Variety Funerals - Berry Hill, Gloucestershire

Pre-paid cremation plans in Berry Hill, Gloucestershire, explained

A Variety Funerals pre-paid funeral plan lets you pay for your own cremation now and fix the cost of the items in it at today’s price, with the cremation arranged in Berry Hill, Gloucestershire when the time comes. There are two plans. The Variety Solo plan is an unattended direct cremation at £1,585 with cremation fees included. The Variety Plus plan is an attended cremation with a simple service at the crematorium of your choice, from £1,839 plus cremation fees. Both are set up online or on 0800 774 7804, 24 hours a day.

What does a pre-paid cremation plan cover?

Both plans include the funeral professional services and fees, assistance with all paperwork, collection of the person who has died at any hour with no mileage restrictions, care of the deceased before the cremation, a simple wooden coffin, conveyance to the crematorium, the scattering of the ashes or their return in an eco box, and the Variety VIP booklet. The Variety Solo plan includes the cremation fee at the Variety allocated crematorium. The Variety Plus plan adds a service at a crematorium of your choice, and its cremation fee is charged separately because it varies with the crematorium and the time slot. Flowers, catering, embalming and burial are not included in either plan, and items such as a hearse and bearers or an officiant are priced separately.

Who can take out a plan?

Anyone over 18 years old and resident in the UK is eligible. There are no credit checks and no medical checks, and there is no upper age limit. You can also buy a plan for someone else who is over 18, in which case you are the person responsible for paying for it. A plan covers the funeral of the person it is set up for and cannot be transferred to someone else.

How is the money protected?

The money for your funeral is invested in a regulated whole of life policy with The Royal London Mutual Insurance Society. The policy is separate from Variety Funerals, which holds it with you named as the life assured and funeral bond nominee, and the funds are released only to pay for your funeral. Money invested in that policy is protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. Variety Funerals Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under firm reference number 1011776, which you can check on the Financial Services Register at register.fca.org.uk. FCA regulation applies to pre-paid funeral plans, not to funeral arrangements made after someone has died.

When can the plan be used, and what does my family do?

The plan can be used at any time after the payment date. When the time comes, anyone can ring 0800 774 7804, the 24 hour line, and a Variety Consultant takes care of the arrangements and keeps the family informed. Collection is included from anywhere in mainland England and Wales. Your family will have nothing further to pay for the items included in the plan, and anything they choose to add at the time is charged separately. A plan that has been cancelled can no longer be used.

What if I move away from Berry Hill, Gloucestershire, or change my mind?

There is no charge for moving home, and the plan is valid throughout mainland England and Wales, so it travels with you. Tell Variety Funerals by email or post so the records stay correct. You can cancel at any time by email, telephone or post. A cancellation inside the cooling off period is refunded in full, and after it a £300 administration charge is deducted from the refund. Refunds are paid within 14 days of the request.

Is an unattended cremation in Berry Hill, Gloucestershire the same as the plan?

It is the same cremation. An unattended direct cremation arranged at the time it is needed is from £1,045 all inclusive, and the Variety Solo plan is the way to pay for that cremation in advance at a fixed £1,585, so the price of the items included cannot rise. Which route suits you depends on whether you are arranging a funeral now or planning ahead.