The UK Commission on Bereavement (UKCB) this week published the findings of its report on bereavement which aims to highlight the challenges facing bereaved people, consult with them, and to propose the necessary changes to improve the bereavement process.
6.8 million people were bereaved in the UK in 2020 and 2021 compared to 6.1 million in 2018 and 19, with 750,000 additional bereavements.
This sharp rise was, of course, brought about by the pandemic. The report suggests that the unexpected and sudden nature of many deaths, as well as the limited access to family, friends, and formal support, had devastating consequences, which are demonstrated by the below graph.
“Whilst several of these experiences were clearly specific to the pandemic”, concedes the report, “a number of these difficulties (although exacerbated by COVID-19) were more enduring, demonstrating the need for a long-term vision and agenda for change”.
The Commission’s vision for that change was set out accordingly within the report in a series of “I” statements, reflecting the wants and needs of bereaved people across the UK:
- I am supported by my family, my friends and the communities around me
- I am sensitively supported by my school, college or workplace during my bereavement
- I am well-supported during the death, and feel confident that the person who died received appropriate and compassionate care
- The things I must do after a death are simple and straightforward
- I am compassionately and helpfully supported by those whose job brings them into contact with me through my bereavement
- I have access to an affordable and meaningful funeral
- I feel secure in my home and have the right financial support
- I can easily find and access the right emotional bereavement support for my circumstances
One of the recommended changes more notable to wills and probate practitioners is number four: “The things I must do after a death are simple and straightforward.” Key challenges noted within the report are:
- 61% of adult respondents with administrative responsibilities reported difficulties with at least one practical or administrative task
- 39% of respondents had difficulty sorting out financial affairs
- 21% of adults had difficulties registering a death
- 10% had difficulties with other practical responsibilities (for example, coroners, utility accounts, vacating/selling houses)
Difficulties also occur at “all stages of death administration”, including:
- Not knowing what to do
- Not being aware of the wishes of the person who died
- Feeling overwhelmed by both the volume and complexity of tasks
- Feeling under time pressure to complete tasks
- Facing inefficiencies and delays from organisations
Subsequent recommendations of the report are as follows:
- Governments across the UK must legislate so that people can choose whether to register a death in person or online
- Governments across the UK must conduct a review of the flow of information from death registration to relevant public bodies and industry, including the feasibility of extending the remit of Tell Us Once
- Government departments and regulators must ensure bereaved customers are treated fairly and sensitively by working with relevant industry groups to develop minimum standards for death administration processes
Nick Cousins, co-founder and CEO of Exizent, commented on the findings of the report:
“As a business focused on enhancing the bereavement journey for everyone involved, Exizent are encouraged to see the Bereavement Commission’s comments that highlight the need to simplify the administrative tasks that face both bereaved individuals and the professionals that are often called upon to help navigate what is an unnecessarily complex and fragmented process.
We welcome all calls for greater standardisation of processes, adoption of technology and the pursuit of the ‘tell us once’ concept across a broader range of services.”
“Settld has fought a long campaign for better Bereavement Standards, and we are delighted that the Bereavement Commission’s report is a much-deserved boost for the bereaved,” said Vicky Wilson, co-founder and CEO of Settld. She continued:
“We are pleased that the report urges Governments across the UK to legislate so that people can choose whether to register a death in person or online. The current system of paper-based death registration is from a bygone era, and is a huge and unnecessary additional stress for families. We hope a new digital system can be swiftly enacted.
Perhaps the most crucial recommendation is the call for bereaved customers to be treated fairly and sensitively and for governments and regulators to work with relevant industry groups to develop minimum standards for death administration processes.
We already have cross-party backing for the Bereavement Standards campaign, and we hope that the Commission’s hard work will lead to better standards of treatment for all bereaved customers.”
To read more on the other changes proposed by the Commission, as well as the subsequent recommendations made, view the full report here, or the summary report.
