1-20 of 69 results for subject:Bereavement
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To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the level of financial support available to bereaved parents.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the level of financial support available to bereaved parents.
That this House recognises Baby Loss Awareness Week from 9 to 15 October and its importance in raising awareness of pregnancy and baby loss; acknowledges the profound and lasting impact that miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal death and other forms of pregnancy and baby loss can have on parents and wider families; further recognises this year’s theme, Together We Care, and the powerful message that compassionate support for those affected by baby loss is a shared responsibility across families, communities, healthcare services, charities and wider society; commends the work of Baby Loss Retreat in providing a safe and compassionate environment for individuals and families affected by pregnancy and baby loss, offering them space to grieve, reflect and receive support; also recognises the dedication of volunteers, healthcare professionals, charities, support organisations and everyone who provides compassionate care to bereaved families; believes that no parent or family should have to face the grief of baby loss alone and that appropriate emotional, practical and bereavement support should be accessible to everyone who needs it; welcomes the opportunities provided by Baby Loss Awareness Week for people to speak openly about pregnancy and baby loss, helping to challenge stigma and break the silence that often surrounds bereavement; supports the Wave of Light candle ceremony, when families and communities come together to remember babies whose lives were sadly too short; and calls on Parliament and wider society to continue working together to improve awareness, understanding and support for everyone affected by pregnancy and baby loss.
That this House recognises Baby Loss Awareness Week from 9 to 15 October and its importance in raising awareness of pregnancy and baby loss; acknowledges the profound and lasting impact that miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal death and other forms of pregnancy and baby loss can have on parents and wider families;...
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many bereavement cases being administered by Capita are currently more than (a) 30, (b) 60, (c) 100 and (d) 150 days old.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many bereavement cases being administered by Capita are currently more than (a) 30, (b) 60, (c) 100 and (d) 150 days old.
There are currently 20,897 outstanding retirement quotations, representing 18,615 unique members. Individual members may have multiple records where they have separate periods of pensionable service or duplicate requests under review. Complete and reliable retirement date information is not held across all outstanding cases; determining how many members have passed their intended retirement date would require a manual case-by-case review.
The age breakdown of outstanding bereavement cases being administered by Capita is as follows:
(a) 31 to 60 days old: 7,781
(b) 61 to 100 days old: 2,705
(c) 101 to 150 days old: 2,792
(d) More than 150 days old: 1,107
(Note: Cumulatively, this equates to 14,385 cases over 30 days old; 6,604 cases over 60 days old; and 3,899 cases over 100 days old).
Current service levels are unacceptable, and the Government is taking robust action to hold Capita to account. This includes withholding £9.9 million in contract payments for undelivered milestones, alongside confirmation that the Government surge team costs will be recovered directly from Capita.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the average waiting time was for callers to HM Revenue and Customs helplines dealing with bereavement and estates in each of the last two years.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the average waiting time was for callers to HM Revenue and Customs helplines dealing with bereavement and estates in each of the last two years.
Lords motion to regret. Motion withdrawn.
Lords motion to regret. Motion withdrawn.
My Lords, this instrument provides National Savings & Investments with the legal powers it needs to establish a compensation scheme and to return money that should have been paid to the estates of deceased customers, in some cases many years ago. That remediation must now proceed as quickly and comprehensively...
My Lords, this instrument provides National Savings & Investments with the legal powers it needs to establish a compensation scheme and to return money that should have been paid to the estates of deceased customers, in some cases many years ago. That remediation must now proceed as quickly and comprehensively...
My Lords, as the noble Baroness, Lady Neville-Rolfe, has clearly explained, the estates of deceased customers of NS&I were not always repaid money from all their accounts following a bereavement claim. The operational failure was identified in December 2025 but reported to Ministers and publicised only in March 2026. The...
My Lords, as the noble Baroness, Lady Neville-Rolfe, has clearly explained, the estates of deceased customers of NS&I were not always repaid money from all their accounts following a bereavement claim. The operational failure was identified in December 2025 but reported to Ministers and publicised only in March 2026. The...
My Lords, I thank the noble Baronesses for their comments on what is a very important issue. To put it in some context, in March, the Minister for Pensions announced that National Savings & Investments had identified serious failings in its bereavement claims process, affecting thousands of estates. NS&I has...
My Lords, I thank the noble Baronesses for their comments on what is a very important issue. To put it in some context, in March, the Minister for Pensions announced that National Savings & Investments had identified serious failings in its bereavement claims process, affecting thousands of estates. NS&I has...
My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Baroness, Lady Kramer, for her support and to the Minister for his helpful response. I do not think he answered my question about when the first signs of this scandal first emerged—for example, in MPs’ correspondence. I recognise that that is a...
My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Baroness, Lady Kramer, for her support and to the Minister for his helpful response. I do not think he answered my question about when the first signs of this scandal first emerged—for example, in MPs’ correspondence. I recognise that that is a...
That this House recognises the valuable work of the Dove Service in providing bereavement and loss support to individuals, families and children across Newcastle-under-Lyme and North Staffordshire; commends the dedication of its staff and volunteers in offering counselling, support groups and specialist services to those experiencing grief and bereavement; acknowledges the importance of accessible, compassionate bereavement support services in helping people process loss and rebuild their lives; notes the Dove Buddies gatherings that take place across North Staffordshire all through the month and provides people with the chance to have a cuppa, a chat and make friends, all thanks to staff and volunteers, Sarah Smith, Sarah Knott, Charlie O'Dell, Stephen Holmes, and Ann Deaville; and gives thanks for the Dove Service's continued commitment to the people of Newcastle-under-Lyme and North Staffordshire.
That this House recognises the valuable work of the Dove Service in providing bereavement and loss support to individuals, families and children across Newcastle-under-Lyme and North Staffordshire; commends the dedication of its staff and volunteers in offering counselling, support groups and specialist services to those experiencing grief and bereavement; acknowledges...
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that NHS Trusts comply with the National Bereavement Care Pathway for miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy and molar pregnancy.
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that NHS Trusts comply with the National Bereavement Care Pathway for miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy and molar pregnancy.
In October 2025, NHS England set out the expectation, through the Medium Term Planning Framework, for trusts to implement the National Bereavement Care Pathway for stillbirth and neonatal death. In practice, some of these standards will also be applicable in the context of miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, and molar pregnancy, offering support for these women and families.
While miscarriage and other types of pregnancy loss were not explicitly covered in Baroness Amos’ final report into National Health Service maternity and neonatal care, she did make a recommendation around fundamentally reforming care, including through the development of a new modern service framework. The taskforce will consider all stages of maternity and neonatal care when developing its new national action plan, and we anticipate that the taskforce may wish to include pregnancy loss.
We are also working closely with NHS England to improve the availability of Early Pregnancy Assessment Units, and have extended the Baby Loss Certificate scheme, which provides recognition of pre-24-week loss.
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have made to include the National Bereavement Care Pathway for miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy and molar pregnancy in mandatory guidance for the NHS.
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have made to include the National Bereavement Care Pathway for miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy and molar pregnancy in mandatory guidance for the NHS.
In October 2025, NHS England set out the expectation, through the Medium Term Planning Framework, for trusts to implement the National Bereavement Care Pathway for stillbirth and neonatal death. In practice, some of these standards will also be applicable in the context of miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, and molar pregnancy, offering support for these women and families.
While miscarriage and other types of pregnancy loss were not explicitly covered in Baroness Amos’ final report into National Health Service maternity and neonatal care, she did make a recommendation around fundamentally reforming care, including through the development of a new modern service framework. The taskforce will consider all stages of maternity and neonatal care when developing its new national action plan, and we anticipate that the taskforce may wish to include pregnancy loss.
We are also working closely with NHS England to improve the availability of Early Pregnancy Assessment Units, and have extended the Baby Loss Certificate scheme, which provides recognition of pre-24-week loss.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the increase in the probate application fee to £526 on bereaved families, in the context of current costs of living, including on those whose estates lack sufficient liquid assets to meet that...
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the increase in the probate application fee to £526 on bereaved families, in the context of current costs of living, including on those whose estates lack sufficient liquid assets to meet that...
The Government recognises that applying for probate can be a difficult process for bereaved families. Before introducing the increase in the probate application fee to £526, the Ministry of Justice undertook a full Impact Assessment, including an assessment of the equalities impacts of the change in line with its obligations under the Public Sector Equality Duty. This was published alongside the Court and Tribunal Fees (Miscellaneous Amendments) Order 2026 on 19 June 2026. This fee increase is intended to recover the cost of delivering the probate service, taking account of rising costs from inflation and investment in a modern and efficient service and ensuring that the service has the resources necessary to continue to deliver effectively. Estates valued below £5,000 will continue to be exempt from paying a fee.
For those who may be unable to afford a fee, the Help with Fees remission scheme remains available to eligible applicants. In addition, where an applicant does not qualify for Help with Fees, they may ask court or tribunal staff to exercise the Lord Chancellor’s exceptional power to remit fees. This ensures that no one is denied access to justice because they cannot reasonably afford a court or tribunal fee.
Q6
.
Michelle Welsh (Sherwood Forest) (Lab):
The Donna Ockenden and Baroness Amos reviews have exposed some uncomfortable truths: that justice is not brought about by a system, a law, a protocol, a regulatory authority or NHS England, but by bereaved and harmed families having to speak up, over and over again, about the most horrific and traumatic experience of their lives just to be heard. Does the Prime Minister agree that the system is not only failing but cruel, and if we are to restore public trust then we must finally introduce the Hillsborough law in full, so that families can get the justice and accountability they need and deserve?
Q6
.
Michelle Welsh (Sherwood Forest) (Lab):
The Donna Ockenden and Baroness Amos reviews have exposed some uncomfortable truths: that justice is not brought about by a system, a law, a protocol, a regulatory authority or NHS England, but by bereaved and harmed families having to speak up, over and over again, about the most horrific and traumatic experience of their lives just to be heard. Does the Prime Minister agree that the system is not only failing but cruel, and if we are to restore public trust then we must finally introduce the Hillsborough law in full, so that families can get the justice and accountability they need and deserve?
I thank my hon. Friend for raising this subject. Baroness Amos’s findings show a deeply disturbing picture of deep fragmentation and an overly complex system, with women and families not being listened to, no proper accountability, and discrimination driving inequalities in treatment and outcomes. We will deliver the change that is needed. We will look at the urgent recommendations of Baroness Amos and Donna Ockenden and deliver them. I thank my hon. Friend for leading from the front as the first maternity adviser, working with families and the NHS to deliver safer and better care for every mother and baby. I know that her son Billy will be very proud of her.
I thank my hon. Friend for raising this subject. Baroness Amos’s findings show a deeply disturbing picture of deep fragmentation and an overly complex system, with women and families not being listened to, no proper accountability, and discrimination driving inequalities in treatment and outcomes. We will deliver the change that is needed. We will look at the urgent recommendations of Baroness Amos and Donna Ockenden and deliver them. I thank my hon. Friend for leading from the front as the first maternity adviser, working with families and the NHS to deliver safer and better care for every mother and baby. I know that her son Billy will be very proud of her.
I thank my hon. Friend for raising this subject. Baroness Amos’s findings show a deeply disturbing picture of deep fragmentation and an overly complex system, with women and families not being listened to, no proper accountability, and discrimination driving inequalities in treatment and outcomes. We will deliver the change that is needed. We will look at the urgent recommendations of Baroness Amos and Donna Ockenden and deliver them. I thank my hon. Friend for leading from the front as the first maternity adviser, working with families and the NHS to deliver safer and better care for every mother and baby. I know that her son Billy will be very proud of her.
Q6
.
Michelle Welsh (Sherwood Forest) (Lab):
The Donna Ockenden and Baroness Amos reviews have exposed some uncomfortable truths: that justice is not brought about by a system, a law, a protocol, a regulatory authority or NHS England, but by bereaved and harmed families having to speak up, over and over again, about the most horrific and traumatic experience of their lives just to be heard. Does the Prime Minister agree that the system is not only failing but cruel, and if we are to restore public trust then we must finally introduce the Hillsborough law in full, so that families can get the justice and accountability they need and deserve?
Losing a loved one is deeply distressing. DWP provides support through the bereavement support payment—a tax-free lump sum with up to 18 monthly payments for eligible partners. Help with funeral costs is available through the funeral expenses payment for those receiving income-related benefits. Additional support that may be available includes the bereavement run-on in universal credit, which extends support after the death of a partner, child or another adult in the household.
Losing a loved one is deeply distressing. DWP provides support through the bereavement support payment—a tax-free lump sum with up to 18 monthly payments for eligible partners. Help with funeral costs is available through the funeral expenses payment for those receiving income-related benefits. Additional support that may be available includes the bereavement run-on in universal credit, which extends support after the death of a partner, child or another adult in the household.
What support is available for bereaved families through the benefits system.
As the Minister probably knows, a petition calling for reform of the bereavement support payment has now passed 100,000 signatures and is backed by Widowed and Young, Gingerbread, and Cruse. Many families in Redditch are among those affected. Before the parliamentary debate on that petition, will the Minister engage with Widows Fight UK to ensure that all families facing this unbearable heartbreak have the support they deserve?
As the Minister probably knows, a petition calling for reform of the bereavement support payment has now passed 100,000 signatures and is backed by Widowed and Young, Gingerbread, and Cruse. Many families in Redditch are among those affected. Before the parliamentary debate on that petition, will the Minister engage with Widows Fight UK to ensure that all families facing this unbearable heartbreak have the support they deserve?
I recognise the strong interest in this issue. I was aware of the petition, as well as the campaigning work that my hon. Friend has done in this space. I am very happy to receive any information that that organisation wishes to send to me in advance of the debate on the petition, and I look forward to participating in it.
I recognise the strong interest in this issue. I was aware of the petition, as well as the campaigning work that my hon. Friend has done in this space. I am very happy to receive any information that that organisation wishes to send to me in advance of the debate on the petition, and I look forward to participating in it.
I recognise the strong interest in this issue. I was aware of the petition, as well as the campaigning work that my hon. Friend has done in this space. I am very happy to receive any information that that organisation wishes to send to me in advance of the debate on the petition, and I look forward to participating in it.
As the Minister probably knows, a petition calling for reform of the bereavement support payment has now passed 100,000 signatures and is backed by Widowed and Young, Gingerbread, and Cruse. Many families in Redditch are among those affected. Before the parliamentary debate on that petition, will the Minister engage with Widows Fight UK to ensure that all families facing this unbearable heartbreak have the support they deserve?
I recently met members of bereaved families in my constituency, including Joe. They told me about the distress of knowing, while they are grieving, that the bereavement support payment ends after just 18 months, and despite the rising cost of living since the payment was introduced in 2017, it has not been uprated for 2026-27. Will the Government commit to uprate the support payment in line with inflation and review the 18-month limit?
I recently met members of bereaved families in my constituency, including Joe. They told me about the distress of knowing, while they are grieving, that the bereavement support payment ends after just 18 months, and despite the rising cost of living since the payment was introduced in 2017, it has not been uprated for 2026-27. Will the Government commit to uprate the support payment in line with inflation and review the 18-month limit?
The hon. Member raises an important point. BSP is reviewed annually as part of the wider uprating process, so it would not be appropriate for me to make that commitment today. BSP is limited to 18 months because it is designed to support the acute period following bereavement. Longer-term financial support is delivered through the wider welfare system to those who are eligible, including universal credit and child benefit, and through other forms of local support where appropriate.