Commons Sense

House of Commons · Westminster Hall

Probate Registry Service

10 November 2020 · 1 other contributor · 4,130 words

Opened by John Stevenson Con Carlisle

Responding minister: Chris Philp

NHS

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

John Stevenson raised concerns about probate registry service in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key points

  • MP is concerned about increased waiting times for probates from two to three weeks to seven to eight weeks over recent years.
  • MP cites instances of probate issuance delays up to 17 weeks and highlights issues with staff responsiveness and accuracy.
  • Minister acknowledges challenges due to fee increase and new computer system in 2019, with delays but recovery to pre-issue levels by early 2020.

Key requests to Government

The MP asks the Minister to improve service delivery, seek opinions from service users for improvements, provide details of expected performance improvements and timelines. He suggests a commitment to significantly and quickly improve the service or face consequences.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

John Stevenson Con Carlisle

The MP is concerned about the deterioration in service quality at the Probate Registry. Over recent years, the waiting times for probates have significantly increased from two to three weeks to seven to eight weeks. The number of staff and costs have risen but the service has worsened. He cites examples where it took 12 weeks and 17 weeks for probates to be issued after applications were submitted. Errors in issuing probates, unhelpful responses to queries and long wait times on phone calls are highlighted as issues. The MP believes these problems predate the pandemic.

Other contributors (1)
  • Liz Saville-Roberts PC Dwyfor Meirionnydd

    Solicitors in her constituency reported a probate application made in June took until late September to be processed, resulting in a four-month wait. This delay caused significant financial hardship for the family who had to spend £30,000 on repairs without sufficient funds. She noted that direct applications to Cardiff Probate Registry were more effective and satisfactory. One concern relates to Welsh language wills. The Minister is asked to assure that the new provision can deal appropriately with people's right to present wills in Welsh, according to the Welsh Language Act 1993.

Government Response

Chris Philp

It is a pleasure to serve under the chairmanship of Mr Davies, and I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Carlisle (John Stevenson) for securing this debate on an important topic. The probate service faced significant challenges due to a fee increase in 2019 and the introduction of a new computer system, causing delays. However, by early 2020, the number of grants issued returned to pre-problems levels. The coronavirus pandemic further disrupted operations but waiting times improved by July and August 2020. Digital applications have an average wait time between two to five weeks while paper applications take longer due to social distancing measures. I urge individuals to use online services as it is faster and less prone to errors. In the past year, resources for probate service increased from £5.7 million to £7.5 million and staff numbers grew from 156 to 215. My commitment is to work tirelessly on improvements and I suggest meeting officials to discuss issues in detail with my hon. Friend the Member for South Thanet (Craig Mackinlay) joining us as an expert. The current fees cover approximately two thirds of the service costs, but we will consider modest fee increases that ensure cost recovery. Digital applications are faster and less prone to errors; I would like more information about any issues experienced with digital services.

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