Live or die, they'll get you anyway..

Published on Tuesday 4 March 2008 09:17

CRITICS say it is becoming "expensive to live and expensive to die" in Edinburgh as burial charges and home help costs are set to soar.

The city council is to introduce above-inflation rises next month, which means the price of an adult interment will have increased by 23 per cent in three years – from 609 to 750.

Burial costs are just 219 in East Lothian and 330 in Midlothian.

At the same time, the maximum hourly charge for pensioners who receive help making meals or doing washing and ironing will go from 9 to 10.50, means-tested, based on ability to pay.

Last summer, council officials had recommended putting the top-end costs as high as 12, but this was blocked by the Lib Dem/SNP administration in a bid to avoid "massive service charge increases".

Councillor Paul Edie, the city's health and social care leader, today said the forthcoming price hike was "in line" with the Scottish average.

But Liz Duncan, director of Help the Aged in Scotland, said: "This will cause hardship for people, who are already struggling with rising fuel costs.

"It seems it is increasingly expensive to live, and increasingly expensive to die. We will all be hit with these costs at a time when we can least cope."

The price of day care for older people will also go up from 2.60 to 2.70 per session, and a single care home room will cost 528 per week – up from 513.

Labour group health and social care spokeswoman, Lesley Hinds, said: "The people who will struggle as a result of this large rise are those who have maybe worked all their lives and have a pension. When it comes to means-testing, they won't get any help."

Cllr Edie said: "Charges for home helps are heavily subsidised by the city council. We pick up approximately 40 per cent of the true economic cost."

The overall cost of burying a loved one in Edinburgh often hits 3500, with cremations around 500 cheaper.

Last year, the then-Labour administration increased burial charges from 627 to 700, and another 50 rise is to be applied from April.

On Friday afternoons and Saturdays, the cost will rise from 810 to 900, and on Sunday from 989 to 1100.

There will also be a new charge for burying cremated remains in the Mortonhall Garden of Remembrance of 160.

Edinburgh has 39 council-run graveyards, but only around 2000 spaces are available.

Plans have been approved for a new site at Craigmillar Castle Country Park to provide 5000 new burial spaces.

Councillor Robert Aldridge, the city's environment leader, said: "The increase in burial charges reflects the need to invest in this new cemetery and to make sure it is delivered as planned, and to enable the council to continue to maintain our 39 cemeteries and graveyards."