dignity vs coop funeral plans
Who is the best funeral plan provider?
A funeral plan is a sensible way of arranging and paying for your funeral in advance.
It protects loved ones from unexpected funeral costs and ensures that there’s no confusion over your final wishes when the time comes.
If you’ve made the selfless decision to settle your funeral bill ahead of time, then you’ve probably come across Co-op and/or Dignity funeral plans.
Co-op Funeral Care and Dignity Funeral Services are some of the largest funeral plan providers and funeral directors in the UK.
Unlike their rivals Golden Charter and Avalon, Co-op and Dignity own the funeral homes and crematoria they operate from.
This means that a Co-op or Dignity funeral director will help arrange your funeral today but will also carry out the services included in your plan when the time comes.
Continue reading this guide for more information about these two well-known funeral plan providers and which may be best for you.
Here’s a quick comparison of Co-op and Dignity funeral plans
| Co-op | Dignity | |
| Reviews & ratings | Fairer Finance rating 5 stars (Gold and Silver Plans) Best Funeral Plan Provider Double Gold Award 2018-2021 | Fairer Finance rating 5 stars (Gold Plan) Feefo Platinum Trusted Service Award 2021 |
| Prices | £3,095 – £4,295 | £3,095 – £4,195 |
| Option to pay monthly | From £18.96 a month (£90 deposit required) | From £21.47 a month |
| Choice of funeral director | 1,000 funeral homes in UK | 1,200 funeral homes in UK |
| Choice of cremation or burial | Yes | Yes |
| Funeral director services guaranteed at today’s price | Yes but the Simple Plan doesn’t include a hearse or pallbearers | Yes |
| Cremation fees | Contribution of £950 or £1,100 or guaranteed (depending on the plan) | Guaranteed |
| Burial fees | Contribution of £950 or £1,100 or guaranteed (depending on the plan) | Contribution of £1,220 |
| Funeral services guaranteed after 12 months | Yes, Co-op Commitment | Yes, Dignity Promise |
| 24 hour customer service support | No | Yes |
Co-op funeral plans
Co-op Funeralcare is one of the largest funeral plan providers and funeral directors in the UK.
They’ve been arranging funerals for more than 80 years and own 1,000 funeral homes.
Co-op has four set funeral plan options (for a traditional cremation or burial funeral service), which range in price and level of service:
| CO OP FUNERAL PLAN | Simple | Bronze | Silver | Gold |
| Price | £3,095 | £3,595 | £3,995 | £4,295 |
| Coffin | Yes – Basic | Yes – wood effect | Yes – wood effect | Yes – wood veneer coffin |
| Visit to chapel of rest | During working hours by appointment | During working hours by appointment | Anytime by appointment | Anytime by appointment |
| Hearse | No. Alternative suitable vehicle | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Pallbearers | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Limousines | No | No | Yes x1 | Yes x2 |
| Third-party disbursement fees (ie cremation / burial fee) | £950 contribution | £1,100 contribution | Guaranteed | Guaranteed |
Co-op funeral plans key features
Are co op funeral plans safe?
Co-op is an award-winning and highly rated funeral plan provider. They’re also registered with the Funeral Planning Authority (FPA) – the UK’s funeral plan regulatory body.
Key features:
- Simple plan comes with £950 third-party disbursement fee contribution
- Simple plan doesn’t include a hearse or pallbearers
- Bronze plan comes with £1,100 disbursement fee contribution
- Silver and Gold plans are fully guaranteed (cover all funeral director’s fees and third-party disbursement fees)
- Gold plan comes with memorial canvas
- Flexible payment options (pay in full, by monthly instalments over 6 or 12 months fee-free, or by monthly instalments 2 – 25 years plus fees)
- Funeral services guaranteed after 12 months (if paying by instalments 2 – 25 years) with the Co-op Commitment
Dignity funeral plans
Dignity has been providing funeral services since 1812 and have 1,200 owned and approved funeral homes across the UK.
Like the Co-op, Dignity has a choice of four set funeral plans (for a traditional cremation or burial funeral service):
| DIGINITY FUNERAL PLANS | Limited | Amber | Pearl | Diamond |
| Price | £3,095 | £3,495 | £3,850 | £4,195 |
| Coffin | Yes – Basic | Yes – wood effect | Yes – quality wood effect | Yes – wood veneer coffin |
| Visit to chapel of rest | During working hours by appointment | During working hours by appointment | Weekdays anytime by appointment | 24/7 anytime by appointment |
| Hearse | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Pallbearers | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Limousines | No | No | Yes x1 | Yes x2 |
| Third-party disbursement fees (ie cremation / burial fee) | Cremation and minister fees guaranteed or £1,220 contribution for burial fees | Cremation and minister fees guaranteed or £1,220 contribution for burial fees | Cremation and minister fees guaranteed or £1,220 contribution for burial fees | Cremation and minister fees guaranteed or £1,220 contribution for burial fees |
Dignity funeral plans key features
Are Dignity Funeral plans any good?
Dignity is an FPA registered provider, and they’ve been highly rated by their customers, receiving the Feefo Platinum Trusted Services Award 2021.
Key features:
- All plans guarantee cremation and minister fees for a cremation funeral
- All plans provide £1,220 disbursement fee contribution for burial funeral
- Flexible payment options (pay in full, by monthly instalments over 12 months fee-free, or by monthly instalments 2 – 25 years plus fees)
- Funeral services guaranteed after 12 months (if paying by instalments 2 – 25 years) with the Dignity Promise
Coop Vs Dignity – which Funeral Plan provider is best?
Co-op and Dignity funeral plans aren’t significantly different. However, there may be a few things to consider when deciding between the two.
The Dignity Limited plan offers best value for money if you wish to have an inexpensive cremation funeral.
This is because Dignity guarantees to cover cremation fees and minister fees (on top of funeral director fees).
Whereas, the equivalent Co-op plan only offers £950 towards cremation fees and minister fees, which may not be sufficient when the time comes.
Also, the Dignity Limited plan comes with a traditional hearse and pallbearers, but the Co-op Simple plan doesn’t. Yet, they are the same price at £3,095.
The Dignity Limited plan also offers best value for money if you’re looking for an inexpensive burial funeral, as their contribution for disbursement fees is higher at £1,220.
However, if cost isn’t a concern but you still want a good deal, then you may consider the Co-op Gold or Silver plans. These plans are fully guaranteed and will cover all third-party fees for a cremation or burial funeral.
Especially if you wish to have a burial funeral, then the Co-op Silver or Gold plans would provide better coverage for burial fees (compared to Dignity who only provide a £1,220 contribution).
Co-op are currently offering a discount of £75 or £125 on their plans for Co-op members. Therefore, if you do choose one of their plans it could be worth signing up as a member to save a little money.
Dignity funeral plans are also discounted every now and again.
Need more help?
If you’re still unsure which is the right plan for you and your family, then you may want to consider consulting a fee-free broker, such as Reassured.
They will compare multiple plans on your behalf and get you a quick, personalised quote to help save you time and hassle. There is no obligation to buy from them either.
Reassured is a UK-based, FCA regulated broker with more than 17,000 funeral plan customers.
Other funeral plan options to consider
If you wish to pay for your funeral in advance but not keen on a traditional send-off, then you may consider these other funeral plan options which allow for some flexibility for alternative funeral options:
- Tailor-made plans with Co-op. Allowing you to create a completely bespoke funeral.
- Direct cremation plans with Simplicity. Allowing you to pay in advance for a simple cremation without a funeral service.
- Natural funeral plan with Age UK. An eco-friendly final send-off.
Whichever you choose, having your funeral services organised and paid for in advance gives you peace of mind that your family are protected when the unexpected happens.