Incentivised Funeral Savings Scheme pilot: qualitative research - full report

Appendix B: Topic Guide

Introduction

Introduction by interviewer to participant and an explanation of MRS Code of Conduct.

Explanation of rules of engagement of discussion: take part; not a test; no right or wrong answers; relax!

This research is being conducted on behalf of the Scottish Government The aim of this research is to understand better how people approach to saving for funerals.

Warm up (5 minutes)

Name?

Where they live?

What is your general approach to planning for the future?

(p) The future will take care of itself

(p) Like to have every eventuality covered

(p) Take some care about planning but not obsessed

Give me an example of things you have planned/prepared for the future?

Attitudes towards saving (5 minutes)

Given the choice, what would you save for?

(p) Why?

Why wouldn’t you save even if you had funds available?

(p) Why?

Preparedness for funeral (10 minutes)

Have you ever given thought to your own funeral?

(p) If not, why not?

What are the key things you have taken into consideration?

(p) Not just the music

Have you ever given thought to the cost of a funeral?

What do you imagine to be the cost of an average funeral?

What if I told you the average cost of a funeral in Scotland is £4,000. This doesn’t include additional items like flowers, wake, etc., which are estimated to add another £2,000 to the total cost?

(p) More/less than you thought?

(p) Are you surprised?

With this in mind what might the benefits be of saving for your own funeral in advance?

(p) Why/why not?

What do you imagine to be the disadvantages of doing nothing/not saving?

What might prompt or persuade you to create a fund specifically for your funeral?

Response to proposition (25 minutes)

I would like to share some ideas about an incentivised saving scheme that the government is considering to help people meet funeral costs.

Show core proposition:

• This would be a savings scheme designed to help people with funeral costs
• The idea behind it is to encourage people to save for their funeral and support them in doing so
• Scottish Government will contribute to the savings that account holders make, up to a specified amount

What are your initial thoughts on this?

(p) Is it clear what this is?

(p) Are there any elements that you don’t understand?

How appealing is this idea to you?

How could this be of benefit to you?

Who would it appeal to?

Show key features:

• The account holder’s contribution may or may not be accessinle and may be withdrawn
• Scottish Government contribution may only be used for the purpose of their funeral
• It would be run through Credit Unions

What are your reactions to the key features?

(p) Is it clear what this is?

(p) Are there any elements that you don’t understand?

How would you feel if the funds could not be withdrawn by the account holder?

(P) advantages/disadvantages

Show eligibility

• Be aged over 40 years old
• Have no existing financial provision for a funeral (funeral plan or over 50s insurance)
• Be resident in Scotland

What are your reactions to eligibility?

(p) Who else should be eligible?

(p) Who should be excluded, if anyone?

Interviewer note as with current funeral expense assistance all funds or financial products that could deliver a lump sum would be taken into account when means testing.

Would any of you take this up based on what you have heard so far?

(p) Who would and why?

(p) Who wouldn’t and why?

What else do you want to know about this?

Scottish Government contribution (10 minutes)

What would be the maximum amount, in terms of actual money, that you would expect the government to contribute to each individual?

(p) Why do you say that?

What is the amount you would want the government to contribute for you to take part in his scheme?

(p) Why do you say that?

What if I said the government would contribute up to £120 in total?

(p) Levels of interest/resistance?

What if I said the government would contribute up to £250 in total?

(p) Levels of interest/resistance?

What if I said the government would contribute up to £400 in total?

(p) Levels of interest/resistance?

I’m also interested to know what proportion of savings the government should support; for example 50% or 100%.If it were 50% for every £100 you saved the government would give you £50

(p) What are your feelings about that?

(p) How attractive is that to you?

What if it were 100% for every £100 you saved the government would give you £100

(p) What are your feelings about that?

(p) How attractive is that to you?

How often should the government make a contribution?

(p) At the same time you do?

(p) Monthly basis?

(p) Quarterly basis?

(p) Every six months?

(p) Annually?

Why do you say that?

Should the government give a lower proportion of overall savings to more people or a higher proportion to fewer? Which approach would work best?

(p) Why do you say that?

If a larger amount of money spread over smaller number of people; what should the eligibility criteria be?

Attitudes towards Credit Unions (10 minutes)

What do you know about credit unions?

(p) Where did you get this information?

Have you heard of any of these credit unions?

(p) [Insert local credit unions here]

What do you know about them?

(p) Positive?

(p) Negative?

Would you know how to contact your local credit union?

Who has had dealings with a credit union?

(p) What were the dealings?

(p) When were the dealings?

(p) Name of credit unions?

What do you like about credit unions?

What do you dislike?

Would you trust a credit union?

(p) Why/why not?

Would you prefer other financial providers to deliver a scheme like this?

(P) Who, e.g. Bank, Building Society, or Post Office?

Accessing and managing the account (5 minutes)

What would be the best way to make you aware of a scheme like this?

(p) Channels

What do you think would be the best way to access this account?

(p) Online

(p) At branch

(p) Telephone

What are the benefits and draw backs of accessing the account in these ways?

(p) Online

(p) At branch

(p) Telephone

How do you currently access your bank accounts?

Post group paired interview (20 minutes)

Do you save on a regular basis?

How do you save, i.e. formal savings account, extra money in current account, etc.?

Do you take part in any saving schemes at the moment?

(p) What for?

(p) Who with?

How prepared are you to meet the costs of your funeral?

(p) In what ways have you prepared?

(p) What prompted you to do so?

Are you currently setting aside money for your funeral specifically?

(p) Why/why not?

Do you think you would be eligible for this savings scheme?

Would you be likely to take up the scheme we have been discussing?

(p) If yes, why?

(p) If no, why not?

How would it benefit you?

How often would you be prepared to make a deposit?

(p) Weekly?

(p) Monthly?

(p) Any other frequency?

How much would you be prepared to save each month on average?

Would you commit to an account via standing order?

What, if anything, worries you about the scheme we have been discussing?

Summary (5 minutes)

Of all the things we have chatted about tonight, what has been of most interest?

Has anything we have discussed made you think differently about planning for your funeral?

(p) What and why?

What, if anything, would you like more information about?

Now we have had time to really consider this can I ask you again, what might motivate you to create a fund specifically for your funeral?

Any other comments?

Thank you and close

How to access background or source data

The data collected for this social research publication:

☐ are available in more detail through Scottish Neighbourhood Statistics

☐ are available via an alternative route

☒ may be made available on request, subject to consideration of legal and ethical factors. Please contact socialresearch@gov.scot for further information.

☐ cannot be made available by Scottish Government for further analysis as Scottish Government is not the data controller.