BURIAL costs have soared in Scotland thanks to savage cuts to council budgets, a new report published today suggests.

The Accounts Commission found councils have increased 11 different charges by more than the rate of inflation between 2016-17 and 2018-19.

The cost of a burial plot has risen by a whopping 20 per cent on average over this period, while costs of burial services have gone up by an average 12 per cent.

Scottish Labour said councils had been forced to make “brutal cuts” thanks to Scotland’s SNP government.

The party’s finance spokesman James Kelly said: “This expert report exposes the brutal legacy of the SNP’s cuts to council funding. 

“We know across the country local authorities are struggling to keep up with demand and having to make brutal cuts and increase charges as a result.

“It’s simply horrifying that the cost of burying a loved one is soaring because of brutal cuts to councils.”

The report also found the average number of sickness days taken by non-teaching council staff has increased from 10.9 days in the year 2016-17 to 11.4 days the following year. In the council area with the highest rate, Clackmannanshire, workers took an average of 16.8 days off sick last year.

Revenue funding for councils would rise by 1.1 per cent in real terms between 2018-19 and 2019-20. But budgets will have fallen by 6 per cent overall since 2013-14.

And councils are losing control of their budgets – with the proportion of funds going to support specific Scottish government policies increasing from £643 million this year to £1.2 billion in 2019-20.

The Accounts Commission warned this could mean services not viewed as priorities by ministers could see budgets cut by as much as 16 per cent.

Accounts Commission chairman Graham Sharp said: “It’s important to recognise that councils are working hard to maintain and, in some cases, improve services.

“Now fundamental change is needed to ensure services meet the shifting demands of local communities, with councils working and collaborating with communities to deliver the change needed.

“Councils must now focus on changing how front-line services are designed and delivered.”