Few people over the age of 65 have made provisions to allow next of kin access to their digital activities after death, a survey by SeniorWeb has shown.

Some 77% of SeniorWeb members have only made partial provisions, or none at all, the survey showed, with potentially serious consequences, such as relatives being unable to end subscriptions, social media accounts and photos.

Some people said that to put their digital house in order was “too confrontational” or put it off because it was too complicated. Some 78% said they wanted more information on what to do.

Some 18% of seniors have had dealings with others who left relatives without a clue to their digital activities. “The person who died had left no clues, no passwords, nothing. His wife didn’t know anything. It turned into a giant search,” one respondent said.

According to SeniorWeb, platforms and organisations are often unprepared to help in the absence of the right data. “It took ages to get permission at the various organisations, even with official proof I was the executor of the will,” one respondent said. Others said that they are still unable to remove a Facebook account by email and even by providing a death certificate.

Making arrangements for others to end your digital presence brings “peace of mind”, one relative said. “There was a list of passwords and bank authorisation had been granted to two of the children. That prevented a lot of hassle,” he said.