Porteous Family Funeral Directors MD Mark Porteous says that he no longer feels in control of the pre-paid funeral plans he sells
Funeral planning used to be an extension of what we do best – guiding families, understanding local needs, and delivering exactly what was asked for. Today, that control has shifted and regulation is a big part of why.
Since Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) regulation came into force, many independent funeral directors have had to step back from providing funeral plans directly. Some have become ‘introducers’, referring families to authorised plan providers who take over the sale, administration, and often interpretation of the plan.
This wasn’t necessarily a choice. The regulatory burden, capital requirements, and compliance obligations made it unviable for many independents to operate their own plans. So they adapted.
But even where independents remain closely involved, the process itself has changed and often feels more like sitting with a bank manager than speaking to your local funeral director. There are scripts, disclosures, layered permissions and important safeguards, but they can feel out of place in what should be a personal, human conversation.
Families notice. They can become confused, frustrated, wondering why something straightforward suddenly feels procedural and that has consequences. Decisions once handled locally are now filtered through plan providers, processes, and call centres. The blunt reality is a call handler – no matter how well trained – doesn’t know your community. They don’t know the difference between a request that sounds simple and one that carries deep local or cultural meaning. Independent funeral directors do. That’s our value.
Yet we increasingly find ourselves delivering plans we didn’t fully shape for families we didn’t fully guide at the point of purchase. That’s not progress, it’s disconnection.
Plans sold five, ten or 15 years ago are maturing into a very different cost environment. Inflation hasn’t stood still, but the plan returns haven’t kept pace resulting in squeezed margins.
At the same time, the rise of direct cremation has shifted pricing expectations. Families are more price-aware than ever, and independents are balancing lower-fee services with plan values that may no longer reflect the true cost of delivery. Add on-going admin fees and layers of oversight, and you see what many of us are feeling: a perfect storm.
We’re working harder, with less flexibility with less return. I never thought I’d ask if I should continue offering prepaid plans at all? And what’s the alternative?
There are other ways families can set money aside. Solicitors and financial advisers could offer more flexible, transparent options and some families may benefit more from structured savings or trust-based approaches, rather than a fixed plan that may not adapt over time.
This isn’t about dismissing prepaid plans – they still offer reassurance and simplicity for many – but are they always the best option or simply the most familiar? If it doesn’t work for funeral directors, it’ll eventually stop working for families.
Independents have absorbed a decade of pressure, regulation in Scotland, pricing scrutiny, and changing consumer behaviour. Now we risk losing both control and sustainability. If we don’t act, more independents will quietly step away from funeral plan sales.
The real question is: do we accept the system or come together to challenge it, reshape and take back responsibility for how we help families plan? If we don’t, someone else will decide what that looks like for us.