you request otherwise.

Can I request a local funeral director to deliver my Golden Leaves funeral service?

Golden Leaves will endeavour to allocate the delivery of your funeral services to a local funeral director of your choice (if required) providing they agree to provide the funeral services to our client on our behalf and meet our stringent service standards. (Except for the Copper plan or Copper Plus plan where Golden Leaves will select the funeral provider without exception).

Is acceptance for an instalment plan purchase guaranteed?

Anyone aged 18 or over may purchase a plan. If you choose an instalment option longer than 12 months, all payments must be completed before your 80th birthday. When purchasing a plan for someone else, instalments must be completed before their 80th birthday. If you have been advised by a doctor that you have a medical condition or illness likely to result in death within 12 months of applying, you may still take out a plan; however, only a single payment option will be available.

Who delivers my Golden Leaves funeral service?

Golden Leaves will deliver your funeral services via one of our network of approved funeral directors. If the service is delivered by one of our networks, we will pay them a contractually agreed fee to deliver the funeral to you, our client.

Once I have fully purchased my funeral plan, are there extra costs?

The services of the funeral director are guaranteed to be covered. Outside of the guaranteed cremation options, certain third-party costs may require further payment at the time of the funeral.

However, for those funeral plans where an allowance towards third-party costs has been included, we will guarantee any increase to these costs in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

What if I die at home and have a direct cremation plan?

The Copper plan will still be activated and collection is now included in the plan 24 hours a day from mainland UK.

How do I know the money will be there when it is needed?

If paying by lump sum or 12 monthly instalments, the money you’ve paid for your funeral is held in an independently managed Golden Leaves Trust. Independent fund managers are tasked to manage the long-term growth of the fund, specifically to meet the increasing cost of funeral services.

What happens to the money I pay for my plan?

The company retains an amount from the price paid by you for your plan, to cover our marketing and sales expenses, for the administrative costs of running the business for the life of each plan and to provide an element of profit. The balance is placed in the Trust in order to pay our trade funeral suppliers (for further information if required, please visit goldenleaves.com and refer to our price breakdown summary table, contained in our Commission and Payment Disclosure.

If I decide to purchase my plan over 24 – 120 monthly instalments, what happens if I die before I have paid them all?

If death occurs from natural causes in the qualifying period (the first 12 months), the plan will be cancelled and all payments refunded to the estate or to the individual who purchased the plan, but no funeral will be provided. If death in the qualifying period was accidental then a funeral will be provided, with no balance to pay. If you die after the qualifying period, the funeral will be provided with no further payments due.

What is the Crematorium Fee Guarantee?

The Golden Leaves plans guarantee the crematorium fees for a single slot Mon-Fri cremation. Weekends or extended services would require additional payments.

If I purchase a Copper plan, can I have a service for my family to attend?

The Copper plan is a direct cremation service and therefore unfortunately doesn’t include a service for mourners. Many people do hold a separate memorial service at a later date, once they have collected the cremated remains of their loved one.

If I purchase a Copper Plus plan can I choose the crematorium?

The Copper Plus plan is currently available for the funeral service to be carried out at a national network of crematoriums. At the time of plan purchase you will be able to select a crematorium from this network.

Can I upgrade/downgrade my plan to another if I change my mind?

Yes, your current plan will be subject to the cancellation terms of your existing plan. You can then take out a new plan from the currently available plans.

Can I cancel my plan?

Yes, of course. But your rights depend on how you pay for your plan. You have a right to cancel any plan (however you pay for it) within 30 days or within 7 days of being told who your allocated funeral director is, if this is later than 30 days. If you do this, you’ll get all your money back.

If you pay for your plan by instalments over 12 months you also have extended cancellation rights. For this payment option you can cancel any time within 12 months of taking out your plan and get all your money back. If you cancel after the first 12 months, you can still cancel and get your money back, but we’ll keep a £325 charge for administration. If you pay for your plan by instalments over 24 – 120 months’ you also have extended cancellation rights. For this payment option you can cancel any time within 12 months of taking out your plan and get all your money back. If you cancel after the first 12 months, you may still receive a refund. However, we will retain an administration charge of £325, along with 50% of the Instalment Payment Fees due up to the date of cancellation.