Burial, cremation and alkaline hydrolysis costs

When someone dies, you'll have to pay burial, cremation or alkaline hydrolysis costs as part of their funeral.

You can apply to Social Security Scotland for Funeral Support Payment to help with burial, cremation or alkaline hydrolysis costs.

Help towards burial and cremation costs in Scottish council areas

The tables show how much help Social Security Scotland can give you in different Scottish council areas for a:

  • burial and plot
  • burial only
  • cremation

This help is for adults aged 18 or over. In Scotland, it usually does not cost anything to bury or cremate a stillborn baby, a baby, child or young person.

Find out how much help you can get for funerals held:

On or after 1 April 2025

 

Local council help towards burial and cremation costs

Local council

Burial and plot

Burial only

Cremation

Aberdeen City

£2224

£1012

£830

Aberdeenshire

£2503

£1167

£880

Angus

£1722.65

£830.25

£1320

Argyll and Bute

£2291

£1052

£1034

Clackmannanshire

£2144.19

£1055.05

£1166.10

Dumfries and Galloway

£1695

£1019.6

£999

Dundee City

£2,333

£687.50

£1,250

East Ayrshire

£2136.5

£1114.5

£1080

East Dunbartonshire

£2,409

£1,088

£1095

East Lothian

£2160.91

£1047.38

£947

East Renfrewshire

£1330

£1330

£985

Edinburgh City

£3127

£1670

£947

Falkirk

£2494

£1175.5

£1,166.10

Fife

£1878

£922

£970

Glasgow City

£2690

£1148

£866

Highland

£1,661

£1,003

£1,003

Inverclyde

£2455.6

£1182.05

£925

Midlothian

£2351

£1094

£947

Moray

£2,347

£1,228

£1,260

North Ayrshire

£1926

£932

£1295

North Lanarkshire

£2361.35

£1459.5

£1095

Orkney Islands

£1955

£1003

£1,003

Perth and Kinross

£2125

£1085

£905

Renfrewshire

£2108.6

£1006.6

£985

Scottish Borders

£2530.6

£1040

£1125

Shetland Islands

£1568.9

£756.7

£1003

South Ayrshire

£2082

£1041

£1080

South Lanarkshire

£2571.83

£1113.88

£942.51

Stirling

£2046

£1408

£1200

West Dunbartonshire

£2405

£1044

£993

Western Isles

£1250

£550

£1,003

West Lothian

£2228.8

£1088.45

£1225

 

Costs for someone who lived in England, Wales or Northern Ireland

You can get help if you live in Scotland and need to pay the burial, cremation or alkaline hydrolysis costs for someone who lived in:

  • England
  • Wales
  • Northern Ireland

You can apply to Social Security Scotland for help. 

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