What happened to the Company?
Andrew Watling and Kelly Mitchell were appointed as Joint Administrators of the Company on 2 November 2022.
Is my plan still in place?
Unfortunately, we are no longer providing funerals to those that need them.
The Company ceased providing funerals on 30th June 2023.
If bereavements have been reported prior to 30 June 2023 and the funeral has not yet taken place, and any bereavements before that date, but not yet notified to us will still be honoured and paid for by the Company.
The Company will not provide a funeral in relation to any bereavements after 30 June 2023. Therefore, you will have to make your own alternative arrangements with another funeral provider.
Please contact us using the email address below for further details.
Is someone else taking over my plan? / Was my plan transferred?
Unfortunately, it was not possible to achieve a sale or transfer of the Company’s funeral plans with plan holders to an FCA authorised funeral plan provider. We also attempted to secure agreement with an FCA authorised funeral plan provider to offer the Company’s plan holders new funeral plans which credit plan holders for the amounts they had already paid to the Company, or to offer plan holders a new, discounted funeral plan. Unfortunately, those discussions were not successfully concluded in the limited time available, given the limited funds available to continue to trade.
How do I claim back my direct debit instalments paid since the Company entered administration on 2 November 2022?
We have arranged for all plan holders’ direct debits to be cancelled from 30 June 2023 and as previously advised, we will process refunds of all direct debit payments received from plan holders since 2 November 2022. This was actioned on 30 June 2023 and may take 7-10 days to appear in plan holders’ bank accounts.
How do I claim back my direct debit instalments paid before the Company entered administration on 2 November 2022?
You may only request a chargeback from your bank under the Direct Debit Guarantee if a payment is taken in error, for instance, if a payment is taken on the incorrect date, for the wrong amount, or if you have not been notified of the payment.
Unfortunately, the Direct Debit Guarantee cannot be used in circumstances whereby no service has been provided due to a company ceasing to trade.
Will I get back money that I paid prior to the administration of the Company?
The Administrators understand that monies paid by plan holders prior to the Administration (being 2 November 2022) were paid into the One Life Trust (the “Trust”) and were drawn down by One Life Funeral Planning Ltd to meet its operating costs and provide funerals for its plan holders.
Since Administration, the funds have continued to be used for this purpose, while the Administrators attempted to achieve a solution for plan holders and communicate with plan holders.
After deduction of those costs, there are no funds available in the Trust to pay a refund in relation to amounts paid by plan holders prior to 2 November 2022.
Payments made since the Administration have been ringfenced and are in the process of being refunded without deduction.
Can I get my money back from my card provider?
As previously noted, if you have paid all or part of your plan by credit or debit card, you may be eligible to claim a repayment from your card provider. You should contact your card provider to find out if you are eligible for a refund. If you do receive a refund, we ask you to notify the Company that the refund has been received so the Company’s records can be updated.
Where can I find out more about my rights to a refund?
You may find some useful information through the link below:
Are the payments I previously made protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme?
The Company is not FCA authorised, and therefore your payments are not protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme and plan holders are unable to refer a complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service.
Had your plan been transferred to an FCA authorised provider, then those plans would have become covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.
When will the Administration end?
The Administration is currently due to end automatically on 1 November 2023 as this will be 12 months from the date of the appointment of the Administrators. This period can be extended with consent of the creditors for up to 12 months or longer by application to the court.
However, it is unlikely that the Administration will need to continue for much longer and the formalities of closing the Administration will commence as soon as possible.
How do I contact the Administrators?
The Administrators set up a dedicated UK-based customer service team to assist plan holders with their queries, but this service will be withdrawn on 31 July 2023, in order to save costs.
The customer service team is available to be contacted by freephone on 0808 178 3018 (office hours 9am to 5pm)
We also have a dedicated email onelifefuneralplanning@quantuma.com if you prefer to contact us in writing, or to send any documents. This email will be constantly monitored and your emails will be responded to promptly.
Contact points:
Email: onelifefuneralplanning@quantuma.com
Telephone: 0808 178 3018
Post: One Life Funeral Planning Ltd (In Administration)
c/o Quantuma Advisory Ltd
Office D
Beresford House
Town Quay
Southampton
SO14 2AQ
Can I receive any financial help with my funeral costs?
Please follow the below link for more information with regards to government assistance and to find out if you are eligible to receive financial help with funeral costs and expenses:
https://www.gov.uk/funeral-payments
The affairs, business and assets of the Company are being managed by the Joint Administrators, Andrew Watling and Kelly Mitchell, who act as agents of the Company without personal liability. Andrew Watling and Kelly Mitchell are licensed as insolvency practitioners in the United Kingdom by the ICAEW.
