THE DIGNITY PREPAID FUNERAL PLAN CUSTOMER BROCHURE PLAN FOR TOMORROW THEN LIVE FOR TODAY. The Prepaid Funeral Plan offers you a simple way to cover the cost of a cremation funeral as specified in the plan in advance, and once it s paid for, it s paid for. Not only does it protect your loved ones from having to pay for the funeral services included in the plan, it has the potential to bring significant savings because the cost of the funeral will be fixed at today s prices. Legal & General working in association with:
2 THE DIGNITY PREPAID FUNERAL PLAN CUSTOMER BROCHURE WHY DIGNITY? Dignity is a FTSE 250 British-run company, listed on the London Stock Exchange, that provides funeral services to families across the UK. More than 675,000 people have made provisions for funeral costs in advance with their help. Many of Dignity s Funeral Directors have served their communities for generations. In fact, Dignity s oldest Funeral Director opened its doors over 200 years ago in 1812. In 1985 Dignity introduced the first Funeral Plan to be offered in the UK. The Legal & General Group, established in 1836, is one of the UK s leading financial services companies. Dignity have been chosen by Legal & General as their exclusive provider of Prepaid Funeral Plans. The Prepaid Funeral Plan is not a Life Assurance contract and is not provided by Legal & General.
THE DIGNITY PREPAID FUNERAL PLAN CUSTOMER BROCHURE 3 WHEN TO CONSIDER A FUNERAL PLAN? At certain stages in life it pays to take a fresh look at your financial priorities and ensure you have the right protection in place for you and your loved ones. Here are some of the times when you might consider a Funeral Plan as an integral part of your financial planning. RETIREMENT/ANNUITY PURCHASE When you retire, you are likely to have a lower and less flexible income. Buying a Funeral Plan means you can help protect yourself against rising funeral costs in the future and save yourself and your family the worry of having to find the money later on. If you take a tax free lump sum from your pension when you retire, this gives you the opportunity to prepay for your plan and once it s paid for, you can enjoy your retirement. INHERITANCE TAX PLANNING Prepaying for a Funeral Plan maximises the value of your estate for your beneficiaries. This not only means that your beneficiaries will not have to pay for the services covered in your Prepaid Funeral Plan out of the money you leave, but your plan generally sits outside the value of your estate for inheritance tax purposes. SAVING AND INVESTING In the past 15 years, the cost of funerals has risen faster than both inflation and the interest rates earned on most people s savings. Prepaying for your funeral means you won t have to worry about your savings and investments keeping up with rising prices. WRITING A WILL Will writing and funeral planning go hand-in-hand because the purpose of both is to provide for and protect loved ones. In the same way that your Will sets out how you want your estate to be shared, a Prepaid Funeral Plan allows you to state any special wishes you would like included in your funeral. ASSESSMENTS FOR HOUSING OR LONG TERM CARE If you were to need state help with housing or care in later life, most councils do not include a Funeral Plan as part of the means test. So you can save your family the worry of paying the cost of the services in the plan without it impacting on the asset value for assessment purposes. LIFE COVER Life cover can help pay towards your funeral as long as you can continue to pay your premiums. If your circumstances change and you stop paying, you will lose most, if not all, of your benefits. However, once a Prepaid Funeral Plan is paid for, it s paid for, and your family won t have the worry of finding the funds to pay for the services included in the funeral plan. In addition, if your circumstances mean it is difficult to get life cover, you are guaranteed to be accepted for a Prepaid Funeral Plan, as long as you are 50 or above. There are no medical questions and no upper age limits.
4 THE DIGNITY PREPAID FUNERAL PLAN CUSTOMER BROCHURE A GOOD IDEA FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY. SAVE MONEY BY FIXING FUNERAL COSTS AT TODAY S PRICES The average cost of a funeral has more than doubled in the past 15 years, and could rise to 6,107 by 2023 ***. But with a Prepaid Funeral Plan, the cremation services in your plan are guaranteed at the same cost you would pay if the funeral were arranged today. FUNERAL COSTS CONTINUE TO RISE 6,000 Average funeral cost Projected average funeral cost PROTECTION AGAINST RISING FUNERAL COSTS As the bar chart shows, costs have risen and are still increasing. With low interest rates, any money invested in savings accounts may not grow sufficiently to cover the cost of a funeral when the time comes. The Prepaid Funeral Plan guarantees that the cost of the cremation services included in your plan will be covered in full, no matter how much prices rise. 6,107 YOUR MONEY S IN SAFE HANDS The money you pay for your plan is paid into the National Funeral Trust a totally independent Trust Fund with over 289 million under investment, as at December 2014^. The Trust is managed by some of the most reputable firms in the financial industry, including M&G Investment, and has the Royal Exchange Trust Company as the Custodian Trustee with some activities being carried out by Capita Trust Company Limited. The Fund is actuarially valued by PricewaterhouseCoopers and audited annually by Ernst & Young. Dignity is the only major funeral plan provider to consistently publish a comprehensive Annual Report on the Trust Fund. If you would like to receive a free copy of the National Funeral Trust Annual Report please telephone Dignity on 0800 033 4710. 5,000 4,777 ^ National Funeral Trust Annual Report 2014 Average funeral costs 4,000 3,000 2,000 2,288 2,994 3,737 1,000 * 2007: Mintel: Funerals UK January 2007. ** 2011 2015: Matter Research. 0 2007* 2011* 2015** 2019*** 2023*** *** 2019 2023: Forecast based on average annual compounded growth rate of 6.33% each year between 2007 and 2015.
THE DIGNITY PREPAID FUNERAL PLAN CUSTOMER BROCHURE 5 SOME PEACE OF MIND FOR YOU AND YOUR LOVED ONES. TAKE A WEIGHT OFF YOUR MIND The plan helps to take care of the funeral arrangements by covering all the services stated Once the plan is paid for, it s paid for. The cremation services included in your plan will be provided You can add any Special Requests into your plan at any time and you won t be charged an administration fee for making these requests Some Special Requests may, however, incur an additional charge, as they are not provided as a standard item within the plan. You can make an additional contribution towards these costs in advance, which will rise in line with inflation, otherwise the additional charge would need to be paid for at the time of the funeral The Dignity Nominated Funeral Director will be paid directly from the Trust Fund for the services included in the plan so there is no delay in making arrangements, even if your assets are frozen The plan is not subject to inheritance tax SAVE YOUR FAMILY FROM EXTRA WORRY Your family or Funeral Organiser only needs to make one phone call to Dignity to set your plan in motion Your family will receive all the support and guidance they need at a difficult time Your family will know your wishes A well-respected and trusted Dignity Nominated Funeral Director will perform the service The funeral director is paid directly from your plan for the services included A 24-hour telephone bereavement advice and counselling service is provided for your family members Your family can add their own personal tributes My husband and I decided that the best time to discuss funeral arrangements is while we are fit and well and that s when we decided to take out Funeral Plans. We now have peace of mind knowing that our family won t have to deal with anything other than to phone Dignity. Mrs Phillips, Devon
6 THE DIGNITY PREPAID FUNERAL PLAN CUSTOMER BROCHURE HOW DOES THE PREPAID FUNERAL PLAN WORK? I decided to purchase a Prepaid Funeral Plan firstly because it eases the burden of my family arranging my funeral at a difficult time. The bonus was that the plan helps to protect against the increasing cost of a funeral. Mr Greenhalgh, Bolton IT S A SIMPLE WAY TO PREPAY FOR YOUR FUNERAL The Prepaid Funeral Plan offers you a simple way to make provision towards the cost of a cremation funeral in advance, and once it s paid for, it s paid for. Not only does it protect your loved ones from having to pay for the services included in the plan, it can also bring significant savings because the cost of the services included will be fixed at today s prices. The Prepaid Funeral Plan includes arrangements needed for a cremation funeral as defined in the plan. When needed, it takes just one call to Dignity to set your plan in motion, helping to relieve the financial and emotional strain on your family at a difficult time. DESIGNED FOR THE OVER 50s If you re aged 50 or over, your acceptance to the plan is guaranteed. There are no upper age limits, no health restrictions and no medical questions to answer. So you can apply, confident in the knowledge that you will be welcomed to the plan. PEACE OF MIND IN UNCERTAIN TIMES The Prepaid Funeral Plan guarantees to cover the cost of a cremation funeral service as outlined in the Funeral Plan Services Document no matter how much prices rise in the future or when the plan is needed. It also means your family won t have to find money for the services included in the plan at the time of the funeral. Once paid for, everything covered by the plan will be paid for by Dignity, at the time of the funeral. Furthermore, Dignity will provide support and guidance for your family and will help with all the arrangements for your funeral and ensure that everything is carried out in accordance with your wishes. WHAT HAPPENS ONCE I VE TAKEN OUT MY PLAN? Once you have purchased your plan you will receive a Dignity Planholder Pack. This includes important information for your Funeral Organiser, the person who will be responsible for setting the plan in motion when the time comes. The pack also explains how you can personalise your plan if you wish. If you have any further questions about the Prepaid Funeral Plan or you need help to complete your application, please contact your Financial Adviser. The testimonials within this brochure are real and are representative of the many received from Dignity customers and customers families. The writers have agreed to Dignity printing them.
THE DIGNITY PREPAID FUNERAL PLAN CUSTOMER BROCHURE 7 ANY QUESTIONS? I HAVE SAVINGS AND LIFE INSURANCE. WHY DO I NEED A FUNERAL PLAN? Firstly, the Dignity Prepaid Funeral Plan will guarantee to cover the cost of the cremation funeral services included in your plan, so no matter how much prices rise or how long you live, your loved ones will never pay a penny more for them. Savings and investments cannot guarantee to do this. Secondly, financial companies won t organise your funeral but Dignity will. HOW CAN I PAY FOR MY PLAN? Paying for your plan couldn t be easier. You can choose to pay for your plan in full straight away, or spread the cost: Make a single one-off payment by cheque, postal order, credit or debit card Spread the cost over 12 or 60 monthly payments, by Direct Debit. (Please be aware that there is a 6% administration charge applied each year for spreading the payments over more than 12 months.) If you would prefer to pay over a longer period, up to 120 months, please call Dignity on 0800 033 4710. CAN I CHOOSE MY FUNERAL DIRECTOR? Only funeral directors who agree to the important price and service guarantees are available under the plan. Dignity have a network of over 1,180 owned or approved funeral directors throughout the UK. When you take out a plan, Dignity will advise you of your nearest Nominated Funeral Director. WHAT IF DIGNITY GO OUT OF BUSINESS? No matter what happens to Dignity in the future, your funeral arrangements are protected because all the money is placed in the totally independent National Funeral Trust which no-one at Dignity or Legal & General can access. In the unlikely event of Dignity going out of business, the Fund Trustees will appoint or create a new company to administer all the plans to ensure that all the funerals are performed and paid for as per the arrangements in your Plan. WHAT HAPPENS IF I PASS AWAY BEFORE I HAVE FINISHED PAYING FOR MY PLAN? The arrangements and price guarantees in your plan remain in place provided that the person arranging your funeral agrees to pay the remaining balance in full. WHAT IF I CHANGE MY MIND, CAN I HAVE A REFUND? Yes, you can have a full refund of the money you have paid if you change your mind within 28 days after you have received your Planholder Pack. If you cancel your plan after 28 days, a cancellation fee of 395 will be deducted from any refund due to you. The cancellation fee is charged to cover the costs of setting up and administering your plan. CAN I HAVE A BURIAL FUNERAL? Yes, Dignity offer a burial option. However, they are unable to guarantee the third-party costs as outlined in the Your Plan Details and Application Form document. This is because the cost of burial, including the purchase of a plot, for example, varies from region to region. The plan will guarantee to cover all of the funeral director s services as outlined in the plan and will make a contribution currently 1,200, rising with inflation towards third-party costs. If the burial costs more than this amount, the difference would need to be paid for at the time. Please call Dignity on 0800 033 4710 if you would prefer this option. WHAT HAPPENS IF I PASS AWAY WHILE AWAY FROM HOME? Your plan includes transport (within a 20-mile radius, excluding ferry and air fares). Any additional miles will be chargeable at the time. The plan does not cover the cost of repatriation from abroad. CAN I ADD SPECIAL REQUESTS TO THE PLAN? Yes, additional Special Requests can be added to the plan at any time by the Planholder, with no administration fee being charged to make amendments. Some Special Requests may incur an additional charge and may not be covered by the price guarantee. Any costs incurred from these requests will have to be paid for at the time of the funeral. Alternatively, you can pay a contribution in advance for any additional requests with the amount paid being increased by RPI inflation. The Prepaid Funeral Plan is not a life assurance contract and is not provided by Legal & General.
If you require any further information please speak to your IFA. Or call Dignity on 0800 033 4710 Calls may be monitored or recorded for training and quality purposes. All calls to 0800 numbers are free of charge whether made from a landline or mobile phone. Lines are open 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Alternatively please see the Any Questions section behind the documents enclosed.
THE PREPAID FUNERAL PLAN FROM DIGNITY. ABOUT DIGNITY Dignity is one of the UK s leading funeral service providers with a UK-wide wide network of over 1,180 owned or approved funeral directors, many of whom have been serving their communities for generations. Dignity introduced the UK s first funeral plan in 1985. Since 1985, more than 675,000 people have made provisions for funeral costs in advance with the help of Dignity In 2014 Dignity conducted over 65,000 * funerals, so you can rest assured they are experts in their field Dignity is a member of the Funeral Planning Authority, the professional body that oversees the operation of registered funeral plan companies ABOUT LEGAL & GENERAL The Legal & General Group, established in 1836 is one of the UK s leading financial services companies. Legal & General have selected Dignity as their chosen provider of Prepaid Funeral Plans. * Dignity plc Annual Report & Accounts 2014. Information correct at time of going to press (December 2015). The Prepaid Funeral Plan is provided by Dignity Pre Arrangement Limited. A company registered in England No. 1862158. VAT registered No. 486 6081 14. Registered Office: 4 King Edwards Court, King Edwards Square, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands B73 6AP. Telephone No. 0121 354 1557. Fax No. 0121 355 8081. Part of Dignity plc. A British company. Dignity Pre Arrangement Limited is regulated by the Funeral Planning Authority. Legal & General Assurance Society Limited Registered in England and Wales No. 00166055 Registered office: One Coleman Street, London EC2R 5AA This is also our head office in the UK. CW1769 12/15