Scots funeral support payment to rise in April

The funeral support payment, available for people on low income benefits in Scotland, is to rise from £700 to £1,000 for all applications received from 1 April 2020.

The standard rate payment covers expenses such as funeral director fees, a coffin, and flowers. It is one of three separate parts of the full payment, the others covering burial or cremation costs, and travel costs.

Those eligible must be living in Scotland, have had the nearest relationship to the person who has died, be financially responsible for the funeral and be on a qualifying benefit or tax credit, such as jobseeker's allowance, universal credit, pension credit or various other benefits.

Around 5,000 people are expected to be supported annually by the payment, which was introduced in September 2019 to replace the UK Government’s funeral expense payment in Scotland.

Social Security Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: "This benefit is part of the new Social Security system we are building from scratch for the Scottish people, with fairness, dignity and respect at its heart."