Council looking to scrap burial fees for children aged under 18

Perth and Kinross Council members expected to vote to end controversial charges

Perth and Kinross Council is preparing to scrap burial fees for children under 18.

The bold move comes as local authorities across Scotland face mounting pressure to end controversial bereavement costs, after Prime Minister Theresa May announced the practice would stop across England.

Perth and Kinross is one of nine councils which still charges grieving families for the burials and cremations of younger loved ones.

At the moment, the local cost for a child between the ages of two and 15 can be up to £144, rising to £918 for people 16 and over.

If approved, council bosses in Perth will be among the first in the country to waive fees for youngsters under the age of 18.

Dundee is the most expensive, with the burial of a child between the ages of two and 11 costing up to £408, with the price rising to £827 for children over the age of 12.

In Angus, there is no charge for under-15s and no immediate plans for any changes.

Fife doesn’t charge for the burial or cremation of anyone under 16.

The proposal is expected to be rubber-stamped by councillors tomorrow.

A council spokeswoman said: “The move is intended to support families at a difficult time in their lives and will be implemented immediately if the

The council is committed to treating all families who need to use our bereavement services with dignity and compassion

environment and infrastructure committee gives its go ahead.”

Committee convener Angus Forbes said: “The council is committed to treating all families who need to use our bereavement services with dignity and compassion.

“While thankfully only a small number of the funerals the team supports each year are for people under the age of 18, this proposal demonstrates our sympathy for families who have to deal with this difficult situation.”

The move has been welcomed by Tory MSP for Mid-Scotland and Fife, Alexander Stewart.

He said: “No family going through such a traumatic experience should have to worry about funeral costs for their youngsters and this is why I have regularly called for all councils across Scotland who aren’t doing so at the moment, to observe and follow the lead of the prime minister’s intervention to scrap burial fees in England for parents who have suffered the unimaginable loss of a child.”

The prime minister’s announcement in April followed a campaign by Carolyn Harris, the Labour MP for Swansea East, who was forced to take out a £700 loan and get donations from neighbours after her son Martin was killed in a road accident in 1998.

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said a “new funeral expense” plan will be introduced next year.

“We have engaged with local authorities, the funeral sector and other services to find ways to provide more affordable funerals and we will continue to support innovative measures to address the costs,” she added.

“We note this announcement from the UK Government.

“We are already actively considering ways to further support families in Scotland suffering the bereavement of a child.”

Councillor Angus Forbes.