On 16th November, the Scottish Government announced that the Citizens Advice Bureaux will expand their support to people needing advice on funeral planning.
Cunninghame South MSP, Ruth Maguire, who expressed her concerns about the rising costs of burial and cremation fees in a recent Holyrood debate, welcomed this news, saying:
‘The year on year increases in burial and cremation fees are concerning enough, but even these are the only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to funeral poverty, as people also have to deal with things like funeral directors’ fees, expenditure on flowers, notices in the paper, and catering for the wake’
‘The funeral payment that currently exists is there to help, but take up has been disappointingly low, with only a quarter of those eligible currently receiving it. As the funeral payment is devolved to Scotland with the partial devolution of welfare powers, this Scottish Government action on funeral poverty sends a strong signal of its commitment to using these powers to make a positive difference to people’s lives’
Ruth Maguire MSP 