Jennifer Ashe and Son to honour Safe Hands plans after collapse
The collapse has left almost 50,000 customers across the country with a prepaid funeral plan out of pocket and seeking alternative funeral arrangements
Jennifer Ashe and Son has offered to honour families and individuals who bought Safe Hands plans through its own funeral homes, after the prepaid funeral provider went into administration last year.
John Ashe, the managing director of the Midlands-based family business that operates five funeral homes across the region, said most of Safe Hands’ customers will have lost thousands of pounds after the company.
Jennifer Ashe and Son has also opened its doors to support Safe Hands customers who had purchased one of its plans through another funeral director.
John Ashe said: “Safe Hands had 46,000 customers when it went bust, which effectively left hundreds of thousands of pounds’ worth of funeral plans in the balance. Very early on, we decided to help those Safe Hands customers with their funeral arrangements.
“Our commitment to them was that they would receive several of our services for no additional cost. The same sentiment covers those customers that took our Safe Hands plans with other funeral directors – we have honoured their existing funeral plans, with only certain services, such as the purchase of a coffin, provision limousines and third-party costs such as a church, crematorium or clergy requiring an extra charge.”
He added: “These customers now have their funeral plan arrangements in order and it is one less thing they have to worry about, which is ultimately what we were hoping to achieve.”
While Jennifer Ashe and Son have helped hundreds of customers in and around Willenhall find a solution, there are still thought to be thousands of former Safe Hands customers that are yet to have rearranged their funeral plans.
John Ashe encourages any former Safe Hands customers who haven’t addressed their funeral arrangements after the collapse of the funeral service to get in touch with Jennifer Ashe “as soon as possible”.
