Co-op funeral costs depend on whether you buy a pre-paid plan or arrange a funeral now: as captured on 7 October 2026, Co-op Funeralcare listed its five plans from £1,850 (Direct Cremation) to £4,495 (Gold). Below: what each plan includes and leaves out, the fees, how the money is held, and Co-op's prices for a funeral arranged today.

If you would like to talk plans or funeral cover through with someone, the short form here leads to a free introduction to an FCA-authorised broker. This site is not part of Co-op, and the form is not a request for a Co-op quote.

What do Co-op funeral plans include?

Co-op's comparison page (captured 7 October 2026) sets out the five plans:

Plan and list priceServiceCoffin and vehiclesThird-party fees
Direct Cremation, £1,850"No attended service. No choice of date, time or location."Basic coffin; no limousine; no cortege"All third-party fees covered, including cremation fees."
Simple, £3,145Service that people can attend; restricted date, time and locationBasic coffin; no limousine; fixed cortege route"Up to £850 towards third party fees."
Bronze, £3,790Service that people can attend; restricted date, time and locationWood effect coffin; no limousine; fixed cortege route"Up to £1,000 towards third party fees", with the cremation fee guaranteed
Silver, £4,295Service that people can attend; date and time by mutual agreementWood effect coffin; one limousine; choice of cortege route, up to 20 milesAll third-party fees covered, including burial or cremation fees
Gold, £4,495Service that people can attend; date and time by mutual agreementWood veneer coffin; two limousines; choice of cortege route, up to 20 miles; photograph on canvasAll third-party fees covered, including burial or cremation fees

Simple, Bronze, Silver and Gold add a choice of burial or cremation and a hearse. All five include a coffin, collection within a 50-mile radius, care of the person who died and "a free call from our Funeral Bereavement Support Team offering bereavement support and help with any legal issues". Our funeral plan comparison sets these beside other providers', and our funeral plans guide has the wider picture.

How much is a Co-op funeral plan, and what fees apply?

The list prices above are Co-op's own for each plan's inclusions, not what a funeral plan costs in general (see how funeral plan prices work).

Paying monthly

Co-op offers three ways to pay: in full, over 6 or 12 months "at no extra charge", or over 2 to 25 years (2 to 5 for Direct Cremation), where "Instalment charges apply" and so "you’ll pay more for your plan than if you pay in full or over 6 - 12 months". Age limits the term: "The plan must be paid in full before your 80th birthday."

Co-op's comparison page (captured 7 October 2026) illustrates the Simple Plan, "based on a 60 year old paying for the length specified": "pay over 10 years at £33.42 per month. Total cost: £4,109.73". That is an example for one age and term, not what you would pay.

Whether a plan or funeral insurance suits your age and budget is a fair question for an adviser; sending a few details through the form passes them to an FCA-authorised broker who can talk through both.

Fees, cancelling and changes

Co-op's FAQ (captured 7 October 2026) says: "We charge an administration and a maintenance fee out of the total money you pay". The administration fee is £465 on every plan; the maintenance fee is £114 on Direct Cremation and £320 on the other four.

You can cancel at any time. Paying in full or over 6 or 12 months, Co-op will refund all payments in full if you cancel within 30 days; after that it deducts "our £125 cancellation fee". On longer instalments the full-refund period is 12 months. "There's no administration charge for making changes", though you "can only change your payment term once per year".

What is not included in a Co-op funeral plan?

Co-op's FAQ (captured 7 October 2026) says "All plans may have extra costs at the time of your funeral", and lists examples including:

  • "the cost of buying a grave/lair as prices and availability vary across the UK";
  • embalming, priced at £195 on its comparison page;
  • a memorial or headstone;
  • extras such as flowers, orders of service and limousines not already in the plan.

The capped/guaranteed split matters most here. Third-party fees are "things like cremation and officiant fees". Simple and Bronze are capped: "If the fees rise above the capped amount we give, the balance must be paid by the person arranging the funeral", though "The value of this capped contribution will rise in line with inflation each year." Direct Cremation, Silver and Gold guarantee these fees "no matter how much they might rise in the future".

What happens if you die before a Co-op plan is paid for?

Co-op's FAQ answers by payment method:

  • Over 6 or 12 months: the person arranging the funeral "will need to pay the balance so that our funeral director can deliver your plan, or the plan can be cancelled and we will return your payments".
  • Instalments over 2 to 25 years, death after 12 months, payments up to date: "we won’t collect the outstanding balance on your plan".
  • Death within 12 months that was not an accident: the person arranging the funeral "can choose to pay the balance" or have Co-op cancel the plan and return the payments.
  • Death within 12 months from an accident: "we will provide your funeral".

Where payments are behind in the second or fourth case, the missing ones must be paid "before the funeral can be provided".

Are Co-op funeral plans safe, and what do reviews say?

The FCA's rules (FPCOB 3.1.6R, in force from 29 July 2022) say a provider must either buy, or arrange to buy, life insurance from an authorised insurer on the person covered that is enough to provide the agreed funeral, or have enough of the money "held on trust". Co-op uses insurance: "after deducting the administration and maintenance fees, we invest the remaining amount required to pay for your funeral into an individual whole of life insurance policy with The Royal London Mutual Insurance Society Limited".

If its business fails, Co-op "would seek to make arrangements with another funeral plan provider to transfer your plan"; if that is not possible, "you (or your next of kin if you have died) will have a legal right to claim your monies back from Royal London direct". If neither is possible, it says "you may be entitled to compensation under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme".

The FCA says a funeral plan provider "must be authorised by us", and that if a provider is not authorised, a complaint about it cannot go to the Financial Ombudsman Service. Co-op says Co-op Funeral Plans Limited is FCA-authorised (firm reference number 962119), which the FCA's Firm Checker can confirm; its funeral services company, Funeral Services Limited, "is not authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority". More is on our page about FCA regulation of funeral plans.

Customer reviews change over time, so recent ones on review sites say more than older ones. For a complaint, the Ombudsman says to go to the business first; "For most complaints, a business has up to 8 weeks to consider a complaint", after which the Ombudsman's free service can look at it.

What does a Co-op funeral cost if you need one now?

Co-op says a plan "might not be right if you think you need to arrange a funeral for someone soon", and that its arrangers can help you make plans without one if a funeral is needed "within the next 3 months". GOV.UK says a Funeral Expenses Payment can help if you get certain benefits and need help paying for a funeral you are arranging; where the person who died had a pre-paid plan, you "can only get up to £120 to help pay for items not covered by their plan".

Co-op's funeral costs page (captured 7 October 2026) gives these headline prices for a funeral arranged now:

  • Tailored funeral: "From £3,185", which "Does not include third party fees";
  • Essential funeral: "£2,195 to £2,995", also without third party fees;
  • Direct cremation: "£1,495", described as "All inclusive price, no hidden costs";
  • Direct burial: "£1,495", which "Does not include headstone or burial plot".

For Tailored and Essential funerals you pay "a minimum of 50% of the total estimated funeral cost within 48 hours"; direct cremation or burial is paid in full within 48 hours. These are headline figures, not a full price list; the page points to a cost calculator for local prices.

Under the CMA's Funerals Market Investigation Order 2021, every funeral director must publish a price list for a standardised set of products and services; our page on average funeral costs explains how to use it to compare directors such as Co-op and Dignity. See also direct cremation costs.

Frequently asked questions

Is a Co-op funeral plan the same as funeral insurance?

No. A plan is a contract with Co-op Funeral Plans Limited to provide a funeral later; funeral insurance pays a sum instead. Our funeral cover comparison explains the insurance side.

Can I buy a Co-op plan for someone else?

Yes, but Co-op says you "will need appropriate authority to act on their behalf, for example power of attorney", and you cannot do it online: you call Co-op or visit a funeral home.

Who carries out the funeral under a Co-op plan?

Co-op says it will be "one of our funeral directors or one of the associated directors that we have a relationship with, such as other regional co-operatives". You can choose the funeral home when you buy.

Does a Co-op plan cover a funeral outside the UK?

No: "Co-op Funeral Plans Limited only covers funerals carried out in the UK." Co-op can help bring someone home from abroad, at an extra cost.

When you are ready to weigh a Co-op plan against other plans or funeral cover, a broker introduced through this page's form can go through them with you, at no charge and with no obligation.

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