Terms & Conditions

[Hmiles]

Hi

We have had a sort of complaint from an MP about someone whose partner was the claimant and died and it was upsetting for her to have to complete a whole new claim form.

Does anyone use an shortened claim form in these kind of instances?

We are considering creating one.

Thanks

[Darren Tompkins]

We did consider a shortened form, but decided that unless the claim was likely to be passported (in which case they would probably have completed a claim with the DWP or PS) we would have to have a full form – how else can you cover all the income/capital questions, change in h/h (n/deps moving in or out), or rent changes (e.g. – no longer a protected tenancy?).

We do however offer help to complete the form either in a Customer Service Centre or on a home visit, if the new customer would like assistance.

[Julian Hobson]

Why is it that in cases where there is a death LA’s get all sorts of complaints about how upsetting their letters, forms etc are.

The fact is that when a family member dies it is very upsetting and people need time to grieve but they also need to deal with the affairs of the deceased and start to move on with the next chapter of their own lives.

It isn’t the completing of the new claim form that is upsetting it was the death of the family member that caused the upset!

I really don’t see how (or why) LA’s should have to temper what they do in such cases or design special processes etc. We should be sympathetic to the needs of all of our customers particularly given that I think it is recognised that:

Death
Moving Home
Start of a new job
Losing a job
Divorce
birth of a child

are all major events and potentially very stressful.

Spookily they are all the sorts of events that prompt claims or notifications of changes.

[Author]

Posts