Jewish burial societies may not be affected by new regulation

New plans to regulate the pre-paid funeral sector and bring it under the remit of the Financial Conduct Authority may not affect Jewish burial societies.

If follows the launch of a Government consultation on reforms that would see the sale of funeral plans regulated in the same way as insurance products, with recourse to the Financial Ombudsman Service in the event of a dispute.

The Treasury’s consultation document on the regulation of pre-paid funeral plans, published this week, could have led to greater oversight of Jewish burial societies offering pre-paid funeral plans and funeral services.

However it said if a religious burial society “operates on a non-commercial and non-religious basis, reinvesting all surplus for future funerals, and does not have contracts with individual customers,” it would probably fall outside the scope.