Funeral plan provider Safe Hands has collapsed, putting the arrangements of more than 45,000 customers in doubt.
The Wakefield-based company had already signalled that it would stop its operations but the fall into insolvency means pre-booked funerals may not be honoured.
The company has hired administrators from FRP Advisory to oversee the insolvency process. Administrators said the business is "unsustainable in its current form" after a "period of severe financial challenge".