A NEW service has been launched to make it easier for families to report bereavement to local government authorities.

Cotswold District Council has teamed up with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to deliver Tell Us Once, a service that notifies government departments of a family’s bereavement.

With the new service, a local registrar can now support a recently bereaved person through a step-by-step process.

Up to 28 different services will be automatically notified of their change in circumstances on their behalf making it much easier for bereaved families to report their change in circumstances.

Overall a person using Tell Us Once can expect to contact government seven fewer times when compared to previous arrangements.

Tell Us Once programme director Lyn McDonald says: “We’ve done away with the red tape that usually confronts a person wanting to report a change in their circumstances to government.

“We’re providing a simple process that responds to the specific needs of people who need to be with their families and not on the phone to government authorities.”

For more information about Tell Us Once visit direct.gov.uk/death-tellusonce.