Dignity Memorial Funeral Benefit

Providing Peace of Mind for Members & Retirees

Did you know that six (6) of life’s most stressful events include death of a spouse, divorce, death of a family member, personal injury or illness, marriage, and loss of a job? Imagine what would happen if you suddenly lost a loved one. Are you prepared? Who will you call? What will you do to get through that difficult time in your life? Planning a funeral can often be an overwhelming task for family members. There are hundreds of decisions to be made and arrangements to confirm. Regardless of whether a death is expected or unexpected, emotional struggles and feelings of disbelief can cloud thinking, making the task of planning a funeral difficult.

Dignity Memorial® has a team of caring funeral professionals who provide helpful advice and can answer all your questions with just a simple phone call. Dignity Memorial’s primary mission is to provide the education and guidance you need before, during, and after a time of loss. What to do immediately when someone dies. What to do before meeting with a funeral planner. What to do after the funeral. Things to think about when planning a funeral after COVID-19. A checklist of items you will need to have with you when you meet with a funeral professional. Dignity Memorial’s goal is to help you prepare so you and your family don’t feel overwhelmed when the time comes to celebrate the life of a loved one—regardless of which funeral home you decide to use for a loved one’s funeral, cremation, or memorial service. Dignity Memorial also offers PEF members and retiree members additional benefits if using their funeral homes and cemeteries to plan for a funeral, cremation, or memorial service.

Special discounts and support services:

  • Discounts available both at-need and pre-need
  • 10% savings on all funeral or cremation products and services selected at Dignity Memorial affiliated funeral homes¹
  • 10% savings on cemetery interment rights, products, and services through Dignity Memorial affiliated cemeteries²
  • National Transferability on prearranged services within the Dignity Memorial network³
  • Thirteen (13) months of unlimited telephone grief support through the Compassion Helpline®
  • Bereavement travel services for family and friends
  • Family Protection Plan4
  • A robust library of educational materials regarding end-of-life issues

National Transferability

When you have a plan with a Dignity Memorial provider and move more than 75 miles away, your prearranged funeral services are fully transferable and will be honored by any of the nearly 2,000 Dignity Memorial providers in North America.

The Compassion Helpline®

The Compassion Helpline® offers families unlimited complimentary phone access to professional grief counselors for thirteen (13) months after services are provided by any Dignity Memorial provider throughout North American. In addition, anyone who attends a visitation, chapel, or memorial service will have three (3) months access to the Compassion Helpline®.

Bereavement travel assistance

The Dignity Memorial network allows them to partner with global experts who will assist you and your family with time-sensitive travel arrangements. The benefit is clear: providing the best available options so that you can be with those who mean so much when it matters most.

Family Protection Plan4

Should you pass away before your purchased cemetery property is paid for, to help relieve your family’s financial burden, our Family Protection Plan assists with the remaining balance due to the cemetery.

100% Dignity guarantee

The Dignity Memorial network is the only family of funeral homes and cemeteries that measures the voice of every customer through their customer satisfaction program, administered by J.D. Power and Associates. Dignity Memorial is fully committed to service beyond expectation and if there is anything they can do to better serve you before, during, or after the service, you simply need to let them know and they will act on it immediately.

Who is Eligible for the Benefit?

The Dignity Memorial Funeral Benefit is available to all PEF members and retiree members. There is no need to register—simply provide proof of your union affiliation by showing your PEF Membership Identification Card or PEF Retiree Identification Card. The benefit extends to your spouse or domestic partner, your children (natural, adopted, or stepchildren), your parents or the parents of your spouse or domestic partner, and your grandparents and great-grandparents as well as those of your spouse or domestic partner.

Why Plan Ahead?

In life we tend to plan for many important events—vacations, college, weddings, having a family, buying a home—so it makes sense to plan for the inevitable as well. Making funeral and cemetery arrangements now, before the time of need can help to spare your loved ones from guessing what you would have wanted. You can also protect your family from unnecessary financial stress, and if for yourself, you can ensure that your wishes are followed.

Key reasons to plan in advance

Take advantage of the Dignity Memorial funeral benefit today

To learn more about this benefit, or to speak with a representative to learn how you can assist aging family members in making their final arrangements, plan your own service in advance, or respond to an unexpected death:

  • All regions excluding region 8, call (844) 811-5451
  • Capital District, region 8 members can call (800) 516-3595 to reach Scott & Barbieri Family of Funeral Homes with 7 funeral homes in the region 8 area, or visit Scott & Barbieri online.
  • Region 2 members can call (607) 739-2035 to reach Kevin Sullivan, Sullivan Funeral Home, 365 E. Franklin Street, Horseheads, NY 14845.
  • Or, feel free to contact Thomas Murphy, with Dignity Memorial. Thomas is available to answer any general or very personal questions you may have regarding this very sensitive and emotional planning process.
    Thomas W. Murphy, CFSP, Advanced Planning Manager, Licensed Funeral Director
    Email Thomas Murphy
    Call Cell Phone at: (516) 225-0842
Visit Dignity Memorial online Find your nearest Dignity Memorial provider Dignity Memorial Planning Guide Dignity Memorial Veterans Planning Guide Dignity Brochure

About Dignity Memorial®

Dignity Memorial is North America’s most trusted brand for funeral, cremation, and cemetery services, serving more than 2,000 locations across 8 Canadian provinces, and 45 U.S. states and Puerto Rico. Each year, Dignity Memorial helps more than 450,000 families create a unique life celebration for their loved ones, they assist families through the most difficult times, and they help families to prepare in advance for the inevitable. As a premier brand of Service Corporation International, the Dignity Memorial network is the name families turn to for compassionate and professional arrangements.

Footnotes, Additional Details & Disclaimers

¹Where available by law. 10% savings is not available in all states nor does it apply to cash advance items. On already discounted Dignity Memorial plans, members are entitled to the greater of the two discounts. Discounts not available in Kentucky and on pre-need contracts in Tennessee. ²Cemetery benefit is not available in all states. ³Certain restrictions apply. 4Family Protection Plan only applies to cemeteries that Dignity Memorial owns in other parts of the country. Dignity Memorial does not own cemeteries in New York State.