Grieving families in Scotland may be due around £2,000 to help cover funeral costs

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Thousands of grieving families across Scotland are missing out on government support to help cover funeral costs, new figures reveal, according to Advice Direct Scotland. The Funeral Support Payment helps cover burial or cremation fees, funeral expenses, travel, and transport of the deceased. ‌

However, new figures from Social Security Scotland published earlier this week show there were just 2,030 applications in the first three months of 2025/26, down from 2,165 over the same period last year. In 2024/25 there were a total of 8,540 applications, the lowest full year number since the scheme launched September 2019. ‌

Advice Direct Scotland , which runs the national advice service, is urging families to check their eligibility and make sure they are not missing out.