[English] - [Cymraeg]
As restrictions ease and we exit lockdown, I’ve been reflecting on the huge impact of the pandemic on all our lives. It has marked us in ways we could never have imagined. For some of us, it has very sadly meant the loss of our loved ones.
My family, like many others, has dealt with bereavement during this particularly challenging time. Our aim in the probate service is to ease the burden of people who are grieving, by making the process of applying for probate as easy as possible.
In recent months we’ve improved the service and made it more efficient in several ways. I’ll explain these measures by looking at how we responded to 3 common issues reported with the service.
“People are waiting months for a process that used to take a few weeks”
Some cases are more difficult to deal with than others and take longer to complete. But the vast majority are standard cases that we can complete at speed. We want to make sure we’re really transparent about how long cases take us to process. We recently published a breakdown of waiting times.
For standard digital applications, it now takes us less than a week to issue a grant once we receive the right documents. It’s fair to say our workload increased substantially during the winter peak and the second wave of the pandemic. But the average overall time it took to issue grants in most cases did not exceed 6 weeks.
We can complete digital cases more quickly than paper applications, so we’re encouraging more people to apply online. We’re working on this with organisations such as Citizens Advice, funeral services and the Office of the Public Guardian.
Complex applications often require specialist knowledge, so they do take more time to resolve. We recognised that we needed to improve in this area. Earlier this year, we put together a plan to speed up the process and reduce the number of complaints. We’ve lowered the number of outstanding complex cases by more than 75% since February 2021, and most outstanding complex cases are less than 10 weeks old.
“Callers are waiting for up to an hour to speak to an agent”
We’re improving our service in a number of ways. In the last few months we’ve reduced the average call wait time from 19 to 7 minutes and are committed to improving this further. We did this by increasing the number of team leaders supporting staff, providing more training, extending our opening hours and rolling out an integrated technology system. The new system reduces wait times and enables us to answer more calls. We’ll keep reviewing and improving our user experience over the coming weeks.
We’re also working with our professional users to improve online dashboards for digital cases. Dashboards provide them with real-time progress updates, with notifications sent at each stage of the process. This reassures users that we’ve received their documents and allows us to keep users informed if their case is going to take longer than expected due to its complexity.
In addition, we introduced a shared platform for all our inheritance tax forms. This system reduces the number of emails we receive, allowing us to search for queries more easily and speed up the process.
“The probate service is less accessible and more impersonal since registry offices closed”
Our digital service and dedicated helpline offers more choice. The online service allows people to apply, pay and swear a statement of truth online at any time, no matter where they are. For most, this will mean that they will no longer need to visit a probate registry or solicitor’s office. This speeds up the process and makes it more convenient.
It’s also easier to get help with applications, as our dedicated helpline is open for longer. Anyone can call from 8am to 6pm on weekdays, and 8am to 2pm on Saturdays. Through extended opening hours and popular webchat service, we’re answering an extra 450 customer queries each week.
We’ve invested a lot in our people and you can see this in some of the comments our call handling team receive. Just recently, an applicant said this about one of our service centre agents:
“I would like to emphasise how incredible Yasmin was in my second call correcting the information I was told earlier [and]setting my mind at ease… She was very kind and thoughtful, which is greatly appreciated when having to go over things in relation to my mother's death.”
I find comments like these very heartening. They show the value of investing in our people. We’re continuing to review our approach to training new staff in call handling. We’re improving their understanding of the process and making sure they’re supported by more experienced colleagues in the early stages.
Find out how to apply for probate, or get help with your application.
[English] - [Cymraeg]
Wrth i’r cyfyngiadau llacio a ninnau’n dod i ddiwedd y cyfnod clo diweddaraf, rwyf wedi bod yn myfyrio ar yr effaith enfawr y mae’r pandemig wedi’i gael ar fywydau pawb. Mae wedi gadael hoel arnom mewn ffyrdd y byddwn ni byth wedi gallu eu dychmygu; ac yn drist iawn, mae wedi golygu bod rhai ohonom wedi colli ein hanwyliaid.
Ar gyfer y rhai hynny sydd wedi gorfod ymdopi â phrofedigaeth – ac yn anffodus mae fy nheulu i, fel llawer o deuluoedd eraill wedi profi hyn – rwy’n gwybod bod hyn wedi bod yn gyfnod ofnadwy o heriol. Ein nod yn y gwasanaeth profiant yw lleddfu’r baich i’r bobl sy’n galaru, trwy wneud y broses o wneud cais am brofiant mor hawdd ag sy’n bosibl.
Yn y misoedd diwethaf rydym wedi gwella’r gwasanaeth a’i wneud yn fwy effeithlon mewn sawl ffordd. Byddaf yn esbonio’r mesurau hyn trwy edrych at sut rydym wedi ymateb i 3 problem cyffredin gyda’r gwasanaeth yr adroddwyd amdanynt.
“Mae pobl yn aros am fisoedd am broses oedd yn arfer cymryd ychydig wythnosau”
Mae rhai achosion yn anoddach i ymdrin â nhw nac eraill, ac felly mae’n cymryd yn hirach i’w cwblhau. Fodd bynnag, mae’r nifer helaeth yn achosion safonol y gallwn eu cwblhau yn gyflym. Rydym eisiau sicrhau ein bod yn agored ac yn dryloyw o ran pa mor hir mae’n cymryd i gwblhau achosion felly bu inni gyhoeddi dadansoddiad o amseroedd aros yn ddiweddar.
Ar hyn o bryd, ar gyfer ceisiadau digidol safonol, mae’n cymryd llai nag wythnos i roi grant profiant ar ôl inni gael y dogfennau cywir. Mae’n deg dweud bod ein baich gwaith wedi cynyddu’n sylweddol yn ystod y brig achosion yn ystod y gaeaf ac ail don y pandemig. Fodd bynnag, ni wnaeth yr amser ar gyfartaledd ar gyfer rhoi grantiau gynyddu tu hwnt i 6 wythnos.
Gallwn gwblhau achosion digidol yn gyflymach na cheisiadau papur, felly rydym yn annog mwy o bobl i wneud cais ar-lein. Rydym yn gwneud hyn trwy gyd-weithio â sefydliadau fel Cyngor ar Bopeth, gwasanaethau angladdau a Swyddfa’r Gwarcheidwad Cyhoeddus.
Oherwydd bod ceisiadau cymhleth yn aml yn gofyn am wybodaeth arbenigol, maen nhw’n cymryd yn hirach i’w datrys. Cydnabyddwn fod hyn yn faes sydd angen ei wella. Felly, yn gynharach eleni, bu inni lunio cynllun gweithredu i helpu i gyflymu’r broses a lleihau nifer y cwynion. O ganlyniad, rydym wedi lleihau nifer yr achosion cymhleth sy’n aros i gael eu prosesu o 75% ers mis Chwefror 2021, ac nid oes unrhyw achos cymhleth yn aros i gael ei brosesu am fwy na 10 wythnos. Rydym hefyd wedi cysylltu â phob ceisydd sydd ag achos sy’n aros i gael ei brosesu i’w diweddaru ar sut mae’n cael ei drin.
“Mae cwsmeriaid yn aros i fyny at awr ar y ffôn i siarad gydag asiant”
Rydym yn rhoi mesurau ar waith i wella ein gwasanaeth cwsmeriaid, ac yn y misoedd diwethaf rydym wedi lleihau’r amser aros ar gyfartaledd ar gyfer galwadau profiant o 19 munud i 7 munud ac rydym wedi ymrwymo i wella hwn ymhellach. Rydym wedi cyflawni hyn trwy gynyddu nifer yr arweinwyr tîm sy’n monitro galwadau i sicrhau bod yr wybodaeth gywir yn cael ei rhoi, darparu mwy o hyfforddiant, ymestyn oriau agor ein gwasanaeth a chyflwyno system dechnoleg integredig newydd sy’n lleihau amseroedd aros ac yn ein galluogi i ateb mwy o alwadau. Byddwn yn parhau i adolygu a gwella’r profiad i gwsmeriaid yn yr wythnosau i ddod.
Rydym hefyd wedi bod yn gweithio gyda’n defnyddwyr proffesiynol i wella’r dangosfyrddau ar-lein ar gyfer achosion digidol, sy’n eu galluogi i dracio cynnydd achos yn amser real, ynghyd â gwella’r hysbysiadau a anfonir ym mhob cam o’r broses. Mae hyn yn darparu sicrwydd ein bod wedi cael eich dogfennau ac mae’n ein galluogi i’ch hysbysu os bydd eich achos yn cymryd yn hirach na’r disgwyl oherwydd ei gymhlethdod.
Hefyd, rydym wedi cyflwyno platfform a rennir ar gyfer yr holl ffurflenni treth etifeddiant rydym yn eu cael. Mae’r system hon yn lleihau nifer y negeseuon e-bost a gawn am ffurflenni o’r fath, gan ein galluogi i chwilio am ymholiadau yn rhwyddach ac felly’n cyflymu’r broses.
“Mae’r gwasanaeth profiant yn llai hygyrch ac yn fwy amhersonol ers i’r cofrestrfeydd gau”
Trwy sefydlu gwasanaeth digidol a darparu llinell gymorth bwrpasol, rydym yn rhoi mwy o ddewis i’n cwsmeriaid. Mae’r gwasanaeth ar-lein yn galluogi i bobl wneud cais, talu a thyngu datganiad gwirionedd ar lein unrhyw adeg, ni waeth lle maen nhw. I’r mwyafrif o bobl, bydd hyn yn golygu ni fydd rhaid iddynt ymweld â chofrestrfa brofiant na swyddfa cyfreithiwr - gan gyflymu’r broses a’i gwneud yn fwy cyfleus.
Mae’n haws cael cymorth gyda cheisiadau hefyd, oherwydd mae ein llinell gymorth bwrpasol yn golygu bod cyngor ar gael am gyfnodau hirach. Gall unrhyw un ffonio ein llinell gymorth rhwng 8.00am a 18:00pm dydd Llun i ddydd Gwener a rhwng 8:00am – 14:00pm ar ddyddiau Sadwrn. Trwy ymestyn yr oriau agor a’n gwasanaeth sgwrsio dros y we poblogaidd, rydym wedi gallu ateb 450 o ymholiadau ychwanegol gan gwsmeriaid bob wythnos.
. Rydym wedi buddsoddi llawer yn ein pobl ac rwy’n meddwl y gallwch weld hyn yn rhai o’r sylwadau mae ein tîm trin galwadau yn eu cael. Ysgrifennodd geisydd atom yn ddiweddar i ddweud y canlynol am un o’n asiantau o’r ganolfan gwasanaethau:
“Hoffwn bwysleisio pa mor anhygoel oedd Yasmin yn ystod fy ail alwad, gan gywiro’r wybodaeth a gefais yn flaenorol [a] thawelu fy meddwl. Roedd hi’n glên ac yn ystyriol iawn ac roeddwn i’n gwerthfawrogi hyn yn fawr pan oeddwn i’n gorfod ymdrin â materion ynghylch marwolaeth fy mam.”
Mae sylwadau fel hyn yn galonogol iawn, oherwydd mae’n dangos y gwerth o fuddsoddi yn ein pobl. Rydym yn parhau i adolygu ein dull ar gyfer hyfforddi staff newydd i drin galwadau, trwy wella eu dealltwriaeth o’r broses a sicrhau eu bod yn cael cefnogaeth gan gydweithwyr mwy profiadol i ddechrau.
Os oes arnoch angen gwneud cais am brofiant, neu os oes arnoch angen cymorth i wneud hynny, mae manylion llawn am ein gwasanaethau profiant ar gael yn gov.uk .
4 comments
Comment by James Briggs posted on
I am a probate solicitor, and I have to say that this does not accord with the experience of the profession.
While I agree that there have been marked improvements to the processing times for very straightforward applications, we are finding that cases that are deemed to be complex (which seems to be anything even slightly out of the ordinary) lead to queries being raised and cases stopped. And as soon as that happens, it feels like there is no longer any sense of urgency to get matters resolved.
Indeed, I spoke to your helpline yesterday and was advised that you are currently working on cases that were stopped in January. This is nothing to do with how long it takes us to reply to your enquiries - it is how long it takes to look again at a case once it is marked as "stopped." That is a far cry from the "10 weeks" you mention above, leading me to wonder how this statistic is arrived at.
Comment by David Webb posted on
None of this resonates with me, or judging by the volume of SFE posts concerning the probate service, with most other professional practitioners. The comments made in this blog must relate to some other reality I am not aware of. This appears to be pure propaganda and hype. Earlier this year I partook in the User Experience programme aimed at improving the probate service, and I felt that it had the potential to serve a purpose, but then it just disappeared. A great shame and a wasted investment of time (mine) and money (the taxpayer's).
Comment by HMCTS Communications posted on
Hi David, thanks for your comment. Our team are working hard to continue to improve the service and welcome all feedback. We have passed on your comments to our service team. We have also shared your details with our user experience team, who we understand you’ve been in contact with before. They will ensure you are contacted for any future insight work with probate practitioners. Thank you again for your feedback.
Comment by HMCTS Communications posted on
Hi James, thanks for your comment. Our team are working hard to continue to improve the service and welcome all feedback. As outlined in the blog post, some probate cases can more difficult to deal with than others and will take longer to complete. The 10-week timescale published relates to complex probate cases where we need either additional supporting evidence from multiple sources or expertise to resolve. We always try to resolve these queries at the earliest opportunity. We understand that the grant you spoke to our helpline about has now been issued and that the probate team are in touch directly to get your feedback to inform future changes and improvements. We also updated the language in the blog to clarify this. We hope this helps.