Peace of mind for you and your loved ones.Individually and accurately priced Prepaid Funeral Plans.Providing care and a quality service since 2003. Message
A Lile Piece of History...Open was born as an idea early in 2003 when two friends, David Bastock, an Independent Family Funeral Director, and I were catching up discussing our relave business interests.We found ourselves on the subject of prepaid funeral plans and David was sharing his concerns and worries as an independent funeral director about the products available to funeral directors and the families they served at the me. He felt there must be a beer way to deliver funeral plans, so we decided to set about doing just that, and co-founded Open Prepaid Funerals. Right from the outset there were two key drivers for us, transparency and trust. We looked to create a product that was transparent and trustworthy so that funeral directors and consumers could feel condent in the funeral plan they were purchasing. By October 2003 Open launched and its rst funeral plans were sold by independent funeral directors and to this day our ethos has remained the same. Transparency: we have always shown that our only income from the sum a Plan Holder pays is the plan Admin Fee, currently £285 per plan, with 100% of what the Plan Holder pays for their plan then being the starng value of the plan, no deducons. You can learn more about the wholesale price later in the brochure. Trust: we commied to creang a product that people could trust. We’ve achieved this by maintaining transparency and consistency and delivering on our original promises. We have been able to maintain this ethos under funeral plan sector regulaon which came into force in July 2022 and we look forward to serving clients across the UK for many years to come. We look forward to hearing from you.John Taplin Managing Director
This brochure will help you consider which funeral plan might be right for you. Within it you will nd informaon about funeral plans, how the Open process works and what opons are available to you.Whether you choose a standardised plan here, from our website or a more personalised plan arranged with one of our experienced OPF Plan Arrangers, our team is here to help you. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch.Why Open Prepaid Funerals? Open have built a reputaon for honesty, transparency and excellent customer service. Since 2003, thousands of people have chosen Open Prepaid Funerals for their funeral planning needs. We have always maintained an open and fair approach to our business and how we work with funeral directors and families alike.We understand that planning for the future is essenal, providing a secure and transparent way to arrange your funeral, and ensuring your wishes are met without added stress for you or your loved ones. Open is a trusted funeral plan provider commied to delivering clear and fair funeral plans – We’re Open by name and open by nature! 1Just call 0330 660 0072 or email enquiries@openprepaidfunerals.co.uk
Why prepay for your funeral?There are certainly benets to taking out a prepaid funeral plan; the primary one being that you’ll be securing the funeral directors costs at today prices ensuring that they’ll be covered when the me comes. Having a prepaid funeral plan in place oers protecon to you and your family against rising funeral director service costs and helps your loved ones by reducing the stress and nancial burden of arranging a future funeral. As part of the total cost of your plan, you pay a contribuon towards the third party costs, these are based on today’s prices. This sum is managed in trust to achieve capital growth, but there may be more to pay towards these fees at the me of need if the rate of inaon exceeds the amount of growth for these third party elements.Whether you’re interested in taking a funeral plan out for nancial reasons, emoonal reasons or both, feel free to have a no obligaon chat with one of our experienced Plan Arrangers.How the process worksThe Introducer Appointed Representave (IAR) model is a simple one. The funeraldirectors we work with are registered with Open as IARs. This means that if you’vewalked into your preferred Funeral Director they’ve probably handed this brochure to you. They’re not authorised to sell you a funeral plan but they are permied to introduce you to our experienced Plan Arranger team here at Open. One of our Plan Arrangers will discuss your requirements, provide you with a quotaon and set up the plan should you wish to go ahead. Rest assured though this does not stop you maintaining your relaonship and contact with your chosen Funeral Director. They’re on hand to oer their experse and guidance on how the funeral is conducted, to ensure your personal preferences are met and to be there for your family when the me comes. It’s the best of both worlds, payment security for you from Open, and compassionate experse and input from the funeral director.If you’d like to make an appointment to speak with an Open Plan Arranger then this can be arranged over the phone or via our website and your appointment can take place over the phone or a Teams video call online, your chosen Funeral Director is welcome to aend this appointment with you. If you haven’t selected a Funeral Director yet, please visit our website to use the postcode search funcon and nd one in your area (www.openprepaidfunerals.co.uk/prepaid-funeral-plans). If your preferred Funeral Director doesn’t appear in the search don’t worry, just let us know and we will get in touch with them. You’ll be able to choose one of our standard set plans or we can arrange a bespoke plan for you, all priced individually for you.2
Who we areOpen Prepaid Funerals Limited was formed in 2003 with the aim of providing a nancially secure and ethical method of planning a future funeral by specialising in prepaid funeral plans. What we doOpen Prepaid Funerals Limited are an authorised and regulated funeral plan provider working with independent funeral directors to ensure that your requirements are met, your needs are respected and you are condent your funeral will be thoroughly taken care of at the me of need.We are commied to the provision of your funeral through, wherever possible, an independent funeral director. The Open Prepaid Funerals Trust deed has been wrien to meet the necessary requirements under regulaon thereby oering you condence in choosing Open. It does this by ensuring that not only is your money managed responsibly by an independent board of trustees but that Open Prepaid Funerals oer an easy to understand range of products and services. You can learn more about our trust fund, and board of trustees on the Open Prepaid Funerals website (or contact us for alternate format).For more informaon about any of our prepaid funeral plans, get in touch with a member of our expert team today.3Peace of mind for you and your loved ones.Transparently pricedfuneral plans from a trusted Plan Provider.
As a respected funeral plan provider we are formally required to do something we have always done and encouraged, be transparent about how plans are priced. This is quite simple for us here at Open as we have a single xed Admin Fee which is the same across all plans that we oer.The full amount that you pay for a funeral plan from Open Prepaid Funerals Limited includes our Admin Fee of £285.00. The remaining balance, which is the amount that remains in the Open Prepaid Funerals Trust is the starng value of your plan and there are no further deducons, this is referred to as the wholesale price. How Open Funeral Plans are pricedAn example of an Open Tradional Plan broken down is as follows:Funeral Director Costs..................Contribuon to Disbursements....Wholesale Price............................Plan Admin Fee.............................Full Plan Price................................£2695.00£1250.00£3945.00£285.00£4230.00Why do Funeral Directors choose Open Prepaid Funerals?4The Funeral Directors that choose Open do so because they trust our team, service and ethos. We have always maintained an open and transparent approach to our business both for Funeral Directors and Plan Holders. Funeral directors have condence in us because since our launch back in 2003, Open have only ever received the xed Admin Fee from the Plan Holder, 100% of the remaining balance of the full plan price paid by the Plan Holder remains in the Open Prepaid Funerals Trust for the life of the plan. It’s a simple, clear and ethical business model, they trust in Open and so can you.All our Independent Funeral Directors (or IAR’s) have set their own business prices so the prices above are an example of an Open set plan pricing. To view the current pricing for your preferred Funeral Director, please call us or visit our website where you can obtain a quotaon for a funeral plan. The calculaon is the same for any Open plan no maer the price or the funeral director services or third party costs. What you pay for your plan (excluding the Admin Fee) is all allocated to the value of your plan. Should you have any quesons please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us (our contact details can be found on page 1).
When you decide to purchase a funeral plan with Open Prepaid Funerals the following process will be aconed.Your plan payment, or deposit (if an instalment plan), is put into the Open Prepaid Funerals Trust.Your plan is formally created and set up on our system.The Plan Holder is noed that the plan is being processed.We create your plan paperwork for you, your Funeral Director and a copy for your nominated representave or Next of Kin. In the future at the me of need – your family or representave contacts the nominated Funeral Director. We will conrm the nancial aspects with them in accordance with the Terms and Condions and they will carry out your funeral.Arrangement of the funeral takes place in accordance with your wishes.Monies are released from the Open Trust Fund and sent directly to the Funeral Director once the funeral has taken place.How it Works...What Happens Next? During the appointment with our Open Plan Arranger they will give you more informaon on our Terms and Condions, discuss your needs and provide you with details on a plan suitable to meet those needs (including the nancial aspects).There is no obligaon or pressure to purchase but should you wish to proceed they will arrange for it to be put in place once you are completely sased.Alternavely, if you do not wish to receive any guidance from an Open Plan Arranger you can create a personalised quotaon on our website, at openprepaidfunerals.co.uk, and our Plan Arranger can complete the process with you.5
Frequently Asked QuesonsFull Terms and Condions can be viewed on page 8 or at www.openprepaidfunerals.co.uk/terms.What Is An Open Prepaid Funeral Plan?An Open prepayment plan oers a facility for you to pay for your funeral in advance of needing it and thereby securing the funeral directors costs at today’s price. You can rest assured that your funeral wishes will be fullled and that there will be no further payments in relaon to the funeral director’s own services. It’s important to note, that although the funeral directors services detailed in your plan and your plan summary are covered at the me of need, the third party costs (disbursements) cannot be guaranteed to be covered as these costs are outside the control of both us and the funeral director. All sums paid by you for your plan are professionally managed separately within the independent Open Trust Fund with the goal of exceeding inaonary increases. Investment returns are not guaranteed and investment returns uctuate up and down from me to me.Who can buy a funeral plan?Anyone over the age of 18 can buy a funeral plan for themselves or someone else, but they are typically suitable for those aged over 40 or in poor health.What do the plans include?The standard Open plans and their prices are shown on our website and the individual Plan Sheet. The plan prices may vary around the country and from funeral director to funeral director to more accurately match their costs and service, and the locality in which they are based. This is to ensure you receive the most appropriate price for the plan and funeral director you choose. Our experienced Plan Arrangers can also help to create a bespoke plan made personally for you.6Have a queson? Call our experienced team on 0330 660 0072
What don’t the plans include?Unless otherwise agreed and clearly stated in your plan, Open plans don’t include burial plots, Obituary Noces, owers, removal of pacemakers, out of hours collecon or weekend services, repatriaon costs or embalming. You can make a contribuon towards these costs within your plan which your Open Plan Arranger will explain. Can a plan be Personalised?The Open Plan is designed to be as personal to you as you wish; choose one of the standard plansand personalise that with your own preferences including readings, songs, hymns, owers, donaons to charity etc. or have a completely bespoke plan created between you and your Open Plan Arranger.What about making changes in the future?Changes can be made at any me, simply get in touch with us and we’ll help you make the changes you want. We don’t charge an Admin Fee to make a change but any cost implicaons from the change will be reected in the new Plan total. What are the payment opons? There are a number of ways. You can pay securely from a UK bank account by credit or debit card, by cheque or bank transfer or you can pay over either 12 or 24 months with the instalments opons. The 12 month instalment opon is interest free, but a fee is charged for instalment plan payments of 24 months which is equivalent to an APR of 4.9%. However this addional charge is applied to the value of the plan and is not a way for Open to make prot.What documents are provided?You will receive a folder from Open containing the following elements: Plan Summary, Detailed Arrangement Document, Open Terms & Condions, What To Do At The Time of Need and a wallet friendly card with Open contact details. We can email (or print and post) duplicate copies to family or legal professionals at your request. Can a plan be cancelled?A plan can be cancelled at any me by following the guidance in the Terms and Condions found on Page 10, Secon 7.What are third party costs?Third Party Costs, also known as Disbursements, are funeral related costs that the funeral director pays on your behalf for elements, such as; the crematorium or burial cost, a minister or ociant to carry out the service, owers, Obituary Noces and other external costs that may be required or included in the funeral. Unlike the funeral directors own services, if you make a contribuon towards these costs in your funeral plan they are not fully guaranteed to be covered and your family or estate may have to make an addional contribuon at the me of need.Circumstanal Changes ...What happens if the covered individual passes away while on holiday or away from home?The funeral director will arrange collecon from anywhere in the UK, although a fee may apply if outside the agreed radius. If the individual passes away abroad then repatriaon costs will be incurred. Please check that travel insurance policy covers this beforehand.What happens if the covered individual moves?If they move to a dierent area or part of the country we will endeavour to transfer the plan to a newly nominated funeral director local to the new residence. Should you wish to, we will keep you involved in this process.What if the covered individual passes away before the Plan is paid in full?This depends on the circumstances of them passing, full details can be found in the Terms and Condions found on page 9, secon 3.What happens if the chosen funeral director can’t carry out the funeral?You can nominate a preferred Funeral Director or Open would approach other local independent funeral directors with a view to placing the plan with them in the same way it would a residenal move.7
Terms and Condions