Avalon named ‘Best Funeral Plan Provider’ at finance awards

Avalon Funeral Plans has been named ‘Best Funeral Plan Provider’ at the 2020/21 Personal Finance Awards for the second year running. The win follows a “challenging” year for the funeral industry, as it dealt with the impact of the pandemic. The award was voted for by thousands of consumers based on their “experience of outstanding products” or customer service in the industry. With 26 years’ experience providing funeral plans to more than 85,000 customers across the UK and Europe, Avalon has received over 2,500 satisfied customer ratings of ‘excellent’ on Trustpilot, and is five-star rated on Defaqto for its premium plan. The company said it works with a network of 1,800 local and independent funeral directors, providing funeral plans which help customers “beat rising funeral costs” and “choose how they want to be remembered”. Susan Stevensons, CEO for Avalon, said: “We are so proud to have won this award in a year when our colleagues and funeral director partners have faced the unique challenge of maintaining a high standard of exceptional care for our customers and their families amidst a global pandemic. “We have supported thousands of bereaved families throughout 2020 with the same level of care and compassion that has come to be expected of us and I want to thank our Funeral Director partners for their commitment this year.” She added: “The fact that we’ve been recognised for our efforts - particularly by such a widely renowned awarding body as the Personal Finance Awards - against the backdrop of an unprecedented year for the industry, really means the world to us. “Our Avalon Promise reassures customers that if they pass away before their plan is fully paid, Avalon can cover the cost of the services included in their funeral plan - we are the only plan provider that works with local, independent funeral directors to offer this. For extra peace of mind for families when they need it most, our additional services such as doctors’ fees; embalming and unlimited conveyance, are also included as standard in our plans.”