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Paying for a funeral

Funeral costs can include:

  • funeral director fees
  • things the funeral director pays for on your behalf, like crematorium or cemetery fees, or a newspaper announcement about the death
  • local council burial or cremation fees

How to pay for a funeral

The funeral can be paid for:

  • from a financial scheme the person had, like a pre-paid funeral plan or insurance policy
  • by you, or other family members or friends
  • with money from the person's estate, such as savings they had

Check if there is a pre-paid funeral plan, life insurance or savings to cover the costs of the funeral. This can include whether a burial plot has already been paid for in a churchyard or cemetery. You could look for papers at home or discuss with other relatives who might know.

Help with funeral costs

You can apply for a Funeral Support Payment to help towards funeral costs.

Find more information on who can apply apply for Funeral Support Payment.

If you do not qualify for a Funeral Support Payment

There are other bereavement benefits available to help you cope with money after a death.

Citizens Advice Scotland can offer help and advice if you have money worries or questions about benefits. You can:

Burials and cremation fees for children's funerals

Local councils do not charge a burial or cremation fee when a child has died. From 1 April 2021 this applies for all children under 18 years old, including babies where they've been stillborn.

Contact your local council for more information.

Aberdeen City Council Aberdeenshire Council Angus Council Argyll and Bute Council Clackmannanshire Council Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles Council) Dumfries & Galloway Council Dundee City Council East Ayrshire Council East Dunbartonshire Council East Lothian Council East Renfrewshire Council Edinburgh Council Falkirk Council Fife Council Glasgow City Council Highland Council Inverclyde Council Midlothian Council Moray Council North Ayrshire Council North Lanarkshire Council Orkney Islands Council Perth & Kinross Council Renfrewshire Council Scottish Borders Council South Ayrshire Council South Lanarkshire Council Shetland Council Stirling Council West Dunbartonshire Council West Lothian Council
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