TRANSPARENT & CLEAR
Funeral plans
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Pre-Paid Funeral Plans
A funeral plan lets you arrange the funeral you want in advance, specifying your wishes and paying for the funeral director’s services included in your plan. It can bring real peace of mind to you and your family. Plans from Golden Charter also include an allowance towards third party costs — essential, non-funeral director services such as cremation or burial fees and the minister or officiant’s fee.
At Butterfields, we work in partnership with Golden Charter, one of the UK’s largest funeral plan providers, who have helped over 1 million people plan ahead.
A plan from Golden Charter is available to all UK residents, regardless of age or state of health.
A plan to suit your needs
As an independently owned funeral director, we’ll take the time to understand your wishes and tailor a plan around them — the type of funeral, hymns, music or any other personal touches. We can discuss this at our premises, in your home, or by phone or email, at a time that suits you.
What's included
Our funeral director’s services are covered in your plan, with our fees fixed at today’s prices and protected against rising costs. These typically include:
- Professional services and making the funeral arrangements
- Transportation of the deceased from the place of death to our premises, chapel of rest or other suitable location
- Care of the deceased and preparation for family viewing, if requested
- Advice on certification and registration of death and related documentation
- Provision of funeral vehicles
- Advice on bereavement counselling
- The coffin or casket requested
Once your plan is paid in full, there is nothing more to pay for the funeral director’s services it includes — guaranteed, even if prices rise.
Third party costs
These are essential, non-funeral director costs, payable at the time of the funeral and outside our control. Depending on the plan you choose, a Golden Charter plan can include a contribution towards:
- Crematorium fee
- Minister or officiant’s fee
- Cemetery fee — opening a new or existing grave for burial, or interment of cremated remains
Other costs you may wish to budget for include the purchase of a grave or lair, hire of a church or venue, organist or soloist fees, memorials (headstone, book of remembrance entry, tree planting), catering, floral tributes and newspaper announcements.
There will only be more to pay at the time of the funeral if third party costs exceed the allowance in your plan, or if they rise by more than your plan’s growth.
Payment options
Pay in one lump sum or spread the cost — whichever suits you best. We’ll give you the information you need to make an informed decision.
The retail price of your plan reflects the equivalent cost of a funeral today, plus a £350 arrangement fee retained by Golden Charter to cover the cost of setting up your plan.
Your payments are held in the Golden Charter Trust, which has almost £1.21 billion under management and is run by a Board of Trustees entirely independent of Golden Charter. Their role is to hold your payments and ensure the funeral director services in your plan can be paid for whenever they are needed. For more on how your payments are protected, visit goldencharter.co.uk/faqs.
Looking after you as a customer
As a plan holder you’ll receive personalised plan documents including a summary of your plan, our details, your plan holder certificate and a membership card for your purse or wallet. Golden Charter will send you a statement by post every three years.
You can also add a nominated representative, who will receive a letter setting out details of your plan and our details as your chosen funeral director. They will have no authority to make changes to your plan.
As your funeral director, we hold full details of your plan. When the time comes, one phone call is all it takes to activate it and get the arrangements underway.
Ready to take the next step?
Alongside the comfort of having a plan in place, you’ll have the peace of mind of helping to save your family worry and expense in the future. Get in touch today.
GUIDANCE
Price List
Every cost broken down for you in a PDF, simply click the button here