Probate: Delays

Debate between Baroness Browning and Lord Keen of Elie

Wednesday 12th June 2019 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Browning]

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to reduce delays in probate being granted to non-professional claimants.

[The Advocate-General for Scotland (Lord Keen of Elie) (Con)]

My Lords, urgent action has been taken to address the delays that have been experienced in the probate service. Staffing is being increased and the digital service further improved to help to reduce waiting times.

[Baroness Browning (Con)]

I wonder whether my noble friend can tell us exactly what the waiting time is as of today, and when he expects his department to meet the recommended waiting time of 10 working days. He will know of my opposition—and, I must say, that of the Law Society—to the policy of a change in the £215 flat-rate fee to apply for probate to a sliding scale amounting to many thousands of pounds, with money up-front on the table. When does he think the department is going to meet that target?

[Lord Keen of Elie]

My Lords, historically the time taken for a personal application for probate has been about four weeks. In the recent past, due to a number of factors, that period increased to about eight weeks. The department then applied additional staffing to the matter of processing probate applications, and on average present grants are being issued within six to eight weeks. We anticipate further improvements as we roll out the online system of probate applications, and by October this year we anticipate that all forms of probate application will be available online.