The scale of loss across the UK since the pandemic has been laid bare in the report, Bereavement is everyone’s business, with around 750,000 excess bereavements during this period compared to the previous five years.
The UKCB found huge gaps in support for bereaved people. Over 40 per cent of adult respondents who wanted formal bereavement support said they did not get any. Of the bereaved children who contributed to the report, half said they did not get the support they needed from their schools and colleges.
The findings follow one of the largest ever consultations on bereavement support undertaken in the UK, which included over 1,000 adult and 100 child respondents to the UKCB’s survey and evidence submitted from over 130 organisations.
This has led to the UKCB calling for more funding from all governments in the UK, and it is sending a clear message that robust strategies to deal with bereavement now and in the future are desperately needed. In addition, the UKCB says schools and employers should be required to have a bereavement policy.
To read the full report and recommendations from the UKCB: https://bereavementcommission.org.uk/