Following the death of a friend or family member, you may ask how to find out if someone has a funeral plan. This article looks at the steps to take to find out.
How Can You Find Out if Someone Has A Funeral Plan?
It can be very stress-inducing if you think that a loved one may have purchased a funeral plan, but you cannot find any of the specific details anywhere. In recent years, the popularity of pre-paid funeral plans has risen to a new high. Actually, ever since the Funeral Planning Authority (also known as the FPA) began tracking funeral plan sales in 2002, over two million people have planned and made provisions for their future funerals in advance.
This process can save loved ones from having to go through making a number of very difficult decisions and from having to pay out for the full cost of a funeral when the time comes to arrange it. Once a funeral plan has been purchased, customers are encouraged to let their close loved ones know all about the arrangements they have paid for.
Unfortunately, due to social reluctance to speak about death and funeral, many families are left with almost zero knowledge of what has taken place when it comes to funeral arrangements. These days the average funeral costs around £3785, so not having a slightly awkward and sad conversation can be a rather expensive mistake to make.
So, what exactly can you do if you believe that a loved one may have taken out a funeral plan before their death, but you cannot find any of the specific details? Take a look at our guide below.
Check the deceased's bank statements.
If your search using the Funeral Planning Authority is unsuccessful and you still cannot find any details about a funeral plan, then your next step should be to try checking out your loved one's bank statements.
By sifting through various bank statements, you may find a record of a large one-off payment, or sometimes regular smaller instalment payments being sent to a funeral plan provider. This information can lead you to the necessary provider, they can then give you the funeral plan details.
Trace a plan with the Funeral Planning Authority (FPA)
The Funeral Planning Authority are a voluntary regulator for funeral plan providers.
The aim of the organisation is to make sure that customers get the service that they paid for exactly when they require it. As part of this dedication, the Funeral Planning Authority offers a funeral plan tracing service.
When it comes to funeral plans, there is, unfortunately, no catch-all database. This means there is no way just to search someone's name and personal details and have their funeral plan appear. There is no way to do an exhaustive search for a funeral plan.
However, the Funeral Planning Authority's funeral plan tracing service does allow you to ask the FPA's registered providers whether they have a funeral plan in place for your recently deceased loved one. These registered providers include Ecclesiastical Planning Services.
Ask Around Local Area
If you are still struggling to find any details about the deceased's funeral plan, then you can try reaching out to local funeral directors and ask them whether they have a funeral plan for your loved one somewhere in their system. It is important to remember that funeral pre-payments are held with either a life insurance policy, a trust fund, or managed by independent trustees.
Another plan of action is to speak with other family members or friends of the deceased. They may have discussed funeral arrangements together and might be able to give you some information on funeral plan details.
What if the funeral has already taken place?
You should never be discouraged from trying to trace back a funeral plan if the funeral has already taken place and was paid for by an independent party. In the majority of cases, the funeral plan provider will still be able to pay your claim and cover the costs of the funeral.
However, if the service was carried out by a completely different funeral director to the one that was mentioned within the funeral plan, or if the funeral included different services than originally planned, then your claim may not cover the entire cost of the event.
Are you looking for an independent funeral director in Shropshire? Our family run funeral director service provides support for you and your loved ones during the funeral arrangement and service.