Funeral plans in Scotland and Northern Ireland come under the same FCA authorisation rules as plans in England, but which provider will sell you one, and whether a direct cremation is among its options, depends on each provider's own wording. Golden Charter says it provides plans to people who live in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, while Pure Cremation's plan covers mainland Britain and its home page says it does not offer cremation services for Northern Ireland.

Arranging a funeral now rather than planning one? In Scotland the help with costs is the Funeral Support Payment (apply through mygov.scot); GOV.UK says it has replaced the Funeral Expenses Payment there. In Northern Ireland, nidirect describes a Funeral Expenses Payment run through the Department for Communities, and the GOV.UK Funeral Expenses Payment covers England and Wales. A funeral can also be paid for in other ways, including from the estate of the person who died, so it is worth checking first whether they left a prepaid plan.

If you are weighing plans for yourself or a relative and would like to hear what is available where you live, the enquiry form here is a free way to reach an FCA-authorised broker, with no obligation to buy.

What help with funeral costs applies where you live?

The schemes are separate, and mygov.scot says you will not be eligible for the Funeral Support Payment if you have already had the Funeral Expenses Payment (England or Wales) or the Funeral Payment (Northern Ireland).

A prepaid plan changes what each scheme pays. In Scotland, mygov.scot (page last updated 1 April 2022) says the payment usually meets the burial, cremation or hydrolysis charge in Scotland, but not where a funeral plan has paid that charge, and the flat sum towards other funeral costs drops from £1,327.75 to £162.05 when the person who died had a plan; those are the 2026-27 rates in the Scottish Government's up-rating annex. GOV.UK says that with a pre-paid plan you can only get up to £120 for items the plan does not cover, and nidirect says you will "only get help for items not covered by the plan". Who qualifies and how to claim is on our page on paying for a funeral.

Does FCA regulation cover a plan bought in Scotland or Northern Ireland?

Yes. The FCA's policy statement PS21/8 (July 2021) says its regulation "will apply to a range of different activities where they relate to funeral plans which provide funerals in the UK", and its consumer page (last updated 6 March 2026) says a provider "must be authorised by us". Firm Checker on the FCA's site shows whether a provider is. What the rules require, and the FSCS position, is on our page on FCA regulation of funeral plans.

One difference is in the contract rather than the regulation. Pure Cremation's plan terms say the agreement is governed by English law, with the courts of England and Wales having jurisdiction, but that "if you are resident in Scotland, you can raise an action in your local courts".

Which providers say they sell in Scotland or Northern Ireland?

The providers are listed alphabetically, not ranked. Each row is the provider's own wording, with the page and date it comes from.

Provider (source, date read)What it says
Co-op Funeralcare (FAQ, archived 7 October 2026)Its plan company covers funerals carried out in the UK
Dignity (plans page, read 20 October 2026)"Serving communities from 500+ branches, UK-wide"
Golden Charter (terms, April 2026)"Our plans are available to all UK residents"; its terms say it only provides plans "to people who live in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland"
Pure Cremation (plan terms and home page, read 20 October 2026)Plan bought and used in "mainland Britain (plus the Isle of Skye)"; its home page says it offers no cremation services in Northern Ireland
Simplicity Cremations (home and plan pages, read 20 October 2026)Home page: it can arrange a direct cremation (at need) in England, Scotland and Wales; plan page lists collection after a death outside mainland Great Britain as not included

These are different kinds of statement, not a map of who sells where. Dignity's and Co-op's wording is UK-wide without naming a nation, so ask either provider directly whether your postcode in Scotland or Northern Ireland is covered, and ask which funeral director would carry out the funeral. The Dignity and Co-op pages have each provider's plan terms.

Can you buy a direct cremation plan in Scotland or Northern Ireland?

For Scotland, two of the providers above describe a direct cremation. Pure Cremation's plan terms put the plan in mainland Britain and the Isle of Skye, and its Scotland page (an at-need service, not the plan) says collection is from mainland Scotland or the Isle of Skye and that unattended cremations take place at Clyde Coast and Garnock Valley Crematorium or The Hurlet Crematorium, run from an East Kilbride office. Its terms add that it is "normally unable to transfer people between different jurisdictions e.g. from England to Scotland". Golden Charter's key features list a Direct Cremation Plan and say each plan is allocated to a local independent funeral director; its terms include Scotland among the places it provides plans.

For Northern Ireland, Golden Charter's terms name it among the places it provides plans, while Pure Cremation says it does not offer cremation services there. Whether Dignity's Unattended plan or Co-op's Direct Cremation Plan can be delivered at a Northern Ireland address is a question for those providers. The prices, inclusions and instalment terms of each are on our direct cremation cost page, and what a cremation plan covers compared with burial is on our cremation and burial plan page.

What do Scottish and Northern Irish rules change at the funeral?

The Burial and Cremation (Scotland) Act 2016 says a funeral director "must comply with any code of practice issued by the Scottish Ministers". The Scottish Government's Funeral Director Code of Practice (published 12 February 2024) applies to funeral directors carrying out those functions in Scotland "regardless of where their business is based", and a Scottish Government poster says it came into force on 1st March 2025. It therefore reaches a plan funeral carried out in Scotland, whichever provider sold the plan.

The Scottish Government also says its updated statutory forms, effective from 2 March 2026, "must be used for all cremation applications at any crematorium in Scotland". A funeral director normally supplies the right form. A burial plot in Scotland is often called a lair, and mygov.scot suggests checking the will to see whether one was already paid for. Golden Charter's key features say its plans do not include a burial plot, and Co-op's FAQ lists a grave or lair among possible extra costs, adding that a cemetery or crematorium may charge when you are not a resident of the local area.

In Northern Ireland, nidirect says there are two crematoriums, the City of Belfast Crematorium and Antrim and Newtownabbey Crematorium, and that disbursements can include doctors' certificates. SunLife's Cost of Dying Report 2026 notes that doctors' fees are no longer applicable in England, Scotland or Wales "but remain in Northern Ireland". Golden Charter's terms add that if you live in Northern Ireland and die in mainland UK, your estate must pay the extra transport costs back to an airport or port.

Do plan prices differ from England?

Ask any provider whether its plan price is the same at a Scottish or Northern Irish address, and whether a collection or travel charge applies where you live. Pure Cremation says there is no fixed price for its plan and that every plan is quoted individually; our funeral plan price page sets out the list prices other providers publish.

Location does show in some prices. Pure Cremation's pricing page (September 2026) gives £1,595 as its price without a plan; its Scotland page gives the same figure for arranging a cremation now, with a £400 charge for urgent collections from Inverness (IV) or Kirkwall (KW) postcodes. SunLife puts the average simple attended funeral in Northern Ireland at £3,105, against a national £3,828, and a burial plot at an average of £886 there against £4,863 in London. Those are SunLife's averages for a funeral, not plan prices.

For a provider's total price at your own address, age and payment term, set beside funeral cover that pays a sum, a broker can go through both, and the free form here begins that conversation.

Frequently asked questions

Can I buy a prepaid funeral plan in Northern Ireland?

Golden Charter's terms say it provides plans to people who live in Northern Ireland, and Dignity's and Co-op's wording is UK-wide. Pure Cremation says it does not offer cremation services for Northern Ireland, so confirm any provider's cover for your address first.

Is the Funeral Support Payment the same as the Funeral Expenses Payment?

No. The Funeral Support Payment is the Scottish scheme, and GOV.UK says it has replaced the Funeral Expenses Payment in Scotland. A plan reduces both, so it is worth checking for one before you claim.

How do I find a funeral plan in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee or Perth?

The provider pages quoted here describe coverage by nation or region, not by city. Ask a provider which local funeral director would carry out the funeral and which crematorium or cemetery it would use for your address.

Whenever you are ready, the quick form on this page is a free next step towards a broker who deals with funeral plans and funeral cover. The wider picture is in our funeral plans and funeral costs guide.

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