11 min readMar 18, 2021

Probably The Best Funeral Plan on the Uk Market 2021

The Double Inflation Conundrum

The cost of funerals is increasing at an alarming rate and has been doing so for over 20 years
Funeral inflation rates have fluctuated between 1.4 and 6% over that same time period*
In contrast, the average price increase for general goods in the UK has been c. 1.5–2% and wage growth has been between 2 and 3.5%
This means that the cost of a service that you will need at some point is rising faster than average wage growth and general inflation
These rising costs, coupled with a lack of transparency and clarity have left consumers unable to make informed decisions about after-life care
Unique Funeral Plans was formed in order to solve the three main issues currently facing the market today:
No other provider will financially reward you for longevity
Off the back of the above, no other provider will refund your entire plan money and assume responsibility for your funeral if your plan is not called upon within a certain timeframe
You receive no share of the surplus gained from years (or months) of investment by your plan company
Unique, on the other hand, can and will fulfil all of the above…

*Royal London National Funeral Cost Index 2020

Locking in today, to avoid worrying tomorrow

Average Funeral Cost By Year

Funeral costs are currently at an all time high

By 2024, the average cost of a funeral could be £5,285*

*SunLife Cost of Dying Report 2020

What Should I Do Then ?

The Covid-19 pandemic has led to increased awareness about funeral plans, mortality, longevity and costs across the board

Current economic conditions coupled with future uncertainty mean that a growing number of people are purchasing funeral plans in order to lock in prices today to avoid price increases in future
As the general cost of living increases, customers are encouraged to deal with essential costs such as funerals today, hence removing any stress from family and friends when the time comes
Unlike a lot of other purchases, a funeral is a guaranteed cost that you will have to meet at some point in the future
At what will already be an exceptionally difficult time for family and friends, it makes sense to arrange your end of life celebration now, rather than wait
Whilst there are a large number of funeral plan providers in the marketplace, none of them can offer you what Unique can

Unique — A Funeral Plan Company like no other..

Benefits

Your plan money refunded after 15 years and
Your funeral paid for, in full, after 15 years
25% of your money refunded if called upon between years 6 and 15
A Standard Will included with every plan, including Purity (our Direct Cremation plan)
A Monthly Draw where you can win your plan money back
If you transfer your plan to Unique from another provider, Unique will pay for any fees you may incur (in line with our Ts and Cs)
A discount on all Joint plans
Immediate cover
An NHS donation for every plan taken out
A higher 3rd party disbursement allowance than other providers
More included as standard than any other plan provider currently in the market, including a two year subscription to OIG — onceivegone.com on top of everything else

An industry disruptor with a world first offering..

Started 5 years ago by partners who identified a gap in the market and who share over 50 years of investment and financial management experience between them

Unique Funeral Plans allows you to be in complete control
You can nominate your own funeral director, or we can allocate one for you
Your plan refunded after 15 years and your funeral paid for after 15 years
Arguably the best funeral plan provider in the market when measured on product offering as well as cost

A pre-paid funeral plan to suit everyone..

You have a choice of 5 different funeral plans with unique names
Purity: Our Direct Cremation Plan
The Exclusive: Our Under 40s plan (created to take advantage of a fast growing market)
The Essence: A plan providing an extensive service for a very reasonable price
The Prestige: Our most popular plan which includes more per £ than any other provider
The Prestige Plus: Our market-beating signature plan which has no direct competitor (as is the case with all of our plans)
Every plan comes with the world first pledge: Your plan money refunded after 15 years and your funeral paid for after 15 years.

How much does each plan cost ?

Purity: £995
The Exclusive: £1,900
The Essence: £2,800
The Prestige: £3,100
The Prestige Plus: £3,475
Every plan comes with a world first pledge: Your plan money refunded after 15 years and your funeral paid for after 15 years. No other plan provider can offer this

What does The Prestige Plus include?

Your Funeral Director’s charges and services with regards to the normal course of proceedings
100-mile radius transfer costs regarding transportation of the deceased to the funeral parlour
A Two year subscription to Once I’ve Gone (onceivegone.com)
Immediate Cover
A Solid Plain-Sided Oak Coffin
Chapel of rest viewing at any time
Two Limousines
A Hearse & Pallbearers
Doctor’s Fees
£50 towards Catering costs
£50 towards Floral Arrangements
Minister or Celebrant Fees
A Standard Will
Cremation Fee
Up to £1,500 of Third-Party costs

What does The Prestige include?

Your Funeral Director’s charges and services with regards to the normal course of proceedings

75-mile radius transfer costs regarding transportation of the deceased to the funeral parlour
A Two year subscription to Once I’ve Gone (onceivegone.com)
Immediate Cover
A Panelled Oak Veneered Coffin
Chapel of rest viewing at any time
One Limousine
A Standard Will
A Hearse & Pallbearers
Minister or Celebrant Fees
Cremation Fee
Up to £1,350 of Third-Party costs

What does The Essence include?

Your Funeral Director’s charges and services with regards to the normal course of proceedings
50-mile radius transfer costs regarding transportation of the deceased to the funeral parlour
A Two year subscription to Once I’ve Gone (onceivegone.com)
Immediate Cover
A Mahogany Veneered Coffin
Chapel of rest viewing during working hours
A Standard Will
A Hearse & Pallbearers
Cremation Fee
Up to £850 of Third-Party costs

What does The Exclusive (under-40s) include?

Your Funeral Director’s charges and services with regards to the normal course of proceedings
25-mile radius transfer costs regarding transportation of the deceased to the funeral parlour
A Two year subscription to Once I’ve Gone (onceivegone.com)
Immediate Cover
A Plain Veneered Coffin
Chapel of rest viewing during working hours
A Standard Will
A Hearse & Pallbearers
Cremation Fee
Up to £500 of Third-Party costs

What does Purity include?

Your Funeral Director’s charges and services with regards to the normal course of proceedings
25-mile radius transfer costs regarding transportation of the deceased to the funeral parlour
A Two year subscription to Once I’ve Gone (onceivegone.com)
Immediate Cover
A Plain Veneered Coffin
A Standard Will
Cremation Fee
Careful preparation of the deceased

Isn’t this a bit too good to be true?

This is what a number of planholders say before taking out one of their plans.
At Unique, they do not think it is right that you should pay into a plan for years, and at the end, simply receive a small amount back in the form of a funeral
They also think that no other plan out there rewards you for your custom
At Unique, almost all the surplus is paid back to you, the customer
Insurance plans will take a small monthly payment from you for (sometimes) 40 plus years, only to pay for your funeral which costs them significantly less than what you have paid in.
Unique believe that you should be taken care of throughout your life as well as after your life and we reward longevity instead of punishing it
They stand by their investment methodology and ensure a triple lock surplus so that plan monies and funerals are always fully funded

What about Transfers In ?

They are so confident of having the best pre-paid funeral plans on the market that, if you are already with another provider and you wish to transfer to them, upon cancelling your contract with the other provider and paying for a Unique plan in full, they will refund your cancellation fee in line with our Ts and Cs.

Transferring In…

At Unique, we reward you for transferring over to us
If you cancel your contract with your other provider, and buy one of our plans in full, we will pay for cancellation fees our competitor may charge in line with our Ts and Cs.
You will still benefit from our 15 year Plan Refund and Funeral Pledge, something that your current plan company will not be able to offer
You will also benefit from a plan which is up to 18–25% cheaper than others and which will reward your longevity

What about Due Diligence ?

Unique ensures that customers are securing the best possible plan and funeral for their needs
They have a strict due diligence policy in order to ensure that you are receiving the best possible service at all times
Their database is regularly reviewed to ensure continuing financial, ethical and reputational fidelity from all our providers
A member of the Unique team will be in touch with you shortly after you take out one of their plans and will remain in regular contact with you throughout the course of our relationship
Unique fully reserve the right to recommend that a customer changes provider if they feel that a particular Funeral Director no longer meets their high standards of service

What is the alternative ?

Sun Life’s Annual Cost of Dying report 2020 asked how people pay for the funeral of loved ones: 30% said they took the funds from savings or investments to pay for the funeral in full
This depends on several factors:
Have you the funds available in the first place or will they be coming from a number of different family members?
Are the funds in a term account with no immediate access to it?
Will you be able to potentially get your money back once you pay out of your savings? What if the funeral plan has not been used for 15, 20 or even 25+ years? What will happen to your savings?
25% put the cost onto a credit card
Another popular option. But what happens if you don’t have the available credit?
What happens if this tips your credit utilization score over to the next band and has a negative impact on your credit rating. What if the new higher payments become unmanageable?
Also, will you be able to afford the interest on your card? and if paying monthly, would you really want to be in more debt during economically uncertain times?

What is the alternative ? (cont.)

20% borrowed money from family or relatives
How do you propose to pay them back? with or without interest?
What if they request it back sooner than envisaged because they experience an emergency?
What if you do not have family or relatives who are able to lend you the money or, want to lend you the money?
15% sold belongings to cover the cost
Selling belongs quickly very rarely results in securing the best price.
Are the items valuable family heirlooms that you would rather not sell?
As you will not be realising the best possible price, how many things would you have to sell just to be able to meet the funeral cost and how are you proposing to buy these items back, assuming that you can?
Also, will you be able to sell them in the first place?

What is the alternative ? (cont.)

10% borrowed from a bank or similar.
What APR is your bank charging you?
What happens if you miss a payment? Will that impact your credit rating? Will your credit utilization score mean that you will be unable to take out another loan for new bathrooms, kitchens and the like?
Will the loan delay a long-awaited house move because, thanks to stricter mortgage lending rules, having this loan means you may fail the mortgage companies’ affordability test?
What if you are unable to get a loan?

In Conclusion

By taking out a Unique Funeral Plan, you are joining a multi faceted family which stands to benefit not only yourself and your family but the entire population
Unique are up to 18–25% cheaper than other providers
A potential 25% refund from years 6–15
A Full Refund after 15 years once your plan is fully paid up and your funeral is paid for !!
Good deeds. Unique we will make a donation to our NHS for every plan sold
Helping families. all Joint plans have a 5% discount
Transfer Ins from another provider to take advantage of this Unique offer

REQUEST A BROCHURE

Funeral Plan FAQ’s

How To Choose The Best Funeral Plan

Average Funeral Cost By Year

What Should I Do Then ?

Unique — A Funeral Plan Company like no other..

Benefits

An industry disruptor with a world first offering..

A pre-paid funeral plan to suit everyone..

How much does each plan cost ?

What does The Prestige Plus include?

What does The Prestige include?

What does The Essence include?

What does The Exclusive (under-40s) include?

What does Purity include?

Isn’t this a bit too good to be true?

What about Transfers In ?

What about Due Diligence ?

What is the alternative ?

What is the alternative ? (cont.)

What is the alternative ? (cont.)

In Conclusion

Written by Patrick Joseph