Local Authority Funerals

The Local Authority has a duty in terms of the Burial and Cremations (Scotland) Act 2016 to ensure that funeral arrangements are made for any person who has died or been found dead in their area and where no other suitable arrangements are being made. In these cases the Local Authority will look to recover all costs from the Estate of the deceased person.

Please Contact Us if you require further information.

Help with Funeral Costs

If the deceased's family want to arrange the funeral but cannot afford to pay they should contact the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) (Opens in a new window or downloads a file).. The DWP can pay a funeral payment to qualifying applicants, for example the partner, close relative or friend of the deceased, if they are on qualifying benefits or tax credits.

The Western Isles Citizens Advice Service (Opens in a new window or downloads a file) can provide free, impartial and confidential advice on help with funeral costs.

For further information on bereavement the Scottish Government has produced the booklet What to do after a death in Scotland (Opens in a new window or downloads a file).