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What is the Funeral Benefit Option?

Funerals can be an emotional time for many people. Unfortunately, the cost of a funeral can also cause a great deal of stress. According to our research, the average overall cost of a funeral in the UK now sits at £4,515 and could rise to more than £13,000 depending on the choices made.2 This can often mean that at short notice a funeral can put loved ones under financial pressure.


When you take out either a British Seniors Over 50 Life Insurance policy or a Funeral Insurance Plan, you will be offered the Funeral Benefit Option, which is provided in partnership with Golden Charter. British Seniors work in partnership with Golden Charter, who are owned by an association of independent funeral directors. This comprehensive funeral arrangement means that you’ll get a £300 contribution towards the cost of your funeral1, and you can specify your funeral preferences in advance.


If you choose to include this free benefit with your life insurance, we’ll simplify your payment arrangements by paying your benefit amount directly to Golden Charter.

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How Funeral Benefit Option works

If you decide to go with the Funeral Benefit Option, Golden Charter will appoint a funeral director in your local area to take care of your funeral arrangements.


Within 6 weeks you’ll receive Funeral Benefit Option documents from Golden Charter. In the welcome pack you’ll get the details of the appointed funeral director, and a personal wishes form if you wish to specify any requests for your funeral. You’ll also get the information you need to pass to your next of kin, so they know what to do when the time comes.

When you pass away, your next of kin simply makes one call to the appointed funeral director to get things in motion. At this time the benefit amount from your insurance policy will be paid to Golden Charter to help cover the cost of your funeral. Along with this your appointed funeral director will contribute £300 towards the cost.


If your funeral costs less than the benefit amount and the £300 contribution, any balance will be paid out to your next of kin or estate. In the case that your funeral costs more than the benefit amount and the £300 contribution, your next of kin or estate will need to pay any outstanding money to the funeral director. If you choose an unattended cremation, please note that the £300 contribution will not apply.1

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Our biggest ever gift

£135 Gift Card for new policyholders*

To thank you for choosing British Seniors to help protect your loved ones, we’re giving you a £135 Gift Card from one of three top UK retailers. The choice is yours and you can spend it however you want.

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Things to Consider

  • The value of the £300 funeral benefit contribution is fixed and may not keep up with inflation. There is no cash alternative. If you choose this option for a joint policy, there is a £300 contribution for each person.
  • If you pass away in the waiting period of your British Seniors Over 50s policy, any amount due under your policy will be paid to your next of kin or estate instead of Golden Charter. The funeral can still be provided by the funeral director, with the £300 funeral benefit contribution still applied - as long as your next of kin and funeral director agree on the payment arrangements for the remaining cost.
  • If you die of non-accidental causes after the waiting period of your British Seniors Over 50s policy, your policy benefit amount will be paid to Golden Charter up to the cost of your funeral.
  • In the event of an accidental death, there is an additional sum paid out. If you die of accidental causes after the waiting period of your British Seniors Over 50s policy, only your original policy benefit amount will be paid to Golden Charter. This will go toward the cost of your funeral, and any remaining sum will be paid out to your next of kin or estate.
  • Please note that if you choose an unattended cremation, the £300 contribution will not apply.1
  • If you put your insurance policy into Trust, or if you take out a Funeral Plan, you will not be able to use the Funeral Benefit Option.
  • When you activate the Funeral Benefit Option, you consent that your personal information will be shared with Golden Charter and third-party funeral directors. This allows them to arrange and administer the Funeral Benefit Option. Golden Charter may need to contact you to appoint a funeral director for you.
  • You can cancel the Funeral Benefit Option at any time. Should you wish to cancel, please call British Seniors for free on 0800 542 7618 or email: service@britishseniors.co.uk
  • If you have a complaint about the Funeral Benefit Option, please call Golden Charter for free on 0800 833 800 or email: contact@goldencharter.co.uk
  • Please note, the Funeral Benefit Option is not available to those who live in the following postcode areas: Orkney KW, Shetland ZE, Isle of Lewis HS1/2, AB35, LA12/14/18, IV10, IV27, IV21 Gairloch, HS9 Isle of Barra, HS3/5 Isle of Harris, HS7 Isle of Benbecula, PA62 Isle of Mull, PA29 Tarbert, PA28 Campbeltown, AB34, IV15

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We’ve been rated Platinum by Feefo for the fourth year in a row, and we’ve been awarded their coveted 10 years of Excellence Trusted Service Award 2024.

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We’re also the UK’s No.1 rated provider of Over 50s Life Insurance – with the highest ratings of all Over 50s providers with more than 500 reviews on Trustpilot, Google, and REVIEWS.io. See how we compare here.

About Golden Charter

Golden Charter partners with funeral directors to provide the £300 Funeral Benefit Option contribution. They are owned by an association of independent funeral directors, and work with over 2,900 across the UK, many of them family-run businesses that have served their communities for generations.3

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We’re here to help you protect the ones you care about most. Call our specialist UK team to explore your options and get your free quote.

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*

£135 Gift Card, for new policy holders only, after six successful monthly payments and once your total premiums paid exceeds the value of your Gift Card. Restrictions apply, see www.amazon.co.uk/gc-legal. View full terms and conditions here.

1

If you choose an unattended cremation, please note that the £300 contribution will not apply. An unattended cremation means any cremation where there is no funeral service, funeral procession (or other services such as family viewing, limousine(s), embalming or delivery of ashes). The cremation is arranged at a crematorium at a date and time chosen by the allocated funeral director and without anyone attending other than the funeral director’s staff.

2

This information is from the British Seniors funeral costs report 2023.

3

Based on number of funeral director branches in the UK accepting Golden Charter plans as at March 2023.

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