Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

HMCTS: Probate Service

Tuesday 28 March 2023 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 2 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Ministerial wait times for probate helpline calls have dropped from an hour to five to ten minutes.
  • The probate service reform programme has been paused to ensure a new system is implemented correctly and to address staff concerns.
  • Average processing times for probate applications remain between four and seven weeks despite an increase in applications.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Priti Patel Con Witham
Justice & Courts
Context

Several constituents have faced significant delays in their probate applications, some waiting over 10 weeks. The contact centre has also had difficulties with access to staff.

Question

My constituents are experiencing significant delays in their probate applications—some waiting over 10 weeks—and struggling to get through to staff at the contact centre and hotline. Bereaved families are dealing with estate issues during a difficult time. What is he doing to improve the application process?

Answer from Mike Freer

Wait times for calls to the helpline have dropped from an hour to five to 10 minutes. We are reviewing why additional information is requested, aiming to make forms user-friendly. Additional caseworkers will be recruited to expedite complex cases.

Answered
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Q2 Priti Patel Con Witham
Standards & Ethics
Context

The probate service was part of a reform programme that has been paused due to concerns raised by the National Audit Office.

Question

Following a National Audit Office report, the probate service reform programme has been paused. Could the Minister clarify who is responsible for this waste of public money and what the next steps are?

Answer from Mike Freer

The pause is to ensure a new system beds down correctly and to listen to staff concerns. The high volume of cases due to increased deaths causes many issues, but staffing with the right skills is also important. We are recruiting more people to handle case volumes.

Partly answered

Not addressed: specific accountability for public money waste

How: Taking Extra Time To Ensure System Correctness

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Q3 Valerie Vaz Lab Walsall and Bloxwich
Justice & Courts
Context

The performance of the probate service in the past year has been under scrutiny due to delays.

Question

Given the increased volume of applications, does he assess the adequacy of the performance of HM Courts and Tribunals Service's probate service over the last 12 months?

Answer from Mike Freer

Despite increased applications, average processing times for probate remain between four and seven weeks. The response time was almost one week faster in Q3 2022 compared to yearly averages in 2020-21.

Answered
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