Keeping the Peace of Mind You’ve Already Planned

When you took out your funeral plan, you did something incredibly selfless: you made the big decisions today so your family wouldn’t have to make them during their most difficult moments. It’s the ultimate “gift of certainty.” By paying today’s price for future services, you’ve protected your family from the rising costs of funerals.

Like any financial asset, a funeral plan requires regular administration to ensure all your information is up to date and correct.

Why Your Current Details Matter

Life moves fast. You might move house, change your phone number, or switch to a new email address. If we can’t reach you, we can’t provide you with important updates or account statements.

Keeping your contact info updated ensures:

• Security: Your private plan documents always go to the right address.
• Timely: We can contact you with any important updates or issues.
• Accuracy: We have the correct information to coordinate with our local team.

The “Unknown” Plan

The biggest risk to any funeral plan is silence. If no one knows the plan exists, it might not be claimed, which could lead to some distressing—and often expensive—consequences for your loved ones:

• Paying Twice: If your family is unaware of your prepaid plan, they may end up paying thousands of pounds out of pocket to another funeral director. Recovering these costs later is complex and stressful.
• Wishes Overlooked: You may have specific requests regarding music, readings, or whether you wanted a burial or cremation. Without the plan in hand, your family might have to guess, which can lead to “decision fatigue” and regret during an already emotional time.
• Family Friction: In the absence of a plan, family members often disagree on what “would have been wanted.” These disagreements can cause lasting tension—the exact opposite of the peace you intended to leave behind.

The Power of a Nominated Representative

A nominated representative is a trusted person—usually a family member, a close friend, or a legal executor—who you authorise to serve as our point of contact. Think of them as the bridge between your plan and its activation. Having this person in place means:

• When the time comes, your representative knows exactly who to call. This prevents any delay in starting the arrangements you’ve already paid for.
• You ensure your investment doesn’t go unclaimed.
• Your family will have a better understanding of the kind of funeral you wanted.

When you take out a plan, you will be asked who you want as your Nominated Representative. They will receive a summary of your plan, along with all the necessary instructions and contact details.

Top Tip: In addition to appointing a nominated representative, for maximum financial security, we recommend informing your wider family or your solicitor about the plan’s location. The more people who know the asset exists, the less likely your estate will face unnecessary “out-of-pocket” funeral expenses later.

Maintaining Your Investment: How to Update Your Plan

Just as you would review a life insurance policy or an ISA, we recommend an annual “health check” of your funeral plan. Aligning this with your home insurance renewal or car MOT is an excellent way to ensure your details never lapse.

Ready to update? If you have moved house, changed your contact number, or would like to formally appoint or change a representative, please get in touch with our team. We can update your account in just a few minutes, ensuring your plan remains accurate and accessible.