Adults usually find it difficult to have conversations about death.
They feel they do not have the skills to articulate it.
According to the poll of more than 30,000 adults, a third of Britons admit they are uncomfortable talking about death.
And a refusal to talk about it regularly leads to a failure to plan ahead, the report warns.
More than 80 per cent have not yet saved anything towards a funeral – despite the typical cost being £4,000.
Just 27 per cent have written a will and only five per cent have nominated a lasting power of attorney or have a funeral plan.
For the bereaved, the period immediately after a death (52 per cent) or during the funeral (46 per cent) were among the most difficult times.
Robert MacLachlan, of Co-op Funeralcare and Life Planning – which is working with charities to raise awareness of the importance of discussing death – said: “A failure to properly deal with death has a knock-on impact for the bereaved.”