Death remains one of the last taboos in the UK, with a nation unable to broach the subject amongst family and friends, according to research undertaken by the UK’s first digital legacy vault, Biscuit Tin.
The research for the Scots firm, which questioned over 1000 people from all walks of life, all over the UK, found that one third of respondents (36.6%) were yet to raise the subject of post life planning with their loved ones, despite the fact that over 71% voiced that they’d like to better understand their loved ones’ plans and wishes.
Two fifths (41%) of respondents sighted feeling uncomfortable talking about death as the main reason why they had not yet talked to their loved ones about their post life wishes. Other reasons given included the topic being too emotional, family members already being dead or that they felt they had nothing to leave behind.
Generally, the research found those surveyed had given very little thought to their own post life planning, with 35.7% falling into this category, followed by 42.7% who had given the topic some thought. Just over a fifth (21.6%) of respondents had either planned everything or had given a great deal of thought to their own post life plans. Of those who had given this area some thought, only 55.5% had shared their wishes with other family members.
Founder and CEO of Biscuit Tin, Sheila Hogan, a business architecture consultant, started the business following the painful experience of dealing with her parents’ estates after their passing.
She said: ‘This research shows that there is still a great reluctance to talk about death and post life wishes, particularly with loved ones. However, the research also confirmed that family would be keen to know about their loved ones’ wishes and plans in the event of their death.
‘Biscuit Tin, named after the old biscuit tin every family used to have to store important documentation, aims to bridge this gap and provides a way in which all post life wishes, accounts and documents can be passed down to family members digitally in a non-obtrusive or upsetting manner removing the taboo.
‘My own difficult experience of having to deal with my parents affairs whilst going through immense grief made me determined to make the whole process easier for other people. Biscuit Tin aims to make the closing down of a loved one’s life a much easier process than the very manual and protracted process it is today.’
Biscuit Tin is a new innovative online product, aiming to help people prepare for their death, whilst leaving those family members left behind with peace of mind and minimal stress following their bereavement. Biscuit Tin is a secure digital vault which can hold important documents, account details, memories and post life wishes. These are then released to nominated loved ones in the event of a death.
During the set-up of a Biscuit Tin account, customers can choose ‘nominees’ to be the executors of their digital vault, allowing access to all their data only when it is needed. A Biscuit Tin subscription costs £59.99 p.a., with the option of a 14-day free trial.
For more information log onto: www.biscuittin.co
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