Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) creating a team in his Department that specifically supports bereaved benefit claimants and (b) providing training to all staff in his Department on bereavement support.

DWP provides a cross government service called Tell Us Once. The Tell Us Once service allows bereaved citizens to inform all the relevant government departments when someone dies. This is available on gov.uk. What to do after someone dies: Tell Us Once - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). Bereaved claimants who are unable to use the online service via Gov.uk can contact the DWP Bereavement Service on 0800 151 2012, to cancel the person’s benefits and entitlements, including their State Pension. The service will also signpost bereaved claimants who may be eligible for help with funeral costs or other benefits such as bereavement support payment.

All colleagues undergo a comprehensive learning journey when they join the DWP. The learning provides staff with the knowledge and skills to enable them to treat each claimant as an individual regardless of additional or complex needs.

In addition, DWP offer training on Vulnerable Customers and Complex Needs, which is available to all colleagues in DWP. This learning product includes specific bereavement content including:

• explain the effects bereavement might have on our customers.
• provide examples of good practice when talking to recently bereaved customers.
• state the sources of help that are available to customers.