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Burial, cremation and alkaline hydrolysis costs

When someone dies, you'll have to pay burial, cremation or alkaline hydrolysis costs as part of their funeral.

You can apply to Social Security Scotland for Funeral Support Payment to help with burial, cremation or alkaline hydrolysis costs.

Help towards burial and cremation costs in Scottish council areas

The tables show how much help Social Security Scotland can give you in different Scottish council areas for a:

  • burial and plot
  • burial only
  • cremation

This help is for adults aged 18 or over. In Scotland, it usually does not cost anything to bury or cremate a stillborn baby, a baby, child or young person.

Find out how much help you can get for funerals held:

On or after 1 April 2024

Local council help towards burial and cremation costs
Local council Burial and plot Burial only Cremation
Aberdeen City £2,119 £964 £791
Aberdeenshire £2,430 £1,133 £860
Angus £1640.60 £790.70 £1,220
Argyll and Bute £2,161 £992 £939
Clackmannanshire £2,081.70 £1,024.30 £1,166.10
Dumfries and Galloway £1,614 £971 £999
Dundee City £2,333 £687.50 £1,250
East Ayrshire £1,433 £731 £1,220
East Dunbartonshire £2,409 £1,088 £946
East Lothian £2,058 £998 £902
East Renfrewshire £2,752.40 £1,299.80 £950
Edinburgh City £2,978 £1,388 £902
Falkirk £2,267.20 £1,068.60 £1,166.10
Fife £1,789 £878 £924
Glasgow City £2,636 £1,125 £849
Highland £1,661 £1,003 £1,003
Inverclyde £2,338.65 £1,126 £880.05
Midlothian £2,239 £1,042 £902
Moray £2,347 £1,228 £1,260
North Ayrshire £1,835 £888 £1,135
North Lanarkshire £2,249 £1,112 £1,060
Orkney Islands £1,611 £746 £1,003
Perth and Kinross £2,043 £1,000 £870
Renfrewshire £2008.15 £958.65 £950
Scottish Borders £2,315 £965 £1,010
Shetland Islands £1,453 £700 £897
South Ayrshire £2,020 £1,010 £1,048
South Lanarkshire £2,338.03 £1012.62 £856.83
Stirling £2,420 £1,367 £1,050
West Dunbartonshire £2,290 £994 £946
Western Isles £1,185 £525 £1,003
West Lothian £1,857 £907.04 £1,085

Costs for someone who lived in England, Wales or Northern Ireland

You can get help if you live in Scotland and need to pay the burial, cremation or alkaline hydrolysis costs for someone who lived in:

  • England
  • Wales
  • Northern Ireland

You can apply to Social Security Scotland for help. 

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