A charity set up to support bereaved families in Dundee has expressed “deep concern” at increased burial charges.
Funeral Link helps prevent funeral poverty in the city by offering confidential support to those suffering a recent bereavement.
A report released last year found some families had been forced to go without food or heating to bury their loved ones.
In its first 12 months of operation, Funeral Link has helped 130 people – 97 of whom were bereaved.
The charity has so far made direct measurable savings on funeral costs of £29,399.
In a letter to all councillors on Wednesday, Mary Kinninmonth, chairwoman of the Funeral Link board of trustees, expressed “deep concern” at plans to raise costs. She noted the increase in charges will bring in additional income of £30,500, “not much removed from the savings we have gained for our clients”.
Ms Kinninmonth said: “We are particularly concerned to see that each element detailed in the burial charges has increased between 4% and 5% – far in excess of the 12-month average Consumer Price Index of 1.8% (Jan 2020) and even the higher 2.7% Retail Price Index (Feb 2020).
“Whilst those in receipt of welfare payments will be eligible to claim these additional costs through the recently increased Scottish Funeral Support Payment, others on low incomes who do not receive a qualifying benefit will be hit hard.
“Many pensioners and the working poor – some of the groups we have worked with over the last year – are likely to be adversely affected by these proposed increases.
“We cannot understand how the poverty and equality impact assessments have not shown any negative impacts and would ask that copies of these be forwarded to us.
“Dundee already suffers some of the highest cremation charges in the UK, whilst a significant proportion of its residents live in deprived conditions.
“This gives residents little choice in funeral decisions around burials and cremations – often resulting in people paying more than they can afford.”
Funeral Link urged members of the council’s policy and resources committee to reject the proposed increase in burial charges, stating it is “likely these changes will contribute further to incidences of funeral poverty across the city”.
The rise was later voted through as part of the SNP administration’s budget.
Finance spokesman Willie Sawers said: “We are willing to sit down with the organisation and see what work we can do with them.
“It may be that some of the money we’ve said should go into supporting the work of the Fairness Commission possibly could go towards that topic.”
