Funeral poverty on the rise

Bereaved families face added costs as some fees treble

Bereaved families are facing a further rise in costs for funerals in the north and northeast – despite some fees having trebled to “astronomical” levels in recent years. Several local authorities have confirmed to The Press and Journal that they are preparing to raise the price of burials again as they struggle to balance the books.

The move is being contemplated despite rising concerns in recent years that soaring costs across Scotland are pushing many grieving families into poverty.

Moray Council confirmed it would be “increasing burial charges in line with the Scottish average” in its next budget, while Western Isles Council said that rises were “possible”.

Aberdeenshire Council is poised to complete a 25% increase in fees over two years, while a senior Highland councillor reported that charges could rise in line with inflation.

David Stewart, Labour MSP for the Highlands and Islands, expressed alarm last night.

“Funeral poverty is a very real issue, with costs rising generally across the board,” he said.

“However, burial charges are left to local authorities and across Moray, the Highlands and Islands and Argyll and Bute, costs can vary from around £500 to nearer £1,000 per burial and per cremation.

“This is a particularly difficult time for grieving families and having to worry about such costs adds to the anxiety and distress.”

A recent survey estimated that the average price of arranging a funeral in the UK has risen for 15 consecutive years and now stands at £4,271.

A large proportion of the overall bill comes from the cost of burying or cremating a loved one, with additional charges relating to memorials, death and funeral notices, flowers, order sheets, car hire, a venue and catering. Burial and crematorium costs in the Highland Council area were among the lowest in Scotland a few years ago, but are now among the highest after a series of rises.

The basic fee for a cremation at Inverness Crematorium has more than trebled in the past 20 years to £739, the second highest rate among Scotland’s local authorityrun crematoriums, and if the chapel at the Highland capital crematorium is used for a service, the price increases to £904.

Highland Council’s interment fees for cemeteries have also doubled since 2010/11 to £904.

However, Aberdeenshire is the most expensive area in northern Scotland when charges for a standard burial in a cemetery are combined with the cost of purchasing the lair.

The total cost for burial and grave purchase in Aberdeenshire is £1,651 – more than double the £726 charged in the Western Isles.

Moray is the second highest in the north, at £1,558, followed by £1,469 in Highland, £1,467 in Argyll and Bute, £1,427 in Aberdeen City, £1,158 on Orkney and £1,062.50 on Shetland.

Ruth Mendel, policy officer at Citizens Advice Scotland, said: “We are concerned that people continue to face a postcode lottery across Scotland when faced with saying goodbye to a loved one.”

Meanwhile, Aberdeenshire and Shetland are the only authorities in northern Scotland which alter their prices depending on whether the deceased was a local resident or not.

The cost of burial doubles in Aberdeenshire from £770 to £1,538 for those from outwith the area, while the cost of buying a lair increases from £881 to £1,540 for non-residents.

Peterhead-based funeral director Robert Mackie branded the charges “astronomical”.

“They are going up and up and up, and I think it’s scandalous,” he said.

“It means if I was in a nursing home in Westhill, I would pay a resident fee. But if I was in a nursing home in the city (Aberdeen) for a year, I would pay a non-resident fee.”

An Aberdeenshire Council spokeswoman said: “The purchase cost of lairs and interments is currently subsidised by the council and the infrastructure service committee approve the fees and charges for interments in Aberdeenshire.”

Asked about rising charges, a Moray Council spokesman said: “Burial prices in Moray remain lower than the Scottish average, however, due to budget constraints, in the next financial year we will be increasing burial charges in line with the Scottish average.”

A Western Isles Council spokesman said rises were “still to be decided, though it is possible”.

In 2016, Church of Scotland leaders accused Highland Council of “exploiting the grief ” of bereaved families when it increased burial charges by 50%, and cremation fees by 33%.

The local authority’s vice-convener Allan Henderson said councillors were keen to avoid further significant rises,

“We are concerned that people continue to face a postcode lottery across Scotland when faced with saying goodbye to a loved one”

but suggested they may continue to go up with inflation.

Meanwhile, the basic cost of a cremation in Aberdeen has more than doubled in the past two decades, while Moray’s privately-run crematorium has hit the headlines after a study named it as one of the most expensive in the UK, at £1,128 for a full service.

However, the owner of Moray’s crematorium, Dignity, said it offered a range of prices depending on the type of service, including £499 for a direct cremation, that its slot for services lasted longer than many other crematoria, and that prices had not risen since 2017.

The postcode lottery on funeral charges in the north and north-east emerged after the P&J revealed yesterday that dozens of local cemeteries were close to capacity.

Mike Rumbles, north-east Liberal Democrat MSP, said it seemed to be “getting more difficult and more expensive for families to hold what might be thought of as a traditional funeral in a cemetery of their choosing”.