Inverness funeral director backs extra Scottish Government support for bereaved Highland families
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AN Inverness funeral director has welcomed an increase in a Scottish Government-backed support payment to help hard-pressed bereaved people in their time of need.
Bereaved families in the Highlands will have greater financial support when planning funerals. The Funeral Support Payment covers burial and cremation fees in full.
Costs including funeral director fees, celebrant’s fees, flowers and the coffin come under “other expenses” and this help will rise from £700 to £1000 on April 1.
Funeral costs have been shown to potentially account for over a third of the annual expenditure of those on the lowest incomes.
In 2016, evidence was presented to a Scottish Government consultation that calculated that the benefit would need to increase to £1500 to fully cover the costs incurred by the majority of Scottish families.
The Highlands sits at number 20 in the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation 2020 – a measure which compares areas of the country considering criteria such as income, health, crime and employment.
Vicki Fraser, proprietor at John Fraser & Son, said: "There are many people in our community who rely on the Funeral Support Payment, and we are thrilled that the benefit has increased for bereaved families.
"This benefit makes a real difference to bereaved families, and the increased payment will further enable them to have a dignified ceremony for a loved one.
"We view Funeral Support Payment funerals as a commitment to our community, and the increased payment will help keep these services viable for years to come.”
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