Fears over funeral money

Ms T.P. writes: My partner was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer and passed away two months later. He had paid £3,239 to Rest Assured Funeral Plans Limited. However, the hospice arranged for a local funeral company to collect and store his body. They told me that RAFP said there was not enough money in the plan to pay for the funeral. RAFP did contribute £1,100, but I cannot see how the balance was spent.

FUNERAL plans can be tricky. The Financial Conduct Authority will regulate the industry from July, but funeral plans now are only overseen by an industry body providing voluntary rules. That said, your partner’s own plan with RAFP looks flawless.

Knowing he was dying, he wanted to spare you his funeral expenses, and despite the short time left, RAFP helped, even offering a £360 discount.

The £1,100 was just part of the funeral bill, covering payments to third parties for the service and cremation. The local funeral firm used by the hospice billed RAFP directly for the rest, and in total the plan paid out £2,900.

If you believe you are the victim of financial wrongdoing, write to

Tony Hetherington at Financial Mail, Scottish Mail on Sunday, 20 Waterloo Street, Glasgow G2 6DB or email tony.hetherington@ mailonsunday.co.uk. Because of the high volume of enquiries, personal replies cannot be given. Please send only copies of original documents, which we regret cannot be returned.