Borough launches new one-stop death registry

Carol Overington and Angelia Jordan. Pic: Sophia Ignatidou

A new death-registering scheme, making it easier for residents to report those who have passed away, has been launched in Tower Hamlets this month.

Tell Us Once, a nationwide initiative, will help families of residents who have died, to inform all the relevant organisations of a death.

They will no longer have to notify multiple council and government departments, such as council tax, housing benefits and the electoral roll.

Under the new scheme, relatives will only have to tell the council’s Registrar once of the death.

Catherine Sutton, Superintendent Registrar for Tower Hamlets, said: “This new service will help to take away some of the stress and bureaucracy from reporting a death, easing the burden on families at this difficult time.”

Russell Lasker, 34, a waiter from Shadwell said: “This new scheme is almost like a form of counseling: it will definitely help people during a very difficult time. I’ve done a lot of social work in my home country and I know that reporting death is such a burden.”

He continued: “Losing someone you love is unbearable, but having less bureaucracy to deal with definitely help.”

The Registrar will pass the information to the relevant government agencies, council departments, and other service providers. These include the Department for Work and Pensions, the Identity and Passport Service and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency.

The new service can be accessed by anyone registering a death in Tower Hamlets at the Register Office, Bromley Public Hall, Bow Road, or via phone afterwards. The Registrar will provide all the support and advice needed to use the service.

The scheme will be introduced in other East London boroughs within the next couple of months.

 

 

Leave a Reply