Funeral consumer standards review launches second consultation

The Funeral Service Consumer Standards Review has launched the second stage of its two-part consultation, focusing on proposals to improve transparency and standards within the funeral sector.

According to the independently-chaired, industry-led project, funeral consumers are not always equipped with the knowledge they need to obtain the funeral services they require at a fair price.

This means that they can be quite reliant on information immediately available to them at the time of need, which is often during the emotional stress of a recent bereavement.

This second stage of the consultation focuses on improving transparency of information within the funeral sector, and considers ways in which funeral directing businesses could present information in order to improve outcomes for consumers.

Amongst other things, the document seeks views on whether consumers would benefit from funeral directors making certain key information available online.

The proposals in the document were shaped by a cross-sector working group, which met across 2019 and included not only funeral professionals, but experts from consumer advocacy and other stakeholders too.

Lewis Shand Smith, Chair of the FSCSR, urged funeral firms to help shape the final Code of Practice by participating in the consultation.

“We want to hear everyone’s opinion.” he said. “We are committed to ensuring consumers can more easily compare the services and prices of different funeral directors, and feel confident that, no matter which funeral director they eventually choose, they will receive a good standard of service and care for their loved one.”

The deadline for responding to the consultation is midnight on 20 March 2020, giving the FSCSR Stakeholder Reference Group and other interested stakeholders just over a month to participate. Please click here to participate.