Age UK and Dignity celebrate 25 year anniversary

Age UK and Dignity celebrate 25 year anniversary helping older people with funeral planning

• The Age UK Funeral Plan has saved customers on average over £1,000*

Age UK and Dignity are this month celebrating a 25 year collaboration providing funeral planning assistance to older people across the country. Within that quarter century period the partnership has provided over 350,000 Age UK Funeral Plans helping customers in later life to take control of their funeral planning.  The Age UK partnership with Dignity accounts for just under 20% of all live funeral plans in existence in the UK today.

Funerals can be expensive, often costing more than £3,000, and costs for them have continued to rise faster than the rate of inflation for the last 10 years. Critical to its success, an Age UK funeral plan allows customers to fix their funeral costs at today's prices and protect against future increases.  For Age UK Funeral Plan customers whose funeral plan was needed in 2012, over £7.2 million was saved this equates to an average saving of over £1,000 per customer.*

The Age UK Funeral Plan has proved to be a valuable way of helping older people take the worry and stress out of funeral planning. The Funeral Plan market has grown significantly in the last five years with over 74,000 plans arranged in 2008 to over 135,000 in 2013, and indications are it is likely this growth will continue.**

Gordon Morris, Managing Director of Age UK Enterprises, said: "Our collaboration with Dignity has spanned a successful 25 years where we have provided customers with the peace of mind that their funeral planning is taken care of.

"Our customers tell us that paying for their funeral is a significant concern for them, both emotionally and financially. Age UK and Dignity have done more than any other organisation to help people of all ages understand the benefits of planning ahead with a funeral plan. The market has grown considerably as a result and we will remain at the leading edge of actively promoting the benefits of the Age UK Funeral Plan."

The Age UK Funeral Plan guarantees that the cremation funeral costs covered by the plan are met in full, meaning less worry and financial strain for all involved.

Any customers that buy an Age UK Funeral Plan before 30 March 2014 will get £25 off the price of any of our three Plans.

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For additional information please contact Rachel Finlay or Donna McGrory by emailing ageuk@teamspiritpr.com or calling 0207 360 7877

Notes to editors

* Calculation based on the total amount customers paid at the point of purchase for the 7,142 Age UK Funeral Plans which were used to arrange a funeral in 2012 compared to the price of the closest equivalent Age UK Funeral Plan that could have been purchased in 2012. The total saving was calculated as £7,248,153 equating to an average across the 7,142 plans of £1014.86.

** Funeral Planning Authority - http://www.funeralplanningauthority.com/statistics.html

Ref: MCNWSDPTSK

Age UK Guaranteed Funeral Plans

Age UK Enterprises work in association with Dignity Caring Funeral Services to provide Age UK Guaranteed Funeral Plans. Age UK's Funeral Plans are designed specifically for those in later life and offer flexible plans and payment methods to suit different requirements.

 Age UK Funeral Plans have the following benefits:

• Guaranteed to cover the cost of the cremation funeral services detailed in the plan.
• Guaranteed acceptance if you are over 50
• No medical or health questions asked
• Flexible payment methods
• Allows family and friends to add their own special tribute when the time comes.

Dignity plc is Britain's largest single provider of funeral related services and is one of the market leaders in the provision of pre-arranged funeral plans. Since 2009 Dignity have achieved 5th place or higher every year in the Top 50 Call Centres for Customer Service Awards and in 2012 and 2013 were awarded first place.

Dignity Pre Arrangement Limited ISO 9001:2008 accredited company status. For more information visit:  www.dignityfunerals.co.uk. 

Age UK

For media enquiries relating to Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland please contact the appropriate national office: Age Scotland on 0131 668 8055, Age Cymru on 029 2043 1562 and Age NI on 028 9024 5729.

Age UK is the new force combining Age Concern and Help the Aged, dedicated to improving later life.

We provide free information, advice and support to over five million people; commercial products and services to over one million customers; and research and campaign on the issues that matter to people in later life. Our work focuses on five key areas: money matters, health and well being, home and care, work and training and leisure and lifestyle. We work with our national partners, Age Scotland, Age Cymru and Age NI (together the Age UK Family), our local Age UK partners in England and local Age Concerns. We also work internationally for people in later life as a member of the DEC and with our sister charity Help Age International.

Age UK is a charitable company limited by guarantee and registered in England (registered charity number 1128267 and company number 6825798). Age Concern England and Help the Aged (both registered charities), and their trading and other associated companies merged on the 1st April 2009. Together they have formed the Age UK Group ("we").  Charitable services are offered through Age UK and commercial products are offered by the Charity's trading companies, which donate their net profits to Age UK (the Charity). 

Age UK Enterprises

To fund its charitable activities, Age UK needs a constant flow of independent income. It seeks to achieve this through a balance of traditional fund raising and trading activities.
 
The trading activities, through Age UK Enterprises enable it to meet the needs of older people, through products specifically designed to meet these needs; quality products such as general insurance and energy Services.  Age UK Enterprises is the commercial services arm of Age UK.

Age UK Enterprises includes: Age UK Energy, Age UK Insurance Services and Age UK Guaranteed Funeral Plans. Log on to www.ageuk.org.uk/products for details.

Age UK Enterprises is part of the Social Enterprise Coalition; an organisation that represents a wide range of social enterprises with the overarching aim of working in partnership for the creation of effective sector products, services and knowledge-sharing networks to help stimulate and encourage growth, development and sustainability of social enterprises in England.

Age UK Enterprises scooped up the ‘Customer Care Award' at the prestigious 2010 British Insurance Awards. The judges singled out Age UK Enterprises for its exceptional customer service which is provided by Ageas Insurance Ltd, as well as for glowing customer testimonials with a ‘world-class' customer satisfaction score of 85 per cent, and 89 per cent of customers saying that they would recommend Age UK Enterprises/Ageas (Insurance UK).

Age UK Enterprises Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority for insurance mediation (311438) and to introduce potential annuity customers. Age UK Enterprises Limited is registered in England and Wales No. 3156159, registered office: 7th Floor, One America Square, London, EC3N 2LB. Registered charity number 1128267. VAT Number: 710 3843 66. Age UK Enterprises Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of Age UK (registered charity No. 1128267 and registered company No. 06825798) and donates its net profits to Age UK.

Age UK England (charity number 261794) has merged with Help the Aged (charity number 272786), company number 6825798, registered charity number 1128267.