Falkirk Council: Here's how much it will cost to lay loved ones to rest when fees rise by 30 per cent

Families are facing a sharp increase in the cost of laying a loved one to rest whether it is a service at Falkirk Crematorium or burial in one of the council’s 13 cemeteries.

The standard fee for a cremation service held Monday to Friday for an adult will rise from £897 to £1166.10 if they have an organist – a jump of £269.10. Without an organist the cost will rise from £807 to £1049.10.

If the service takes place on a Saturday or public holiday it will rise £324.30 to £1405.30 with an organist and to £1288.30 with an organist – an increase of £297.30.

There remains no charge if the service is for a child or young person under the age of 18 or a stillborn baby.

For someone who choses to have a cremation without a service the charge will rise to £518.70 from £399.

Interment fees for Falkirk Council adult residents will rise from £822 to £1068.60 for a Monday to Friday coffin burial service and from £986 to £1281.80 on a Saturday or public holiday.

For the burial of cremated ashes the fee goes up £66 to £289 Monday to Friday and from £265 to £344.50 on a Saturday or public holiday.

For interring the coffin of someone who lives outside the council area the charge goes up from £1208 to £1570.40 for a service Monday to Friday or from £1449 to £1883.70 on a Saturday or public holiday.

For adult cremated ashes the burial fee is goes up over £100 to £435.50 for a Monday to Friday service and from £397 to £516.10 on a Saturday or public holiday.

The purchase of a lair goes up from £922 to £1198.60 for a resident and from £1355 to £1761.50 for a non-resident.

Charges for erecting headstones and placing memorial benches and trees will also rise by 30 per cent, as will the cost for putting a memorial stone on a memorial wall for ten years.

The council said that the rise was to bring the area more into line with the rest of the country.

A spokesperson for Falkirk Council said: “Over the preceding years, our fees and charges from cremations and burials have been very low relative to the rest of Scotland. For 23/24, we were ranked

25 lowest out of 32 local authorities. With the ongoing financial situation that the council faces, we have to be realistic in our approach to charging.”

In Scotland a funeral support payment is available to those who are on certain benefits or tax credits, and need support to meet the cost of a funeral.

They can use the payment towards funeral costs for a baby, child or adult, as well as covering some travelling, document and medical costs. This includes babies who were stillborn.

The funding can be up to £1178.75 for those who meet the criteria. More details here