The Fair Funerals pledge was originally launched in 2015 by the charity Quaker Social Action, as part of the Fair Funerals campaign.
The aim of the pledge was to encourage funeral directors across the UK to address the national funeral poverty crisis from within the funeral industry itself. By signing the pledge, funeral directors were recognising that funerals can be expensive and many people struggle with the cost. In doing so they were also making a voluntary commitment to be open about their most affordable options and to help people find funerals within their means.
By September 2019, over 1,700 UK funeral director branches had signed the pledge; approximately 35% of the UK total.
What is the Fair Funerals pledge 2020?
The Fair Funerals campaign has come to an end. However, funeral poverty still exists.
Buying a funeral can be expensive and confusing. It is still difficult to find clear, comparable information about how much things cost and by when they need to be paid. On top of this, there are huge differences in what funeral directors charge. Without knowing what their options are, people can end up buying funerals that they can’t afford, getting into debt in the process.
As a result, the Fair Funerals pledge is continuing its activity as part of Quaker Social Action’s Down to Earth service.
We’re now asking funeral directors across the UK to sign the relaunched Fair Funerals pledge 2020, and make the following free and voluntary commitment:
- We will help people to find funerals that are within their means.
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We will be open about the price of our services, including third party costs:
- In initial conversations
- Within our price lists
- On our website
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We will be open about the amount of any deposit we require, and when this and the final balance are required:
- In initial conversations
- Within our price lists
- On our website
By signing the Fair Funerals pledge 2020, funeral directors will become part of a community of directors who agree to put price transparency at the centre of their work, and who aspire to be the change we all want to see within the funeral industry.