Website of the UK government

Developed by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport's Humanitarian Assistance Unit (HAU) the pages are designed to provide the information that people are most likely to need in the medium to longer term following a major incident.

The advice, contacts and information have been gathered with the help of a number of bereaved families and survivors of previous major incidents. The pages will act as a gateway to provide practical information on a range of issues such as emotional and financial support, and will link to relevant sites and provide clear information about where to seek further help.

Tessa Jowell, Minister with responsibility for Humanitarian Assistance said: "Losing a loved one is always traumatic but those who lose loved ones as the result of terrorist attack or natural disasters often have the eyes of the world upon them. These families need to have easy access to where to find care, support and advice to help them through the practicalities of their loss and the emotional stress of grieving."

"Hearing the experiences of those affected by previous incidents and better understanding the care and support that people need has been critical in developing this site and I'd like to thank everyone for giving up their time.

"The government is keen to learn lessons from our response to previous incidents and these pages will provide the information that people are most likely to need in the medium and longer term following a major incident."

In November 2006, the National Audit Office published their report 'Reviews of the experiences of UK nationals affected by the Indian Ocean Tsunami'. This report, combined with the government's Lessons Learned from the 7 July London bombings, exposed the need for public access to information following a major incident.

Additional practical material would be made available on the website immediately after an incident occurs, offering prompt guidance and support for those affected.

Visit the pages

The new aftercare pages can be found in the Government, citizen and rights section of Directgov.

• Support after a major incident