AI-powered compliance for your funeral home

Since 29 July 2022, any business that sells, markets, or arranges prepaid funeral plans in the UK must be authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority. Unauthorised plan sales constitute a criminal offence, and authorised firms must comply with FCA conduct rules including fair value assessments, complaints handling, and annual reporting.

The CMA Funerals Market Investigation Order 2021 requires funeral directors to publish a standardised price list for both attended and unattended funerals and a third party disbursement price list, displayed prominently in their premises and on their website, using a standardised format set by the CMA.

UK funeral directors are required to keep records of deceased persons in their care under the duty of care obligations arising from common law, Public Health legislation, and professional body codes, with FCA prepaid plan records subject to additional retention requirements, and CMA price transparency records subject to ongoing currency obligations.

The NAFD Code of Practice requires member funeral directors to maintain professional standards in the care of the deceased, client communications, pricing transparency, complaints handling, and staff training, with members subject to investigation and potential expulsion for verified breaches.

Under the CMA Funerals Market Investigation Order 2021, a funeral director's standardised price list must include the total price for an attended funeral and an unattended funeral, broken down across the mandatory line items prescribed by the CMA, displayed in the prescribed format, so that consumers can compare prices between funeral directors on a like for like basis.

To sell prepaid funeral plans compliantly in the UK, a funeral director must either hold FCA authorisation or act as an appointed representative of an FCA authorised funeral plan provider, ensure all plans meet the conduct requirements under the FCA regime, ring fence customer money, and provide compliant written contracts to every plan purchaser.