Help sought for bereaved families
by Niall Shanahan
 
ICTU policy officer Laura Bambrick explained: “When a loved one dies and after they are laid to rest, attention has to turn to putting their affairs in order."
ICTU policy officer Laura Bambrick explained: “When a loved one dies and after they are laid to rest, attention has to turn to putting their affairs in order."

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) has written to social protection minister Heather Humphreys urging the elimination of unnecessary bureaucracy faced by bereaved people cancelling public services following the death of a loved one.

 

Congress general secretary Patricia King acknowledged the sensitivity and professionalism of public servants in their dealings with people who have suffered a bereavement, and asked the minister to close a gap in service delivery that requires families to separately contact different sections of Government departments to notify them of the death.

 

ICTU policy officer Laura Bambrick explained: “When a loved one dies and after they are laid to rest, attention has to turn to putting their affairs in order. This is no small task for grieving relatives.

 

“For some, this will include starting the probate process, notifying insurance companies and financial institutions, cancelling utilities and subscriptions, closing social media and email accounts. For all, it will require contacting numerous branches of the state to cancel benefits, entitlements and public services.

 

“During this extraordinarily difficult time, a bereaved relative must telephone, write or even attend each relevant section within each government department and public body to notify them of the death, often repeating the same information, such as name, PPS number and the date of death,” she said.

 

Dr Bambrick gave the example of the death of an older person, and the wide range of service providers that need to be contacted: “Within the Department of Social Protection the next-of-kin must register the death in a civil registration office, contact the pensions section, the free travel section and, maybe also, the carers sections.

 

“Within the HSE, the medical card section, each hospital department to cancel appointments and close files and, maybe also, the home help section, the respite services section and the day care services section all have to be notified that the service user has died.

 

“Revenue will have to be contacted to settle tax issues, the NDLS to cancel a driving licence and the deceased’s passport returned to the passport office for cancellation.

 

“It’s not unreasonable to assume that is the inevitable price to be paid for a big state that provides us with an extensive social safety net and wide range of public services when alive. But navigating this bureaucratic maze is complex, time-consuming and risks causing upset when official correspondence addressed to their loved one arrives, which can often happen,” she said.

 

Congress has called upon the minister to give consideration to the process for death notifications in the UK, where a free ‘tell us once’ service allows bereaved relatives to notify multiple central and local government services at one time.

 

The head of Fórsa’s Civil Service Division, Derek Mullen, said as many as 30,000 families were affected each year. “I think it’s fair to say that we should always consider ways of improving the experience of service users, especially those experiencing the stress and difficulties associated with grief. Our members in departments such as Social Protection and Revenue make great effort to ensure a speedy and professional service  for people struggling with a bereavement.

 

“There is an opportunity here for the minister to engage with the idea, and look at how the range of services might be coordinated to deliver an approach that’s easier for bereaved families to navigate,” he said.

 

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