I noticed that in the comments section of the post about my smug admin phase, there were quite a lot of references to the sort of admin that happens after someone has died.
My husband always says about the death of his father, “The good thing about your dad dying is that it only happens once.” And although that sounds a bit mad there is a lot of wisdom in this. I have got to 42 without experiencing any significant bereavement and so I have the death of my father, my mother and other assorted close relatives and friends still on the balance sheet to be account for. I try not to think about it too much, but when I do the thing that causes me the most anxiety, (because it’s an experience I can relate to), is the paperwork. The paperwork associated with a bereavement has always struck me as cruel. Callous, even.
This sort of thing seems to be all my father thinks about. He is a major hypochondriac and has been predicting his untimely death every year since 1986. He will be 88 this year, so at least there are now genuinely some things wrong with him rather than totally imaginary stomach cancers and brain tumours. “I basically live in the Royal Free,” he said cheerfully the other week. (He will have reorganised their filing system.) “I’ve got prostate cancer, of course,” is another gem.
Anyway due to this terminal, chronic hypochondria my father’s post-life paperwork is in pretty good shape and he hurriedly gave me, (probably after the last “heart attack”), Power of Attorney. So that’s that sorted. But what else?
I know this isn’t a nice topic but the fact is that I’m sure that there are things that you can do now, and then forget about until the time comes, that will ease the insidious paperwork burden, which is awful at the best of times. Awful. I also happen to know you are a repository of this vital information and aren’t you itching to share? I know I would be. If we don’t get at least one comment that runs to 250 words, split into numbered sections I will be super disappointed.
Please share that and any other advice with the group using the handy box below.
Death Certificates - you need six or seven, and they’re much easier ordered at the start.
Bank account - leave one open if you can - the only drawback of Tell Me Once is that I think it closes them all. You will inevitably get at least one refund cheque made out to the deceased, and it takes so, so long to sort that out. If you can just stuff it into an account that's already there it’s so much easier. It’s fine to close it just before the estate has been wound up, assuming it’s got not much more than a few hundred quid in it.
Expenses. Goodness, it really IS expensive. The bank should let you claim the funeral and wake expenses from the deceased’s account, if they have the money, and I’m fairly sure the funeral director can directly bill the bank, though I’m not 100% sure. They (undertakers) are very used to people not knowing what funerals cost, and being worried about how to suddenly find the funds, so for heaven’s sake if you are fretting about the cost, swallow your pride and talk to them about it! (We’ve done five funerals in twelve years with the same undertakers, and they get quite chatty after a bit. Unnerving, that, but nice too.) My father in law was sufficiently sensible that he transferred a fair sum to my husband before he died, so that the funeral was covered and the running costs of the house (and dog) were taken care of for the first few months. Because obviously, if you will be selling the house, you can’t just turn off the water and gas etc.
BT. If you tell BT that the account holder has died they won’t charge you for ending the contract early. They will also let you keep the phone running if you need it. If you tell them the account holder has died, and they don’t make a note of it, it will take you four months, seven bills and six different calls to six different people before they eventually close the account three months after the new occupants have moved into the house. FUCK, BT were so incredibly, unbelievably bad at their job. And I was calling the bereavement line every single time. They did answer the phone really fast though (you have to use the search button for ‘someone has died’ to find the number).
Noticed this in today’s Telegraph, and seeing so many houses can be worth so much now, it’s critical to know about
“You can pass on assets of unlimited value to a spouse or civil partner with no IHT (inheritance tax) liability. According to HMRC, such transfers saved spouses a collective £2.6bn in 2019-20, the most recent year for which data is available.
Since the rules changed in 2007, spouses have also been able to inherit their partner’s unused nil-rate band when they die. This means the surviving spouse could see their allowance grow to £650,000.
********IMPORTANT BIT******
However the unused allowance is not passed on automatically. You must make a formal claim to HMRC within two years of the death of the surviving spouse – otherwise your family could face an unnecessary tax bill.”