Safehands Funeral Plans Review 2021

Affordable Funeral Plans

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SafeHands Funeral Plans Review 2021
Key points:
Plans guarantee funeral directors costs but not the cremation & ministers fees
Your family could have more to pay when the time comes
Safe Hands registered with the Funeral Planning Authority in 2019
One of the largest allowances of £1,200 for third party costs*
Read our Safe Hands Funeral Plans Review to understand the benefits and downsides; with funeral costs rising it’s important to make the right choice which is where we can help you. Once you have read this review we recommend that you compare funeral plans not only in terms of costs, but benefits and guarantees.
*On the pearl sapphire and ruby plans

Who is Safehands Funeral Plans

This funeral plan review will focus on Safe Hands funeral plans, an independent funeral plan provider established in 2013. Safehands is registered with and regulated by the Funeral Planning Authority and work in conjunction with a national network of funeral directors, many of whom are members of the Society of Allied & Independent Funeral Directors (SAIF) and/or the National Association of Funeral Directors. Previously endorsed by the Late Gordon Banks and more recently by Dr Hiliary of GMTV

Which funeral plans do Safehands offer?

What funeral plans do Safe Hands offer?
Safe Hands offer 4 main funeral plans plus a direct cremations plan that doesn’t include a funeral service.
Safe Hands Direct Cremation Plan – not a traditional funeral plan as this only includes the collection of the deceased, a crematorium approved coffin and the cremation fees. There is no funeral service and so no family members or friends are in attendance.
All costs in this plan including the cremation fees are fully gauranteed, so there will be nothing more to pay.
Safe Hands Topaz Plan – includes the funeral directors help and guidance with the documentation, services on the day, a lined and fitted coffin, a hearse and use of the chapel of rest.
There is no allowance included in this plan for third party cremation fees, therefore these will need to be paid for in their entirety when the time comes. These fees currently account for approximately 30% of funeral costs.
Safe Hands Pearl Plan – includes the funeral directors help and guidance with the documentation, services on the day, a lined and fitted coffin, a hearse and use of the chapel of rest.
The plan also includes a contribution of £1,200 which increases in line with RPI to help with third party cremation fees.
Safe Hands Sapphire Plan – includes the funeral directors help and guidance with the documentation; funeral services on the day; a veneered coffin, hearse, one limousine and use of the chapel of rest.
The plan also includes a contribution of £1,200 which increases in line with CPI to help with third party cremation fees.
Safe Hands Ruby Plan – includes the funeral directors help and guidance with the documentation; funeral services on the day; an oak veneer coffin with gloss finish, hearse, two limousines and use of the chapel of rest.
The plan also includes a contribution of £1,200 which increases in line with RPI to help with third party cremation fees.

Compare Safehands Various Plans

Which Funeral Services Are Guaranteed ?

This is an important part of the funeral plan review as you will certainly want to be clear about what services you are paying for:

Guaranteed Services

The crucial part of the funeral plans review which explains which services are guaranteed and more importantly which are not:
Safehands funeral plans guarantee that the funeral directors services included in each of the plans are guaranteed. This means that the 4 traditional Safe Hands funeral plans guarantee to include the funeral directors help and guidance with the documentation, services on the day, a coffin, hearse and depending on the level of service chosen, a limousine for the family.

Please note that the Direct Cremation Funeral Plan does not include a funeral service of any sort.

Service Not Guaranteed
The Pearl, Sapphire and Ruby Plans all include a contribution of £1,200 for third party cremation fees which increases annually inline with CPI. These fees currently include the cremation fees, the minister’s fees and *doctor’s charges for producing a second death certificate – a contribution means these funeral services are not guaranteed so there could be more for your family to pay when the time comes – it all depends on costs in your area and how they rise.

The Topaz Plan does not include any contribution for 3rd party costs, so this will need to be paid for at the time of need.

(*When the proposed change in law takes place to remove the need for a second death certificate for cremation funerals, these additional doctor’s fees will not be required).

Key Points

Plans do not guarantee your cremation & ministers fees
third party allowance – no guarantees that your cremation fees will be paid in full
wide funeral director coverage
your family could have more to pay when the time comes

Safehands are a leading funeral plan company and offer a good range of plans starting from £2,390 or £24.97 a month (Topaz plan) . Their plans do not guarantee your cremation fees, so there could be more to pay – read our review to understand the full pros and cons.

Will There Be More For My Family To Pay ?

The funeral directors costs are fully guaranteed so there will be nothing more to pay for the services included in the plan however there could be more to pay for the third party cremation fees as the Pearl, Sapphire and Ruby plans include a contribution of £1,200 (which increases annually in line with CPI ) rather than a guarantee. Therefore if costs fall within this allowance, there will be nothing more to pay but if the third party costs are higher at the time of need, the family would need to pay the balance.

The Topaz plan again includes a guarantee for the funeral directors costs but doesn’t include any contribution for third party fees, so these will need to be paid for at the time of need.

How Can I Be Sure My Money Is Safe ?

Throughout our funeral plan reviews we have highlighted whether the funeral plan provider in question is registered and regulated by the Funeral Planning Authority (FPA) and therefore has to abide by their strict rules and code of conduct. Safe Hands funeral plans successfully registered with the FPA in July 2019.

When you buy a Safe Hands funeral plan your money is placed in a trust fund which is a separate entity to Safe hands, so if anything happens to the company, the trust fund and your money remains intact ready to pay for your funeral.

How Can I Pay For My Safehands Funeral Plan ?

The cheapest way to buy a Safehands funeral plan is to pay in one go; or you can spread your costs over 1 or 2 years without incurring additional fees.
Monthly Instalments
If you prefer to spread the cost of your funeral plan over a longer period, then you have the option to pay over 3, 5 or 10 years. Each of these payment options are subject to a 4% instalment handling charge which is calculated annually.
Please note that you will need to pay a deposit of £250 with all SafeHands monthly payment options.

Is There An Age Limit On Safehands Plans?

You can buy a Safehands funeral plan from the age of 18 and there is no upper age limit when paying in one go.

Can I Choose Either A Burial Or Cremation Funeral?

The Safe Hands funeral plans are predominately aimed at the cremation funeral. Having said that they do also offer burial services but state you need to contact them directly for costs as they vary throughout the UK.

Can I Cancel My Plan ?

Once you have bought a Safehands funeral plan you have 30 days to review the plan details to ensure you are completely happy. If you do choose to cancel during this time you can do so and receive a full refund of any monies paid.

If you cancel after this period you will be charged a cancellation fee of £249.

Who Will My Funeral Directors Be ?

Safe Hands have a national network of funeral directors that they work with so the funeral plan is placed with the funeral director immediately upon receipt of the application.
If you want to, customers can nominate a funeral director that they would prefer to conduct the funeral – on that basis Safe Hands will offer the benefit of the funeral to the customer’s preferred funeral director when the plan holder passes away. If the preferred funeral director is for any reason unavailable to conduct the funeral, it will instead be conducted by one of the funeral directors locally, with which Safehands have a contract.

What Happens If I Move Home ?

Provided you move location within the UK, the terms of your plan are not affected in any way and there is no increased risk that there may be additional costs to pay when you pass away

Does Safehands offer Any Additional Features ?

Safe hands are the only plan provider to allow you to spread the cost of your plan over 2 years without incurring additional fees.
For more Frequently Asked Question Click Here

What Is Safehands Defaqto Rating ?

To assist in your funeral plan review, Defaqto the independent researcher of financial products has rated Safehands funeral plans. To see their funeral plan Defaqto rating, please click here.

Our Safehands Review Verdict

Having reviewed Safehands funeral plans, there is no doubt that they are one of the leading providers in the UK .
Safe Hands range of plans provide flexibility. Whilst their plans do include a full guarantee for the funeral directors costs, a contribution is included for third party fees which is generous compared to many funeral plan providers but depending on how high costs are in your area, this may or may not cover 100% of the fees at the time of need.

Special Offer
We are currently offering up to £100 Cashback

Payments of Cashback

To qualify for our cashback offer the funeral plan must be purchased through our “weblink” and you must be in receipt of a unique Abbey Broadway reference number at the time of purchase. If a plan is purchased in full, cashback will be paid once the 30 days Cooling Off period has passed
For other payment methods:
Cashback will be paid once the plan has been in force for 12 months and all the payments must be up to date.
Cashback is paid in the form of a bank transfer or a cheque made out to the name of the plan holder

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