Edinburgh named as UK's most expensive place to die

Published on Wednesday 16 July 2008 22:04

EDINBURGH was yesterday named the most expensive place to die in Britain, following a study of funeral costs.

Research by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) found funeral directors in the capital charge up to twice as much as counterparts in other cities, while the city council's fees for burial and cremation are the highest outside London.

Campaigners for the elderly said the government offered insufficient benefits to help the disadvantaged with funeral bills.

The DWP studied the cost of a standard funeral, which includes director fees, a coffin, transfer of the deceased and provision of a hearse, but excludes the cost of burial, cremation or embalming.

It found the average cost in Edinburgh was 1,600. Including burial costs, the bill rose to as much as 3,200.

The price of an adult interment in Edinburgh has increased by more than 20 per cent in three years, and now costs 750, compared to 219 in East Lothian and 330 in Midlothian.

Nick Waugh, policy officer with Help the Aged in Scotland, said: "Although there is help available from the UK government for people on certain benefits, it only provides up to 700 towards funeral costs and has not increased since 2003."

Gordon Greenhill, head of community safety at Edinburgh city council, said the fees allowed the maintenance of grave sites in perpetuity.