Finders genealogists have welcomed the Government’s commitment to the ‘Tell Us Once’ project an initiative which will enable people to inform the Government of births and deaths just once, rather than having to inform each public body that needs to know separately.
The Government announced its commitment to the ‘Tell Us Once’ project as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review – a five year plan for tackling the UK’s budget deficit – which includes specific commitments to streamline its services and improve information sharing between Departments.
Professional probate genealogists, such as Finders, specialise in identifying and tracing heirs, locate people who may be beneficiaries under a will or the intestacy rules,. They work with solicitors, or are frequently instructed by executors or administrators and trustees, or may act directly for the beneficiaries. Among the useful services offered by Finders are: Missing heir location; assistance in checking for a will; assistance in finding missing documents; assistance in finding missing assets.
According to Finders, the ‘Tell Us Once’ project is important in ensuring a clearer, more accurate record of deaths, which is important in the successful tracing of heirs to estates.
Commenting, Daniel Curran, Managing Director, Finders, said:
“We welcome the Government’s commitment to the ‘Tell Us Once’ Project as it means that people can go through a single channel to report a birth or a death. The emotional burden associated with reporting a death to several agencies is traumatic and consequently can lead to gaps where people fail to report it to all the appropriate agencies.”
“As probate genealogists our role is to trace heirs to estates – in cases where we cannot find an heir, the estate will be handed over to the State. The ‘Tell Us Once’ project, will increase the likelihood of people accurately registering deaths, thereby streamlining the process for tracing heirs. In such cases of intestacy, Finders provide a valuable service in identifying and tracing heirs, including working to locate people who may be beneficiaries. We play an important role in ensuring heirs are united with their rightful inheritance.”
