MP urges kinder debt collection for bereaved older people

Icelandic MP Guðmundur Ingi Kristinsson has urged the Social Insurance Administration to show greater sensitivity when sending collection letters to older people who have lost a spouse, mbl.is reported.

Speaking in parliament, Kristinsson said bereaved people can receive coldly worded demands and be directed to the island.is website for information. “Are these letters sent by artificial intelligence? These letters are stone dead; they are just debt collection,” he said. “Send letters people can understand and give them time.”

He said some people who had recently lost a spouse received demands from the Social Insurance Administration or tax authorities without knowing how to respond. In some cases, the deceased spouse had handled all the household finances.

Kristinsson said extra consideration should also be given to older people, people with disabilities and those with dementia or other conditions that make it difficult to navigate the system. He called on the administration to proactively offer appointments with staff who could review people’s cases and explain the next steps.

He also said the authorities should consider cancelling claims in exceptional circumstances, adding that offering people guidance “does not cost anything.”