Ensuring they had made adequate provision for their funeral and reducing worry for loved ones, who may otherwise be forced to make difficult funeral decisions or find money to pay for a funeral service, were found to be the main motivators.
Our 2020 survey has found that seniors’ concerns about how their own death and subsequent funeral arrangements could impact those they leave behind are the most popular reasons for planning a funeral in advance.
The survey asked 139 people aged 50 and above, who were either ‘very likely’ or ‘quite likely’ to purchase a funeral plan in future, what would motivate them to make arrangements for their own funeral service in this way.
In total, 73% of survey respondents said they would be motivated to purchase a pre-paid funeral plan to reduce worry for loved ones. Taking out a pre-paid funeral plan is an ideal way to ensure that one’s own funeral arrangements are recorded so that loved ones won’t have to make difficult funeral decisions when the time comes. Making funeral decisions can be extremely difficult for those who are recently bereaved and therefore having these plans in place through a pre-paid plan can make a significant difference.
Another benefit of a pre-paid funeral plan is that it allows people to make financial provision for the cost of their funeral. Of the sample, 73% said that this specific benefit also appealed to them. Respondents were permitted to offer more than one answer.
In addition, 32% of respondents stated that they would purchase a pre-paid funeral plan in order to ensure they have the type of funeral they would want. A pre-paid funeral plan allows you put precise funeral arrangements in place to ensure your wishes will be met. However, it seems that for people aged 50, the main priority is making sure loved ones won’t have to worry when they pass away.
Marketing Manager, Emma Simpson, said: “We work with over 900 funeral directing firms to provide pre-paid funeral plans and see the difference that they make to families. Therefore it wasn’t too surprising to find that the most common motivator for people looking to buy a funeral plan is to help protect their loved ones when they are no longer around.”
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Source: OnePoll research of 139 UK residents aged 50 and above on behalf of Ecclesiastical Planning Services, December 2020.