Funerals

Funerals are normally arranged and paid for by the family or friends of the deceased. In some circumstances, where there are no known relatives, or the family is unwilling or unable to pay for the funeral, Stirling Council will provide a public health funeral.

Read an overview of public health funerals carried out by Stirling Council

The Scottish Government can provide a one-off Funeral Support Payment to help people on a low-income or benefits meet the cost of a funeral.

You can apply for this payment from the date of death, up until six months after the funeral has taken place. If you’ve already received a Funeral Expenses Payment from the Department of Work and Pensions, you won’t be eligible for a Funeral Support Payment.

You can apply for a Funeral Support Payment online at the Scottish Government website.

If you don’t have a permanent address or bank account, you can apply by phone or by post. There’s information about how to do this on the Scottish Government website.

You can donate a memorial bench to celebrate or commemorate a friend or family member in any of our cemeteries. Bench locations are restricted to areas that are not suitable for burials.

To apply, write to:

Stirling Council
Cemeteries Service
Allan Water House
Kerse Road
Stirling
FK7 7SG

You should state the cemetery where you wish the bench to be located. There is currently a waiting list for memorial benches. Requests are approved on a first-come-first-served basis.

Cost

You'll need to meet the cost of the bench and its installation. Stirling Council has 2 recommended suppliers for this service: J & J Learmonth and Streetscape Ltd.

Maintenance

Stirling Council will guarantee any bench for a period of one year from installation. The guarantee covers failure of the structure of the bench and painting or staining but does not cover damage by vandalism.

Once a bench has fallen into a state of disrepair, we will write to or call the donor. If the donor does not remove or repair the bench within one month of the date of the letter or call, we will remove the bench.