A new benefit has been launched to help low-income families with the cost of funeral expenses.

A YouGov survey for Social Security Scotland highlighted that almost a quarter of Scots would not be able to afford to pay for a funeral if a loved one died unexpectedly.

A total of 22% would be be able to pay for burial or cremation following a sudden death, with a further 19% saying they would have to go into debt - using a credit card, loan or borrowing to cover the cost of a service.

While almost two-fifths (38%) of people in the Highlands and Islands have money set aside for their own funeral, the proportion who have savings for this in the central Scotland region is just 19%.

Social security secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said putting dignity "at the heart" of the devolved benefit system was good for the nation as well as individuals.

The new Funeral Support Payment, which is now open for applications, will help families with burial or cremation costs, as well as some travel costs.

It also includes a £700 flat rate payment for those people who do not have funeral plans in place.

Ministers have already committed to increasing the payment - which replaces the Funeral Expenses Payment scheme operated by the UK Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) - each year in line with inflation.

Ms Somerville said: "I am delighted that the Scottish Government is introducing its sixth new benefit today. "If people on low incomes find themselves in the awful position of having lost a loved one and they are struggling to pay for the funeral, I would urge them to find out if they are eligible and apply for Funeral Support Payment.

"As with all of the benefits that we are introducing, we have been working hard to make sure that we improve people's experience of accessing this kind of support.

"We have simplified the application process to make it less intrusive and we have, for the first time, included the option for people to apply online."

She added: "Tackling poverty, while respecting the dignity of our people, is at the heart of the Scottish Social Security System, and it benefits not only individuals and families but our nation as a whole."

The Scottish Government worked with the National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD) in developing the new scheme.

NAFD director Paul Cuthell, said: "The streamlined application procedure will be of great benefit to bereaved people and the fact that it is index-linked to inflation is a significant step in the right direction towards ensuring that people receive an appropriate level of support when they need it."