Council is spending more money on pauper’s funerals

DunDee: Cost has quadrupled in the last three years

The amount of money Dundee City Council has had to pay out for so-called ‘pauper’s funerals’ has quadrupled in the last three years.

The local authority paid £7,604 for the funerals in 2015/16, an extra £5,762 compared to three years ago, when the cost was just £1,842.78.

Councils are required to cover the costs of these basic services, officially named public health funerals, when a deceased person’s estate does not meet the cost.

Despite the council seeing a significant increase in these costs, it has one of the cheapest prices for a public health burial at just £495 compared to the Scottish local authority average of £1,373.31.

It comes after a Citizen’s Advice report showed Dundee City Council has buried more people in unmarked shared graves than any other Scottish council since 2011, with 76 in total.

It was also recently revealed that Dundee has the highest price of private cremations in Scotland, currently standing at £934, and Stewart Wilson, CEO of Cruse Bereavement, said many families were finding the cost unaffordable, thus turning to public health funerals or ending up in debt.

“Costs are becoming more difficult for many people for sure,” he said.

“Undoubtedly people are left with a feeling of guilt if they cannot give their loved ones a decent service and people also get themselves in a lot of debt trying to do so.”

Richard Meade, Marie Curie’s head of policy & public affairs in Scotland, said that many people have no choice but to resort to a public health funeral, for which they have no control over the time, date and nature.

He said: “Fees vary massively across Scotland with some people paying as much as four times the amount others are paying.

“The pressure on families is making it increasingly difficult for some to afford funerals for their loved ones.”

Mr Meade added that he believes the Funeral Payment Benefit – available to those on low-incomes – should be raised to cover the cost of a basic funeral in Scotland when it is devolved to the Scottish Government.

Keith Dryburgh, policy manager at Citizens Advice Scotland added: “Anyone who is struggling to pay for a funeral or worried about how they can afford it can get free advice from their local CAB.”

Dundee City Council was approached for comment.

The pressure on families is making it increasingly difficult for some to afford funerals for their loved ones. RICHARD MEADE MARIE CURIE