Death of a lower score adult and the effect on Carer Payment (CP) 009-03090020

When a person notifies of the death of a care receiver:

• offer a private interview before proceeding, if the person providing the information is distressed
• issue the pamphlet Need help after someone has died? (HD001) using the Mail Forms workflow
• offer the services of a social worker

Confirmation of death

Confirmation of death can be accepted where the customer's full name is provided together with at least 2 of the following:

• deceased customer's last address in full
• date of birth
• Customer Reference Number (CRN)

Can informant supply enough information to confirm death?

• Yes, go to Step 2
• No:
• obtain name and contact number of person advising and details of funeral director if known
• run the Notification of death
• confirm the death before taking any further action
• if death cannot be confirmed and customer's whereabouts are unknown, Cancellation and suspension of Carer Payment and/or Carer Allowance
• procedure ends here

If the care receiver:

• was single, go to Step 3
• had a partner receiving income support, go to Step 4
• had a partner not receiving income support, go to Step 5

The carer still remains qualified for payment throughout the bereavement period and may be entitled to a Lump Sum Bereavement Payment (LBP).

The rate payable throughout the period depends on the carer's actual circumstances during the bereavement period.

Go to Step 6.

See Death of an income support customer or their partner.

The carer will continue to receive CP for the bereavement period.

If the carer is the partner of the care receiver, the carer will receive both of these payments.

Go to Step 7.

The carer still remains qualified for payment throughout the bereavement period and entitled to a LBP.

The rate payable throughout the bereavement period depends on the carer's actual circumstances during the period.

The lump sum is the lesser of seven times the:

• half member of a couple rate, or
• the CP instalment payable before the death

Bereavement actions where the dependent child is aged 6 years or over:

• a person qualifies for CP in respect of a Lower ADAT score adult if the adult is providing care for a dependent child
• however if the child is 6 or over, the child must attract Carer Allowance (CA) for the disabled (lower ADAT score) adult
• to perform the bereavement actions where the child is aged 6 years or over, see Death of a carer

Before processing a death action, all transactions or activities on the customer and/or partner's records must be completed. When using the Notification of death workflow in Process Direct or the Notification of Death guided procedure in Customer First, a message displays prompting if there are outstanding transactions or activities on the customer and/or partner's record.

Service Officers must check:

• Transactions icon and go to the Activity List (AL) screen to check all outstanding transactions / activities are processed
• Documents icon in Process Direct /Document Tools in Customer First for any outstanding documents or information that may not have been actioned
• Notes/Document List (DL) screen for any information that may have previously been provided
• Update the customer record with the appropriate information obtained before coding the death action
• Run the daily driver (DDR) in Customer First

Note: request for an urgent QMA or QOL if the transaction or activity submits to QMA or QOL, so the death action can be finalised.

If there is a STA debt activity on the AL screen, contact the appropriate debt raising team. See Requesting refunds and raising debts for deceased customer.

If death cannot be confirmed, suspend payment until the death can be confirmed using the Notification of death workflow in Process Direct or Notification of Death guided procedure in Customer First:

• Other (OTH) will automatically be selected. The suspension date of effect is the unconfirmed date of death or date paid to plus 1 (DPT+1), whichever is the later
• If the Notification of Death guided procedure in Customer First is not available or the suspension option cannot be selected, code the suspension manually
• Record a DOC on the customer's record, ensuring that it meets Online Document Recording (ODR) standards for significant decisions and includes what action is needed to confirm the death
• Do not issue a suspension letter. Cancel the advice activity on the AL screen triggered by the OTH suspension

It is imperative that the death is confirmed and actioned as a matter of urgency.

Note: request for an urgent QMA or QOL if the transaction or activity submits to QMA or QOL, so the death action can be finalised.

If a DOC or work item about the death notification is not already open:

• Generate an open work item by running the Notification of death
• If the Notification of Death guided procedure in Customer First is not available, create an open work item using Fast Note - select Auto text, use Generic > Update > Death Notification (Adult) - ACTION REQUIRED

The relevant staff will complete the death action when all outstanding activities are complete.

In the deceased person's record run the Notification of death. If the Notification of Death guided procedure in Customer First is not available, manually code the death action in Customer First.

When recording a death for a partnered person the Notification handler (NOHL) is incorrectly using the date of notification as the date to increase the survivor's rate to the single rate. The workaround for this is to record the date of receipt (DOR) as the later of date of death or date paid to + 1. The Notification of Death guided procedure in Customer First automatically applies this workaround.

• If the carer is entitled to a bereavement lump sum in addition to the 7 paydays of CP, the system will automatically calculate it and issue the payment
• The system will automatically reassess the record at the end of the bereavement period
• Go to Step 8

If the carer is entitled to the Bereavement lump sum in addition to the 7 paydays:

• process the lump sum bereavement from the Manual Follow-up (MFU) on the Activity List (AL) screen in Customer First of the carer's record in the pensions system
• navigate to the One Off Payment (OOP) screen and record the payment type as 'BLS'

In the carer's record, finalise the activity on the AR screen:

• issue manually the Death of partner, carer or child (Q486) letter which advises the customer of the amount of bereavement lump sum paid and the bereavement period end date
• offer the services of a social worker
• record the details of the bereavement on a DOC