Grahame Morris MP this morning asked the acting Leader of the House about having a debate on establishing a Bereavement Standard, to simplify, streamline and standardise the process for grieving families to close accounts with utility companies and service providers, following the death of a loved one.

The campaign was set up by a constituent, and a Change.org petition currently has almost 86,000 signatures.

Services including utilities, TV license, TV and Broadband, Mobile phones, and entertainment subscriptions are not covered by the UK Government’s ‘Tell us Once’ service, which allows a bereaved family to report a death to most government organisations in one go.

As a result, it can take weeks or months, and involve multiple calls and emails to each service provider, to close accounts. In addition, some companies demand to see a death certificate or other additional proof and paperwork before closing an account. These delays result in unnecessary additional stress for grieving families.

As more than 600,000 families across the UK deal with the death of a loved one each year, it is vital that the Government acts to improve the process of closing accounts. With the coronavirus pandemic having claimed tens of thousands of lives this year, now is the time to push for change.

The campaign calls on the Government to introduce a new set of agreed standards which commercial service providers would be required to meet.

In his question this morning, Mr Morris mentioned Early Day Motion (EDM) #818, which has attracted more signatures than any other EDM signed since 1st September, and encouraged other Members to indicate their support for the campaign by signing.

The acting Leader of the House replied that he will write to the Minister responsible.

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