The new vital records system that was released earlier this month is causing some long delays for families.

Soon after the state switched to the new system, called DRIVE, on Jan. 4, funeral homes started reported a backlog in death certificates.

The co-owner of McGann Hay funeral homes, Patrick McGann, tells the South Bend Tribune he was waiting for about two dozen pending death certificates.

He says that delays the ability of families to collect life insurance money, open an estate, and pay a deceased person’s bills.