A Carnoustie undertaker has warned of a Dundee City Council stealth charge on burials which could make it one of the most expensive places to be buried in Scotland.
Lindsay Martin, of the National Association of Funeral Directors, is calling for more clarity in funeral costs, saying Dundee City Council is the only local authority in Scotland that levies a separate charge for ‘perpetuities’, the upkeep of graves and surrounding greenery.
New figures from Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) released earlier in the week revealed Dundee as the 16th most expensive place to be laid to rest, with an 11% cost rise to £1,151 per burial.
In their research CAS did not ask about perpetuities as Dundee is the only local authority still charging for them.
When including the one-off non-optional £596 charge, burial in Dundee is inflated to a total cost of £1,878, putting it fifth in the Scottish league table, displacing Stirling, and making it the most expensive in Tayside.
Mr Martin said: “We were surprised to see the amount the council charges for perpetuities £596 was not included in the Citizens Advice figures.
“Those are one-off fees for grass-cutting around the lair and so on.
“Once you take those into account, a Dundee burial can cost £1,878, making it the fifth most expensive place in Scotland to be buried.”
CAS have called for prices and charges to be unambiguous.
A spokesman said: “That is why we have called on councils to ensure that prices are a clear total and are easily available online for residents to see. Not all councils have the information on their website despite our calls a year ago to ensure such information was available.
“We believe charges should be clear and unambiguous for those arranging funerals.”
Craig Melville, convener of Dundee City Council’s environment committee, said: “The cost of burial in Dundee is subsidised by the council and the current fees are clearly detailed on the council’s website and communicated to funeral directors and bereaved families.”