Funeral fees will be waived for under 18s
No charging policy extended
Councillors agreed plans to remove burial and cremation charges for young people up to 18 at a meeting last week.
At the moment, there are no charges for child burial or cremations for under-16s.
However, South Lanarkshire councillors last week extended the policy.
They also agreed that a respectful funeral package be developed and submitted to a future meeting of the committee for approval.
The scheme would take the form of local funeral directors providing an affordable basic package that covers the minimum requirements at an agreed price whilst maintaining the key component that the bereavement process is carried out in a dignified and respectful manner.
The committee went on to described the authority’s current policy.
The Community and Enterprise Resources Committee stated: “The council’s bereavement services currently do not charge for child burial or cremations for under16s (0 to 15 years) and have not charged since 2008.
“The service does, however, charge for the purchase of a new lair when this is required as this would normally be used for a further two burials and a number of internment of cremated remains (ashes) and it is not proposed to amend this arrangement at this time. There are also already arrangements in place for pregnancy loss with Lanarkshire Health Board, where cremations are already provided to parents at no charge.”
And the report goes on: “It is considered appropriate to propose that South Lanarkshire Council adjust the current age restrictions on charges for child burial internments and cremation and extend them to cover children aged 18 and under from September 1, 2018.”
Councillors were told that the Scottish Government has indicated an intention to provide financial support to local authorities. It is likely this funding will be based on actual and forecast numbers of child deaths and the costs of burials and cremations.
The report that went before the committee adds: “South Lanarkshire’s allocation has still to be confirmed but given the number of deaths within the extended age group, there are no significant financial implications associated with this proposal.”
At the meeting, councillors agreed to implement the changes with regard to the removal of fees for burial and cremation for children from October 12, 2018.