Increase to Funeral Support Payment welcomed

Funeral Support Payments are set to increase from £700 to £1000 as of 1st April 2020. The Scottish Government announcement means that people on low income benefits will get more financial help to pay for the cost of a funeral, such as funeral director fees, a coffin, and flowers.

The Funeral Support Payment was introduced in September last year as one of the new benefits devolved to Scotland, replacing the UK Government's Funeral Expense Payment.

Welcoming the announcement, Age Scotland Chief Executive Briain Sloan said:

"We have been calling for a higher level of Funeral Support Payment since its introduction and we are delighted that the Scottish Government are taking this action to significantly increase it.

“It will no doubt be real comfort to people at a difficult time as they meet the growing burden of funeral costs. It can be all to easy for people, especially those on low incomes, to find themselves in debt while paying for a dignified and respectful send of for their loved ones.

“We hope that this will help reduce levels of funeral poverty, which is a significant problem and is a concern for many older people."