Pre-paid funeral plans

Two people can be named on a funeral plan, with the option to use it for either the first or the second person that passes away.

Our funeral plans do not cover funerals that take place aboard or the cost of repatriation. If you plan to go abroad, you should ensure that your travel or medical insurance policy includes full cover for repatriation costs. Our friendly Funeral & Memorial Consultants can help support you and organise the repatriation if required.

Included in our funeral plans is the collection and transfer of the deceased to a resting place to a specified maximum mile radius. If you need to be transported further than that specified, extra charges will apply.

We recommend that every plan holder nominates a representative at time of purchase. It is important to let your nominated representative and/or executor know that you have arranged a funeral plan and where the funeral plan certificate can be found. At time of need, they must contact your nominated funeral home who will organise the funeral arrangements specified in the funeral plan.

Please visit southern.coop/membership to become a member and/or the most up to date information on Southern Co-op membership benefit entitlements.

Payment for a Southern Co-op funeral plan can be made online safely via Ayden using a credit or debit card as a one-off payment. We also offer an easy payment scheme to spread the cost over 12, 18 or 24 months through monthly instalments, securing the cost for a fixed monthly payment. Monthly instalment charge applies on 18 and 24 month options. Please see our online calculator for more details.

All monies paid towards Southern Co-operative funeral plans (excluding admin and instalment fees) are invested in a regulated whole of life insurance policy in accordance with our statutory obligations. When you buy a plan from Southern Co-operative Funerals we buy a whole of life insurance policy with Royal London Mutual Insurance Society Limited (Royal London). Royal London is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

All our funeral homes are members of the National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD) and are signed up to the Independent Funeral Standard Organisation (IFSO). IFSO sets high standards for its members, and member firms must abide by the Funeral Director Code. This guides the actions, behaviour and standards of an IFSO funeral home and is designed to help funeral homes aspire to the highest professional standards.

In the unlikely event our business is no longer trading, you will be protected via the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS).

In the event of payments lapsing due to the death of the plan holder, the prices for the products and services included on the plan will be honoured or a refund of the amounts paid can be returned to the nominated representative or executor. If payments are 24 months or less into the payment schedule then full payment of the outstanding amount must be paid to proceed with the funeral plan, for instalment plans 25 months or over into the payment schedule we will provide the funeral with no further payments being required.

Subject to the funeral plan being paid in full or the above conditions being met then there will be no further payments due for the products and services recorded on the funeral plan at the time of the funeral. Excludes our online Simple funeral plan where only a contribution is made towards the cost of disbursements, any shortfall will be required to be paid at time of need.

Your nominated representative making the arrangements may wish to include additional items in your funeral that are not part of your original funeral plan. We can help to arrange these and they will need to be paid for in full.

Yes. Masonry products such as new headstones or additional inscriptions on existing headstones can be added to your plan.

Once your payment plan has been paid in full, you will be sent a funeral plan certificate. This should be retained in a safe place and your nominated representative, executor or solicitor should be made aware of its existence.

There is no administration charge for making changes. We outline all the potential change scenarios and how this may affect your plan in our terms and conditions. Please contact us if you wish to make any changes and we can talk this through with you. You can alter your funeral plan arrangements at a later date, although we would charge for any additional expense at the price prevailing at the time of change.

You can cancel your funeral plan (meaning you are ending the Contract) within 30 days of taking out the plan and receive a full refund. You have an additional 7 days to cancel the plan from the date that your nominated Funeral Director is confirmed by us if this date extends beyond the first 30 days since the plan was taken out. After this you may cancel your plan at any time by contacting us and receiving a refund of the amounts you have paid minus a cancellation fee of £200. If you have paid in instalments and cancel the plan after the second anniversary of the contract start date, we will also retain the instalment fee element of the amounts you have paid. Subject to terms and conditions.

We offer both set packages for burial or cremation and personalised funeral plans which allow you to decide exactly what is included to meet your personal wishes in advance to take away the worry and stress from whoever it falls to arrange your funeral.

Please note that Southern Co-operative Funerals cannot advise as to the suitability of funeral products or services for you or your circumstances or the person for whom the funeral plan is being purchased. If you need advice in this regard, you should seek this independently.