Grief turning to mental health problems as more families struggle to pay cremation fees

Charities have hit out at the rising cost of cremation as growing numbers of bereaved families struggle to pay fees.

Families face a postcode lottery when it comes to fees in Scotland.

And the inability to meet these costs is turning grief into mental illness one leading charity has warned.

Clearly debt, and the stigma attached to not having been able to pay for a loved one’s funeral, is one such major stress

Stewart Wilson, chief executive of Cruse Bereavement Care Scotland, said: “For most people, grief is not an illness but a natural, albeit a painful, process through which they will emerge in time.

“However, the impact of other stresses can prevent that process, and lead to a complicated grieving pattern which does require costly intervention and can precipitate major mental health issues.

“Clearly debt, and the stigma attached to not having been able to pay for a loved one’s funeral, is one such major stress.”

A cremation for somone over 16 costs £730 in Perth, in Edinburgh it is £644, £640 in Inverness, £580 in Aberdeen and just over £560 in Glasgow.

Among city councils, only Perth has higher fees at £730.

Fraser Sutherland, of Citizens Advice Scotland, called on local authorities to cut the fees.

He said: "Last year we reported an increase of 27% in the numbers of Scots seeking advice about the issue.

"People already struggling to get by are finding themselves hit by a huge bill at a time when they are grieving and perhaps in shock, if the bereavement has been sudden.

"The fact there is a postcode lottery makes things even worse.

"Advisers will help bereaved families as much as we can, but we are also campaigning to persuade governments, local authorities and funeral directors to cut the costs."