{"links":{"self":"https://preview.epetitions.website/archived/petitions/66299.json"},"data":{"type":"archived-petition","id":66299,"parliament":{"period":"2010-2015","government":"Conservative – Liberal Democrat coalition","dissolution_at":"2015-03-30T23:59:59.000+01:00","response_threshold":10000,"debate_threshold":100000},"attributes":{"action":"Claiming benefits - bi-annual certification of claimant","background":null,"additional_details":"Headline - 'Families Claim £76 million pensions of the dead'.  This must stop.\r\n\r\nBack in the 1980's insurance companies would contact pension or annuity holders every 3-5 years.  The claimant would be required to go to his bank/building society with proof of ID and sign a form to confirm he/she was alive and still entitled to the money.  Failure to take action would result in the pension stopping.\r\n\r\nEvery week stories come out of benefits being paid 'beyond the grave', and the only way to stop this is a simple process of certification. With suitable notice periods, there is no reason why genuine claimants that are still alive would not continue to be paid.  On-line certification could be done via the post office, banks and solicitors offices. There would be a small cost of implementation, but the long-term savings to the public purse would soon be realised.\r\n\r\nWith an ageing population, and hence more claimants this is an area the government should take action on.","committee_note":null,"state":"closed","signature_count":3,"created_at":"2014-06-12T12:57:25.000Z","updated_at":"2020-02-16T19:30:02.824Z","rejected_at":null,"opened_at":"2014-06-12T13:19:33.000Z","closed_at":"2015-03-30T22:59:59.000Z","moderation_threshold_reached_at":"2014-06-12T12:57:25.000Z","response_threshold_reached_at":null,"government_response_at":null,"debate_threshold_reached_at":null,"debate_scheduled_at":null,"scheduled_debate_date":null,"debate_outcome_at":null,"rejection":null,"government_response":null,"debate":null,"departments":[],"topics":[],"signatures_by_country":[],"signatures_by_constituency":[],"signatures_by_region":[],"other_parliamentary_business":[]}}}