terminal illness and debt-help!!

casey

My dad has been diagnosed with a terminal illness and I have discovered that he has an £8000 debt. It is obviously a difficult time and this is the last thing I want to be talking about with him but I am concerned that when the time comes I may be responsible for paying this debt back.
He doesn't own his own property and has no savings so can someone please offer any advice about where I stand.
Many Thanks

belfastgirl23

HI Casey

Really sorry to hear your news. I'm wondering if you might get a better response to this on the debt free wannabe board? The people there are very helpful and friendly and I would guess that some of them will have been in this situation as well.

Also just to say if your father is suffering from cancer, Macmillan have a financial advice line that might be helpful.

Sorry I don't have anything else to offer on this...

Breeza_2

Sorry to hear your news about your dad. I am fairly sure that you wont be responsible for paying his debt. In the event of his death the debt he owes can be recovered from his estate if there is any money. When my mil partner died last year he had a few credit card debts and there was no money in his estate and all we had to do was send copys of death certificate and they wiped the debt.

chilli_dog

Hey Casey,

Sorry about your situation.

Your dads debts will be paid via any assets or cash in his estate, if there is none then the debts will be cleared.

You wont be liable for any debts.

Lorne

I would also advise you to contact MacMillan, they have fantastic financial advice teams and there will be one locally to you. I contact them regularly through my work and they are really helpful. There are benefits that your father will be entitled to now so it would definitely be beneficial to contact them.

casey

Thankyou all for your replies. Would it be my responsibility to inform the debt management company of his death, or do they trace me as next of kin. Dad is unaware that I know of this debt.

skylight

Hi there. Big hugs to you and your Dad.

Your Dad's debt belongs soley to him (assuming that it is a single debt and someone else has not jointly signed for it with him). Upon his passing, all debts will be payable from his estate and only his estate. If there is no estate then the debts will pass with him. You cannot pass on a debt in this circumstances. Sadly, some creditors have been know to use this period when you are at your most vulnerable and try to convince you otherwise. If this were to happen, contact CAB immediately or post back on MSE again (DFW board - best place).

In the meantime, take care.
xx

blossomcat

Im so sorry to hear your news, the advice that has been given is great, but did you know you dad can claim a benifit , that terminal people get about £50 a week , to help with all sorts of things , with my parents we used this money for taxis to and from hospital , and nice treats for them

good luck and take care.xx

wolfehouse

as blossomcat says above you can claim dla or aa via the special rules
http://www.patient.co.uk/showdoc/23069010/

sorry about your news

Hardup_Hester

Hi
When my mother died a few years ago she left nothing, living in rented property & on benefits. She had very little debt fortunately, only £100, I had a lot of hassle from the companies concerned, putting pressure on me to pay, trying to make me think I was responsible for her debts. When I explained that I knew my rights & that I wasn't responsible they then tried guilt me into paying, saying thing about how her dying in debt would ruin her good name. I had to be extremley assertive (stroppy) to get them to stop calling me, I ended up threatening legal action & bad publicity, this seemed to work. The company I had the most trouble with was Marks & Spencer, she owed them the grand amount of £30. Losing my mum was bad enough, she was only 64, but everything was made a lot worse by the attitiude of these companies.

skylight

Oh Hester - thats horrible. I think you should have complained to the OFT anyway.