The letter should have been phrased:
Our condolences,
According to our records, the recipient of these benefits, Mr. __________ is deceased. If this is in error, the recipient will need to reapply for benefits. Again, if this is the case, they should be sure to bring appropriate identification when they do so.
Yes, you are right, would that have been sooooo hard?
I always remember years ago I applied for a job at a bank (or maybe credit union) associated with some trade union, it was actually located in Union Square in NYC. It was a low level file clerk job, I’m sure I would have been very bad at it, and in the end I didn’t get it, which was OK.
However, what happened was this: I go on the interview, they say “we’ll let you know” and I go on my merry way. Weeks, several weeks, later I get a letter in the mail.
It was a form letter which was so rude and unfeeling, well, how can I put this? - it really stuned my beeber.
Basically it said: please be advised that we have found you to be not qualified for the position you applied for and therefore we are not offering you a job at this time.
To borrow from your post, brumuy, why could it not have said: we’re sorry to say we cannot hire you for the position you applied for, thank you for your time.
That letter made it sound like I had wasted their time, that I had been a great bother to them, and that I should pretty well go jump in a lake.
And this was a UNION, for the little guy, or so I thought!
It was very hurtfully phrased, for no reason, it was a form letter.
Now, I myself didn’t really care, I might have already found a job, I’d certainly given up on that one. But all I could think was what if my heart had been set on that bank job, what if I was counting on it, if it was my only hope? And then to get a letter like that?
Well, I’ve always been pretty conservative, but like most folks who grew up in NYC I believed in Unions, etc. That experience really opened my eyes.
I’ll never forget it, because it really was a part of the things that changed my world view.