Golden Charter Funeral Plans

Who are Golden Charter?

Golden Charter are Prepaid Funeral Plan providers in the UK, owned by an association of independent Funeral Directors. They have been in business since 1990 and during this time they have worked with over 700,000 customers. They are based in Glasgow and work with around 3000 independent Funeral Directors across the UK.

Golden Charter’s marketing promotes that they are only Funeral Plan providers that are recommended by the Society of Allied & Independent Funeral Directors (SAIF), which represents over 900 privately-owned Funeral Homes in the UK.

Compare Golden Charter Funeral Plans

So, what types of plans do Golden Charter offer and how do they compare to the market?

As with any financial decision, we recommend that you carefully consider what you need and what options are currently available across the market. We can assist you with this process.

Golden Charter offer five types of Funeral Plan.

The five Golden Charter plans are: Basic, Value, Standard, Select and Premier. The Funeral Plans have competitive pricing, and they all include different service offerings, so it’s essential to understand the details.

The five plans also contain these features as standard:

• Professional services
• Funeral arrangements
• Advice regarding registering the death and securing the necessary certification
• The coffin, which varies in quality by the type of plan
• Transportation of the deceased to the Funeral Director within a 25-mile radius, with the time of the transport depending on the type of plan
• Care of the deceased, excluding embalming
• Third party cost allowance
• 24-hour phone support
• Transport of the deceased within mainland UK if the death occurs during a holiday

Golden Charter’s plans do not cover the costs related to burial plots.

We are happy to support you with any questions.

Basic Plan

Golden Charter’s Basic Plan is the lowest-cost plan, covering a simple cremation without a service. The plan is not applicable for burials.

The Golden Charter Basic Plan includes the services previously mentioned, plus:

• A coffin suitable for cremation
• £500 towards third party costs such as the cremation fees

Value Plan

Golden Charter’s Value Plan contains all the elements of a traditional funeral with some limitations when compared to the higher-cost plans. It includes the standard services plus:

• Basic wood effect coffin
• Use of Chapel of Rest at pre-arranged times
• Option for a service at a local crematorium or cemetery
• Service taking place weekdays during working hours
• Hearse
• Funeral staff to attend to the coffin
• £800 towards third party costs

Standard Plan

The Golden Charter Standard Plan provides greater flexibility on the location and time of the funeral. It contains the benefits of the Value Plan plus:

• Simple coffin
• Choice of date and time of funeral
• Funeral procession to an agreed location
• £1,100 towards third party costs

Select Plan

The Golden Charter Select Plan provides some higher quality features. It contains the benefits of the Standard Plan plus:

• High-quality coffin
• One limousine
• Transportation of the deceased to the Funeral Director premises within a 25-mile radius at any time of day

Premier Plan

The Premier Plan is Golden Charter’s top of the range Funeral Plan. It has received a five-star rating from Defaqto. It contains the benefits of the Select Plan plus:

• Superior quality coffin
• Two limousines
• List of everyone who paid their respects by sending flowers

Have Golden Charter Funeral Plans got good customer feedback?

At the time of writing this review, Golden Charter have an excellent score of 4.7 out of 5 on Trustpilot, the independent customer review site. This score was comprised of over 1,600 reviews. The positive feedback often references an excellent and friendly service.

There is evidence that Golden Charter respond to negative customer feedback, but at the time of writing, some entries within the last six weeks did not have a reply. We would recommend that Golden Charter invest more time responding to their Trustpilot reviews.

What happens if I take out a Golden Charter Funeral Plan?

Once you have signed up to a plan with Golden Charter, they will send you a document folder which contains:

• An overview of your plan
• Details of your Funeral Director
• Your certificate
• A personal membership card

If you take out a plan with Golden Charter and change your mind, then you are entitled to a full refund within 30 days. If you cancel after this period, then Golden Charter take a cancellation fee from any amount due to be returned to you. At the time of writing, the cancellation fee is £249.

Where do Golden Charter keep their clients’ money?

Golden Charter invest client money in The Golden Charter Trust, or for clients on the fixed monthly payment option, to a UK-based life assurance company called Phoenix Life Limited.

An Independent Board of Trustees runs the Golden Charter Trust, as a separate entity to the company and full details are on its website at https://www.goldenchartertrust.co.uk/.

Clients on a fixed monthly payment option have their funds paid into a life assurance product with Phoenix Life Limited, which is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority.

Do they offer guarantees?

Golden Charter guarantee to pay the cost of Funeral Director services selected in the plan, once a customer has paid in full or once clients on a fixed monthly payment option have completed two years of consecutive payments.

Are Golden Charter registered with the Funeral Planning Authority (FPA)?

Yes, Golden Charter have a registration with the Funeral Planning Authority through their limited company, Golden Charter Limited.

What payment options are available?

Golden Charter allows customers to select from four payment options:

• A single payment, covering the full cost of the Funeral Plan
• A 12-month instalment plan, which does not come at an additional cost
• Low-cost instalment plans providing the option to spread payments between two and 30 years, which are available to those aged 78 or below. Customers must be no older than 80 by the date they are due to have fully repaid the plan. At the time of writing, the monthly payments include a 4% instalment charge.
• Fixed monthly payment option which gives UK residents between the ages of 50 and 80 the option to pay an agreed monthly payment for life or until the age of 90. This plan is only available for purchase over the phone.

What if I have a complaint with Golden Charter?

If you have a complaint with Golden Charter then you can contact them through the following channels:
Phone: 0800 171 2955
Email: Customer.Resolution@goldencharter.co.uk
Post: Golden Charter, Customer Resolution Department, Canniesburn Gate, 10 Canniesburn Drive, Glasgow G61 1BF

If Golden Charter do not resolve your complaint, you can refer it to the Funeral Planning Authority by contacting them in one of the following ways:
Phone: 0345 601 9619
Email: info@funeralplanningauthority.co.uk
Post: Funeral Planning Authority, Barham Court, Teston, Maidstone, Kent ME18 5BZ