Serving families across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire for generations.

What do prepaid funeral plans involve?

What do prepaid funeral plans involve?

A prepaid funeral plan enables you to pay for your chosen funeral upfront. This means that your family do not have to meet most of the costs themselves. With lots of prepaid funeral plans available in the UK, there are good reasons to choose a product from a local independent funeral director.

As we get older, it’s only natural to think about what will happen when the time comes for our funeral. Funerals are expensive with costs increasing each year. According to the UK government, the price of funerals has continued to rise at twice the rate of inflation. Paying in advance can bring you and your relatives’ peace of mind. It also gives you control over your final wishes and the chance to discuss them in advance with those close to you.

When deciding if a prepaid funeral plan is right for you, it’s important to consider the benefits but also the risks and your own personal circumstances.

Funerals and cremation choices in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire

When you’re thinking about a site where you would like to be laid to rest or your ashes scattered, along with the location of a ceremony, you might think about somewhere close to your home, to your family, somewhere special to you or where a loved one has previously been buried or cremated.

Those thinking about funeral plans in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire have plenty of choice as to location. There are seven crematoria in Nottinghamshire, five in Derbyshire and numerous burial sites across both counties. There are just under 50 funeral directors in Nottinghamshire alone with 47 burial homes. In Derbyshire, there are 21 funeral directors and 20 burial homes.

According to the Cremation Society of Great Britain, the average cost of just the cremation procedure in Nottingham in 2021 was £700 and in Derby, it was £782. By no means does this include everything that is necessary. In the UK, the average cost of the essential elements of a funeral is estimated to be around £4,800 and £3,750 for cremations. The cost of additional discretionary items is said to be on average £2,000 to £3,000 on top of this.

What is a prepaid funeral plan and how do they work?

A prepaid funeral is a cremation or burial that is planned before someone passes away. Payment is usually made via a one-off lump sum or through monthly instalments. Gillott’s funeral plans are available with flexible payment options. You can pay it all off at once, choose to spread the cost over 12 months with no additional charges or opt for an instalment plan of up to five years.

When you choose a prepaid funeral plan, the total cost to be paid is set at that point and will not increase as a result of inflation. If funeral prices rise, your funeral plan will not reflect this. You should be aware that if funeral costs fall then you may be paying more.

Your chosen arrangements are also set. This will save loved ones some of the stress involved with organising the funeral themselves. You can, of course, change details at a later date.

A typical prepaid funeral plan will not cover absolutely everything involved so your family may have to cover any shortfall. However, this will be a lot less than they would have to pay without a plan being in place.

What prepaid funeral plan choices are available?

You can buy a prepaid funeral plan direct from a funeral director or from a third-party provider. You might be pleasantly surprised at the range of options that are offered. Funeral plans are available at different prices with different components and levels of service included depending on your needs and wishes.

Typically, there will usually be three core types of prepaid funeral plans available with a basic option, a midrange standard service and a fully comprehensive plan. Pricing will reflect the level of service that is included. There might also be a choice of a direct cremation which is often advertised as a “no-fuss” package and there will often be a “green” plan that will include natural products and services. In addition, some funeral directors will offer a bespoke option that allows you to choose several personalised elements.

Choosing a prepaid funeral plan in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire from Gillotts

At Gillotts, we believe that not all prepaid funeral plans are created equally. As long-established local funeral directors, we are very much rooted in the communities that we serve. There are many nationwide providers of prepaid funeral plans and you may have noticed their adverts on television. We believe there are a number of benefits to choosing a local funeral director over a national company. These include:

Our prepaid funeral plans are devised from our long experience of working in the local areas we serve. We have unique links with services in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire and if you choose to be buried or cremated in either area, you can be reassured that our plans are crafted from local knowledge and understanding.

National prepaid funerals structure their pricing for the whole country. Their services and costs are designed to accommodate variations – high and low – in costs across the UK. That means you pay a national rate that covers areas where services cost more. Typically, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire prices are lower than London and the South East for example so our plans at Gillotts reflect local rates.

With sustainability as part of our company ethos, you’re supporting the business of a local company and all the associated partners we work within Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.

We’re a family company that really values just what family means. Generations of local people have trusted us to take care of their final wishes and provide personalised and professional support to their loved ones.

To find out more about the prepaid funeral plans that Gillotts offer, take a look at our packages and download our brochure. If you have any further questions, we’d be delighted to hear from you. Trust us to be your partner and that of your loved ones in making this big, yet most practical decision.