Dear readers,

I am hoping that LPG does not find this too hard a subject to print a web post about.  I have a friend who spent the best part of two hours on the phone trying to find out what she should do first in this instance.  

Due to the change of womens’ pensionable age in the UK, she is not quite a pensioner yet but lost her husband very recently having spent the past 4 years as his sole carer but, although we have talked about the inevitable, it is very hard to prepare for until it happens.  She left her job to become his carer and they have lived on no other income but their joint pension credit for quite some time, but we all know about the effect that losing a partner has on anyone.  With no other family available to help with the administration that needs to be sorted at such a time, and while this happened during the chaos that Covid-19 created,  we have found working through the official tasks associated with the loss of a loved one (recording the death and the other adjustments that have to be taken care of)  has been compounded by the lack of official help available.

I have tried to help with some of the phone calls needed and while I accept that getting past the ringing tone and through to the appropriate agencies takes time,  I was appalled that there is no one agency that one can telephone to get some comprehensive direction.  

I am sure that every reader has experienced some problem that has forced them to call a council or government department where they believe that they will get some sound advice, and where the only advice that is given is yet another telephone number and information about assorted web sites,  but surely at such a time  a bereaved person is going through enough trauma without this added problem. 

While death happens to people of all ages, it is still more likly to happen to the older members of our society, and we are also the section of the population who are more likely to have less family support, or remainimg family and friends to help.  We are also the ones who are less likely to be internet savvy or have the knowhow to be able to trawl through the internet for answers during what is accepted to be one of the most stressfull experiences one can endure.

The two of us have now managed to sort most of her problems so it is too late for my friend, and the present pandemic will slow down the process for any improvement,  but I hope that,  despite the many situations where bureaucracy lets us down, the authorities make a future effort  not to include this one in such a marked way.

GF, Forest Hill