A grieving son was told he would have to pay nearly £1,000 in extra “non-resident” fees to bury his dad – despite his father living in Aberdeenshire for more than 40 years.
Derek Blaikie has questioned the “scandalous” way the local authority hits bereaved families with charges, saying he felt it was “disrespecting” his recently deceased father.
Although originally from Ayr, Walter Blaikie was stationed at RAF Buchan during his career in the air force, and settled in Fraserburgh in 1976.
When he died earlier this month, aged 83, his son was shocked when Aberdeenshire Council told him he would have to pay the “non-resident” prices to have him buried.
It meant he was faced with a £1,711 burial fee, as well as a £309 charge to erect a headstone, when the price for a local resident would normally be £979 for the lair and £178 for the headstone.
Although the charges were due to be paid from his father’s estate, Mr Blaikie was initially told that the non-resident fees would apply because the purchase was in his name, and he was living in Aberdeen, not Aberdeenshire.
He later discovered he would not have to pay the higher prices if he transferred the purchase – so it is now in the name of another family member who lives in Aberdeenshire.
But he claimed this made the “whole charging system pointless”, and he believes that many other bereaved families will have encountered similar issues.
Mr Blaikie, 53, said: “I didn’t even consider that there would be a non-residency charge for my dad. He had pretty much stayed in Fraserburgh since 1976.
“I thought it was just unbelievable. When I spoke to them I was starting to get quite upset about it, because it was more to do with the fact they are disrespecting my father.
“It’s just scandalous. It’s just ridiculous.”
An Aberdeenshire Council spokesman said: “While the service sympathises with Mr Blaikie’s loss, Aberdeenshire Council’s fees and charges for lairs and burials are simple, clear and publicly available and are conveyed to all undertakers in the area.
“These charges are reviewed annually and are approved at the relevant committee. The council’s burial service has a duty to effectively manage its costs and sources of income and ensure the money from council taxpayers in Aberdeenshire is well spent, part of this involves varying our charges to nonresidents when compared with Aberdeenshire residents.
“The service has worked with Mr Blaikie to resolve the issue he raised.”
