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From today, 16 September 2021, all UK funeral directors are required to make pricing information easily accessible for customers, under new rules by the Competition and Markets Authority.

• In funeral home windows, customers will be able to find a ‘Standardised Price List’, which all UK funeral firms must complete, showing the cost of simple funeral services that they can provide.
• If customers prefer to choose from a wider range of products, packages and services they can view an Additional Options Price List.
• Inside the funeral home, posters or screens will display the Standardised Price List along with details of local cremation prices and payment terms.
• Funeral directors are also now required to display information about which company owns the funeral home and any gifts, sponsorships or donations of £250 or above to connected organisations, such as hospices and care homes.
• On funeral home websites, there will be copies of price lists, local cremation fees and payment terms, as well as information about who owns the funeral home and any donations they make.

Jon Levett, Chief Executive of the National Association of Funerals Directors welcomed the changes, but sounded a note of caution on how inclusive they were for bereaved people. He said: “Although many funeral firms have published prices online for a long time now, the new requirements which come in today makes sure that all funeral homes display information in a format, which brings greater consistency to the process of choosing a funeral director and supports the delivery of high standards of care for bereaved people.

“For a profession with such a high proportion of small businesses, largely unfamiliar with formal regulation, the CMA’s new rules can appear complex and so the NAFD has supported its members, over the summer, with a campaign of briefings, guidance documents and webinars – and has spoken to them to offer support, ensure they have all the information they need to comply and gather feedback on how the new rules work in practice. There are some real issues over how inclusive, flexible and clear the new requirements will be for bereaved people – and we have fed this back to the government, urging the CMA to refine the rules, to ensure they assist bereaved people in making informed choices, and promote healthy competition in the funeral sector.”

Some funeral homes also sign up to abide by a Code of Practice and are inspected regularly. Choosing a funeral home that has been inspected may help bereaved people to feel confident that there are independent checks on the quality of service that the firm provides. Customers can find funeral homes that have been inspected by the National Association of Funeral Directors by visiting funeral-directory.co.uk. 

All of this information is designed to help bereaved people to make an informed choice, but members of the public are also advised to speak to a couple of funeral directors before making a decision. This will help to ensure bereaved people choose a funeral director that they feel comfortable with and that they can feel confident will support them in arranging a funeral that meets their needs and any wishes of the person that has died.