The number of tragic funerals for the lonely or destitute in Angus hit double digits for the first time last year.
Local authorities have a duty to dispose of bodies when no one else takes responsibility and Angus Council had to step in 10 times last year.
Known as a pauper’s funeral, the deceased is given a simple service before being cremated or buried in a communal grave.
Angus Council has paid for 37 such burials since 2011 costing an estimated £70,000 compared to 20 for the five years before that. Most were in Arbroath (11), Forfar (10), and Montrose (nine), with four in Kirriemuir, two in Carnoustie and one in Brechin.
Chief executive of Age Scotland Brian Sloane said: “It’s incredibly sad that anyone’s death should go unmarked.
“The cost of funerals has risen and it is a real issue for many people, some of whom feel they can’t afford to die.
“As a nation we are still not comfortable talking about death. Until we start being more open about it, we’re not going to be able to plan, not just for the financial implications, but so we can discuss people’s personal wishes.”
The average cost of a funeral in Scotland is now around £3,500 an increase of 80% over the past 10 years.
As much as half of that sum can be accounted for by burial or cremation costs, which are set by local authorities.
The Scottish average for interment fees is now £526, with the purchase of a lair at £602 for a coffin and £370 for a casket.
During a pauper’s funeral, staff treat the dead with respect, but coffin, burial or cremation and ceremony are basic.
Councils do not pay for headstones so many of the dead are laid to rest in unmarked graves.
Local authorities can try to get back the money they spend from any estate the deceased leaves or by tracing relatives.
It is for the families if they can be found and can afford it to mark their loved one’s resting place.
Stewart Wilson, chief executive of Cruse Bereavement Care Scotland, warned that making funerals too expensive will leave many people simply unable to pay and see the council ultimately saddled with the bill.
The price rises have also led to fears of an increase in the number of paupers’ graves.
He said: “At a time when many families are already struggling to make ends meet, the unexpected cost of a funeral can bring additional anxiety and challenge.
“Grief following the death of someone close is hard and to worry about whether you can afford to pay for the funeral, or to have to borrow money to do so, adds considerably to that pain and makes the grieving more difficult.”
In 2014, Fife Council covered the £68,824 costs of 56 pauper’s funerals. Perth and Kinross organised 28 and Dundee 16.