Funeral plans from Golden Charter
What is a Funeral Plan?
A funeral plan is an easy way to arrange the funeral you want in advance.
A plan allows you to specify your wishes and pay for the funeral director’s services included in your plan.
As customers often tell us, that can bring peace of mind to you and your family. A plan from Golden Charter also includes an allowance towards third party costs.
These are essential, non-funeral director services such as the cremation or burial fees, plus the minister or officiant’s fee to perform the service.
We understand...
People often don’t like to talk about what they want for their funeral, but a Golden Charter funeral plan can help make things much easier for everyone. When the time comes, just one phone call to us is all that’s needed to activate your plan.
We then take care of everything, all carried out according to your wishes as expressed in your funeral plan, helping to relieve your family of the stress and financial worry they may otherwise have had to face.
At J Dilnot Smith & Son, we work in partnership with Golden Charter to provide you with a simple way to plan ahead. As one of the UK’s largest funeral plan providers, Golden Charter has helped over 900,000 people to plan ahead**, so we’re completely confident in offering their plans to you.
Buy your Golden Charter funeral plan through us.
If a Golden Charter Funeral Plan is right for you, you can buy your plan online.
Would you like to know more information about how a Golden Charter funeral plan could work for you? We can provide you with all of the information you need to make an informed decision for you and your family, so get in touch today!
*Based on a Golden Charter analysis and independent research of the funeral plan market size as at January 2023.
** Correct at October 2023
J. Dilnot Smith Limited is an appointed representative of Golden Charter Limited trading as Golden Charter Funeral Plans which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN:965279).
A plan that’s tailored to your needs
Everyone has different needs when it comes to funeral planning, so we make sure all our plans are as flexible as possible.
Your funeral director will be happy to discuss your funeral requirements and find the plan that suits you best.
For a traditional burial or cremation service:
The Value Plan £3,170.00
The Value Plan includes the funeral director’s services, a basic coffin and an allowance towards third party costs. There is no funeral procession included in this plan. The funeral director will choose the date and time of the funeral and the funeral service can only be held at the place of burial or cremation.
The Simple Way £3,730.00
The Simple Way Plan includes the funeral director’s services, a simple coffin, a funeral procession and gives your family the choice of date and time for the funeral. It also includes an allowance towards third party costs.
The Traditional Way £4,085.00
The Traditional Way Plan offers the same services as the Simple Way Plan plus a limousine and a high quality coffin.
The Exclusive Way £4,335.00
The Exclusive Way Plan is our most comprehensive option, offering the same features as the Simple Way Plan plus two limousines and a superior coffin.
For a no-fuss, unattended cremation:
The Basic Plan £1,875.00
The Basic Plan provides a dignified, unattended cremation without the ceremony or costs associated with a traditional funeral. The plan is only available for cremation and doesn’t include any kind of funeral service. Neither you or your next of kin have any choice as to the location, date or time of the cremation – this will be decided by the funeral director.
What’s included in a pre-paid funeral plan?
These services typically include:
- Professional services and making arrangements for the funeral
- Transportation of the deceased from the place of death to our premises, chapel of rest or other suitable location
- Care of the deceased and preparations for family viewing if requested
- Advice on the certification and registration of death and related documentation
- Provision of funeral vehicles
- Advice on bereavement counselling
- Coffin or casket requested
Although a pre-paid funeral plan can cover all of the services above, there are some additional third party costs to consider.
These are the costs for essential, non-funeral director services required to carry out a cremation or burial which need to be paid at the time of the funeral. These costs are outside our control. Depending on the plan type chosen, a Golden Charter funeral plan can include a contribution towards some third party costs.
These may include:
- Crematorium fee
- Minister or officiant’s fee
- Cemetery fee: the opening of a new or existing grave for burial or interment of cremated remains
Other third party costs that may be associated with a funeral include:
- Purchase of grave or lair
- Hire of church or other venue
- Fees for organist or soloist
- Memorial, such as a headstone, entry in a book of remembrance, or the planting of a tree
- Catering, floral tributes and newspaper announcements
There will only be more to pay at the time of the funeral if the third party costs exceed the allowance when you buy your plan, or if the costs increase by more than the growth of your plan.
However, even if prices rise in the future, you’ll have the reassurance of knowing there’ll be nothing more to pay for our funeral director’s services included in the plan once your plan is fully paid for – guaranteed.
Payment options to suit you
With a Golden Charter funeral plan, you can pay for your plan in several ways. Spread the cost or make a one-off payment – simply choose the one that’s right for you. We will provide you with the information you need to make an informed decision.
The retail price of your funeral plan is representative of the equivalent cost of a funeral today plus an arrangement fee of £325 which is retained by Golden Charter to help cover the costs of setting up your plan.
Your payments are held within the Golden Charter Trust. With almost £1.2 billion under management***, the Trust is operated by a Board of Trustees, completely independent of Golden Charter. Their role is to hold your payments and ensure that the funeral director services in your plan can be paid for at the time they are required – however far into the future that may be.
For more information on how your payments are protected, please visit goldencharter.co.uk/faqs
*** Confirmed by Golden Charter Trust’s audited accounts at 31 March 2023
Looking after you as a customer
As a Golden Charter plan holder, you’ll receive personalised plan documents, which include a summary of your plan, our details, your plan holder certificate and a personal membership card for you to carry in your purse or wallet. You can add a nominated representative to your plan if you wish to do so. Your nominated representative will receive a letter which will provide details of your plan and our details, as your chosen funeral director. They will have no authority to make changes to your plan.
You’ll also receive a statement from Golden Charter every three years which will be sent via post.
As your funeral director, we’ll hold full details of your funeral plan. When the time comes, one phone call is all it takes to activate your plan and get the arrangements underway.
Ready to take the next step?
As well as the comfort of having a plan in place, you’ll have the peace of mind that comes with being able to help save your family from worry and expense in the future. So why not take the next step?
J. Dilnot Smith Limited is an appointed representative of Golden Charter Limited trading as Golden Charter Funeral Plans which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN:965279).