Beyond: could price comparison help cut funeral debts?

Thousands are falling into the red when dealing with the funeral costs of loved ones. Could a new price comparison service be the answer?

There can be no real question that price comparison websites have changed the way many of us handle our finances.

I can safely say that whenever I’m looking to sort out a new energy tariff, organise an insurance policy or switch bank accounts, my first port of call is a site like loveMONEY.

These websites have moved beyond traditional financial products though and the product is Beyond, a comparison site that helps you compare the costs of funeral directors and funeral plans.

But is saving money 'on everything after life' (as Beyond's slogan helpfully explains) a bridge too far?

Bringing transparency to the cost of death

I think it's a nice idea - a quick search shows a massive price variance for a traditional cremation service (which includes a classic coffin and hearse, a limousine and traditional floral display) in my area, ranging from a little over £3,200 to a massive £6,200.

It’s an important development too. Looking at the funeral directors in my area, not one of them has any actual information about their fees on their websites. There’s plenty of information about the different services on offer and the range of coffins you can choose from, but there’s not a pound sign to be seen anywhere.

This is pretty shocking really. When you’re grieving, the thought of ringing around a bunch of different funeral directors to get quotes is not exactly an appealing idea, so many of us in this position simply go for the first firm we find. Having a simple, single place where you can get all of that information strikes me as very welcome.

However, Beyond has also attracted attention because of the darkly comic way it has designed its newest series of adverts.

How to put your affairs in order: from writing a will to Power of Attorney

Courting controversy

Transport for London has elected to ban a series of adverts from Beyond which spoof the sorts of ads you might usually see on the Tube.

For example, one at first glance appears to be a holiday promotion, with two young people running towards the sea.

Only when you look closer do you realise that under their arms are coffins rather than surfboards, while the text on the advert also parodies holiday sales patter, with the promise of a “one-way cremation, all-inclusive, roasting temperatures”.

Another parodied the sort of ad you’d see for wedding shopping, promising to help you find “that perfect look on your big day”.

Ian Strang, co-founder of Beyond, suggested that the fact that we are so reticent in talking about death is one reason that the cost of handling funerals continues to spiral, while other related issues - like will writing or settling an estate - also see people pay more than they could (in fact it's possible to get a will for free).

He added: “TfL are happy to show adverts for loan sharks with cripplingly exploitative APRs, encouraging you to get yourself into debt, but our campaign, which could save you a fortune, is somehow deemed more offensive.”

I find it really difficult to disagree with him.

I can’t afford to die

There is a really important point here, in that death is becoming increasingly unaffordable.

The Competition and Markets Authority has launched a full investigation into the funeral sector, after highlighting that the average cost of a funeral hit nearly £3,800 last year, not counting a host of extras that funeral firms charge will add as much as another £2,000 to that bill. Cremation fees are also rocketing.

This isn’t exactly small changes we are talking about, and it’s leading to massive financial problems for the loved ones left behind.

A study from Royal London in 2017 found that one in six people who have to arrange a funeral struggled with the costs, with one in four having to borrow from friends or family and another quarter having to take out a loan of some form of an average debt of £1,680.

A frankly depressing one in ten were forced to sell some of their possessions to cover the cost of funeral debt.

This is a diabolical situation - life is expensive enough, without your death then passing money worries onto the family you leave behind.

Find out more about funeral plans and how to buy one here

Let’s talk about death, baby

The truth is that if an advert is a bit shocking, it’s more likely to land and actually make people think. And when it comes to death, and our reticence to talk about it, that’s particularly important.

I still remember the gut punch of Aviva’s life insurance advert with Paul Whitehouse, where you only find out that the father character played by Paul Whitehouse is dead at the end, Sixth Sense-style (sorry, spoilers).

I already had life insurance in place at that point, but there is no doubt in my mind that if I didn’t and had financial dependents it would have pushed me to explore getting cover.

If a shocking advert like those employed by Beyond have a similar effect on those looking to write a will or who know they will need to arrange a funeral before long, then all the better.

We need to find a better alternative to the current situation where death is plunging people into debt through no fault of their own.

Read more about funeral costs and how the Government can help here