Planning a funeral for someone else is a big responsibility and can feel quite daunting.
If you know you’ll be the one making funeral arrangements for a parent, spouse or another loved one, getting a funeral plan for them could help ease your mind.
In 2024, over half of people didn't even know if their loved one wanted a burial or a cremation.+ Setting up a funeral plan for someone else can be a good way to talk through their preferences and ensure their funeral happens according to their wishes.
If your loved one is in care, having a funeral plan also means arrangements can go straight ahead when the time comes, giving you peace of mind if you don't live close or if you're travelling away from home.
+51% of people in 2024 didn’t know if their loved one wanted a burial or cremation (SunLife Cost of Dying Report 2025, sunlife.co.uk/funeral-costs).
When you're planning a funeral for someone else, a funeral plan lets you organise and pay for the arrangements in advance. This can reduce stress at a difficult time and also ensure that you’re not left with any unexpected financial burden.
Choose which type of funeral you would like to arrange
Are you looking for a burial, cremation or direct cremation plan?
Choose a funeral provider who suits you and your loved one
This might mean that they specialise in the type of funeral you’re both looking for or they provide the right added extras.
Pay in advance at a set price
This means if the costs of funerals go up after setting up a plan you won’t be charged any extra.
Our funeral plans can be set up for someone else and you also have the choice of telling your loved one about your arrangements.
We won’t inform them without your permission so if you think talking about their funeral would cause them distress, you don’t have to do so.
Yes, you can get a plan for your parent or two plans if you would like both of your parents’ funerals to be pre-paid and pre-arranged.
If your parent has dementia, Alzheimer’s or another condition which affects memory they won’t be able to set up a plan themselves, but you can still set up a plan on their behalf.
Yes, taking out a funeral plan for your partner is completely fine whether you both want the same funeral plan from the same company or two different types of funerals.
Some partners wish to set up their plans together and pay for each other’s plans. For other couples, it works best that one person sets up the plan for both people.
Despite the name, joint funeral plans provide just one funeral. The reason they are called joint plans is two people can be named on the plan so the funeral can be redeemed when either one of these people dies.
If you would like to pre-arrange and pay for two funerals, you will need to buy two separate plans.
If a person is receiving care
You may find that your loved one's social workers, carers or care home staff ask you about end-of-life planning. Pass them the details of your chosen funeral provider and let them know about the funeral plan and your wishes. They may need to be the ones who contact your funeral provider to start arranging a funeral when the time comes.
If you and your partner are arranging for each other
Communicate your wishes with your children, close friends or other family members as well as with each other. Your funeral provider will need to be called when the time comes to begin the arrangements according to your wishes. If you are the surviving partner and no-one else is aware of your plan, it may not be fulfilled.
At Distinct Cremations, we specialise in simple and modest cremations including direct cremations.
Choose between our Direct Cremation Plan or our 30 or a 60 minute Funeral Service Plan.
For additional pricing information and a full list of our optional extras, please see our price list.
Our Direct Cremation Plan is a great choice for those looking for a simple, low-cost unattended cremation without a funeral ceremony.
With our Direct Cremation Plan, the cremation takes place with no service or mourners present at our high-quality crematoria where dignified care is guaranteed.
Our Funeral Service Plan offers an affordable funeral for those looking for simplicity and to be surrounded by their nearest and dearest.
With our Funeral Service Plan, you have the choice of a 30 or a 60 minute service. This can be family-led or led by a professional celebrant. The choice is yours.
A direct cremation is an unattended no fuss funeral where a person is respectfully and privately cremated with no mourners present. Choosing this type of cremation plan, allows family and friends to come together at a flexible time and location for a more personal memorial service.
However, if you would like to be there in person for the cremation, we also offer a funeral plan with the option to attend at one of our 42 crematoriums across mainland UK.
When choosing a funeral plan it's worth doing your research about the options out there. Planning a funeral for someone else means choosing a plan best suited to you and your loved one's collective funeral wishes.
If you'd like more information about our plans to help you with your choice, get in touch with us.
Want to talk through our options? If you have questions or would like some in-person support we’re just a call away.
Call us on 01543 211997
Need some time to digest the details? You can download a PDF of our guide online or get a printed copy posted out.
Get our guide
If you’re happy that one of our plans is exactly what you’re looking for, you can get everything set up yourself online.
View our funeral plansOnce you have the funeral plan set up, it can take several weights off your mind.
You won’t have the stress of funeral planning whilst you’re mourning. Your funeral provider will know exactly what you want for your loved one because it’s all been arranged in advance.
You won’t have to pay for a funeral with your own money unexpectedly. It can take a while to access money from someone's estate and often funeral providers will need at least a partial payment upfront to start arrangements.
You won’t have to worry about something happening whilst you’re away. It just takes one call to start arrangements.
If you are taking out a funeral plan with us, you might see the following words written in your paperwork or they might be referred to by the member of our team that you’re speaking to. They’re useful to familiarise yourself with, especially when taking out a plan for someone else.
The covered individual is the person whose funeral will be provided in the plan when they die. So when you take a plan out for someone else, they will be the covered individual.
When setting up a plan you will be the owner which means you will be responsible for payments. The plan may be in your parent's or spouse’s name, but the paperwork will be sent to you.
The nominated representative informs the funeral director when the covered individual passes away. This can be you if you expect to be the one making arrangements or someone else.
Another benefit of funeral plans is the flexibility they offer in terms of different ways to pay.
Can you spread the cost of a funeral plan?
With our plans, you can pay upfront in a single payment or spread payments over a year for no extra cost. Alternatively, you can pay monthly for longer - our plans offer payments over 5 or 10 years. Spreading the cost over a longer period makes the monthly payments lower, but you will pay more overall.
Can you pay by card?
Yes, as long as the card being used is in the name of the person paying.
Can you pay by direct debit?
Yes, as long as the money is coming out of the account of the person who is setting up the plan.
Can you use someone else's money to pay?
If you’re setting up a funeral plan for someone else, you will need to have the financial power of attorney to spend their money to set up their plan.
These are some steps you might like to consider when setting up someone else’s funeral plan for them.
There is no right way to arrange a funeral, only what’s right for you. Here are some more helpful resources about planning a funeral, whether it’s for yourself or you're planning a funeral for someone else.
If you're expecting a death it can be a very hard time and you may find yourself experiencing grief even before your loved one's passing.
Dealing with anticipatory grief
Whilst you're researching funeral plans for someone else, you may like to also consider your own wishes. Get to know the plans we offer better.
Browse our funeral plansWe offer the highest level of support, but don't just take our word for it. Below are recent reviews from customers who bought a funeral with us.
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Over 74,000 cremations a year
Westerleigh Group including Distinct Cremations carried out over 74,000 cremations in 2024.
