Funeral poverty fund opens to grieving families in Scotland

A new benefit is now available to low-income families who are struggling to cover funeral costs.

Scotland's social security department has taken control of the new fund, which replaces the Department for Work and Pensions' funeral expense payment.

It will help families with burial or cremation costs, some travel costs and can include a £700 flat rate payment.

It comes as a YouGov poll revealed almost one in four Scots would not be able to afford an unexpected funeral.

The research found only 22% of those asked said they would be able to pay for burial or cremation following a sudden death.

A further 19% said they would have to go into debt - using a credit card, loan or borrowing to cover the cost of a service.

In Highland, 38% of respondents said they had set aside money for their own funeral, while in central Scotland the figure was just 19%.

The new Funeral Support Payment was developed by the Scottish government alongside the National Association of Funeral Directors.

Social Security Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: "If people on low incomes find themselves in the awful position of having lost a loved one and they are struggling to pay for the funeral, I would urge them to find out if they are eligible and apply for Funeral Support Payment.

"We have simplified the application process to make it less intrusive and we have, for the first time, included the option for people to apply online."

Ministers have committed to increasing the payment each year in line with inflation.

Derek Mitchell, chief executive of Citizens Advice Scotland, welcomed the new benefit.

He said: "The Citizens Advice network sees hundreds of thousands of people across Scotland every year and the majority of them are struggling just to pay their regular bills, like rent, food or energy bills.

"To be hit by the cost of a funeral on top of that can be a financial shock people just cannot take."