MSPs urge UK Government to help vulnerable Scots who lost thousands in pre-paid funeral plans

dailyrecord.co.uk:

MSPs have called on the UK Government to provide a support fund for vulnerable Scots left out of pocket after funeral planning company Safe Hands collapsed.

Thousands of customers who spent years paying off expensive policies with the funeral providers are expected to get just 20 percent of their costs back after the company went bust in March.Karen Boyle, 60, from Coatbridge, took out a policy with Safe Hands, along with her sister Elizabeth, 62, after their sister's suicide."I've lost around £2,100 and Elizabeth has lost a little bit more," she said. "I took out the plan after our sister died five years ago."My family were left with huge bills out of nowhere and I never want that to happen again.

My daughter has six kids so I do not want to leave her with the cost of a funeral."I saw Safe Hands advertised on TV so I took out a policy and so did my sister."It feels like I've been scammed.

I paid all that money and I'm not going to get it back."We're going to have to start from scratch and save up again."Ruth Lyons, 80, from Coatbridge, spent £3500 on a pre-paid plan after a cold caller came to her door and sold her a policy eight years ago.