Can i cope with applying for probate on my own?

Biggles

Pollycat wrote: »

All this letter means is that they are reinstating the DD now Mum isn't entitled to CTB & HB.

You've summed it up really. There are probably two departments involved and this is just the standard letter from the payments department, that's all.

The change of name will probably follow, I wouldn't worry about it. I think I'm still getting one bill with my late wife's name on it, 18 months down the line. It's just something you get used to, there are always people out there who don't know/haven't changed their records.

Pollycat

So am I'm being unreasonable to expect a (fairly small) council to have joined-up processes to avoid distress to recently-bereaved widows and widowers?

Pollycat

Biggles wrote: »

You've summed it up really. There are probably two departments involved and this is just the standard letter from the payments department, that's all.

The change of name will probably follow, I wouldn't worry about it. I think I'm still getting one bill with my late wife's name on it, 18 months down the line. It's just something you get used to, there are always people out there who don't know/haven't changed their records.

But they DO know and they SHOULD have changed their records!

Pollycat

OK, so the local council don't have joined-up processes. :wall:

However, the person I complained to did agree that when one department gets a letter specifically saying that:

I would be pleased if you could transfer the rent agreement into my name and arrange to send all letters regarding rent and council tax to me in my name from now on.

and

I wish to authorise my daughter, Pollycat, to be able to act as my representative regarding council matters from the date of this letter.

it's not unreasonable to expect that the Dept that received this request should have passed it on to other relevant Depts.
Failing that, they should have advised me that I would need to advise Dept X and Dept Y separately, instead of me expecting it to happen from one letter.

The Dept I spoke to (Housing) also confirmed that they did not have Mum's authorisation for me to act as her representative. :wall:

Do I have to go to the offices and visit every desk and verbally pass on the message?

Errata

Polly - it's not worth getting worked up about. Just ring them and tell them there's been some confusion somewhere and can it get straightened out over the phone? They may insist on speaking to your mum as she's the tenant, not you, or need something in writing from her, not you (you've said you wrote to them).
Councils don't indulge in cockups for the pleasure of irritating their customers, it's just that sometimes things go wrong, departments are on no-speaks with each other, one department or section acts more swiftly than other.
HTH

Pollycat

......and breathe.....

Thanks Errata.

Pollycat

Apparently, I need to write to the Housing Dept, the Council Tax Dept and the Benefit Dept as none are joined up.

Alternatively, how easy would it have been for the actual recipient of the letter from my Mum to the Benefits Dept of the council stating

I would be pleased if you could transfer the rent agreement into my name and arrange to send all letters regarding rent and council tax to me in my name from now on.

I wish to authorise my daughter, Pollycat, to be able to act as my representative regarding council matters from the date of this letter.

to photocopy it twice, highlight the relevant bits and send it to the 2 other Depts involved.......

Obviously my expectations are far too high.

Savvy_Sue

Pollycat, rant away on here, I'm sorry you had such an experience, I found our council dealt with the CT discount very promptly but there were no other depts involved.

But as Errata says, they don't do this on purpose. Even when it feels like it!

It's also possible that re-assigning the tenancy into Mum's name alone isn't something which can be done with a click of a mouse, but needs to be checked, so that could explain the delay there.

It's tricky: there are reasons why one dept doesn't / can't speak to another, but it's a shame that you can't be told this to start with, or that the normal processes can't be adapted in some situations.

Historically, I believe there's been a metaphorical wall around the electoral registration section of the council, so that whether you were registered [or not] for the little lamented poll tax couldn't be used to stop you voting. You might therefore want to speak to them or Dad's name may appear on next year's electoral registration form - I don't think they get updated from death registrations but could be wrong. I believe the register is still 'in preparation'.

BTW, did you get a form to send off to the Mailing Preference Service to notify them of Dad's death? It's a special bereavement service, It was in one of the booklets I got, either from the hospital or when I registered Dad's death.

John_Pierpoint

Hi Polllycat,

Was your dad paying income tax? Most pensioners do, as the "Condems" raised the ordinary personal allowance but did not do much for the "Pensioners" extra allowance.

As dad has timed his demise for half way through the tax year, there could be a rebate waiting for you to claim as he will have had a full year's allowance but only 6 month's income.

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/incometax/claim-for-deceased.htm

As nearly 2,0000 people per working day pass away in this country so you would think all major organisations would be geared up to sort out things correctly. Well about 15 percent make a real hash of things, at least that has been my experience.

Having replies addressed to the deceased, living over 50 miles away, is not unusual. Sometimes it is done on purpose to check that the person really is dead.

http://www.kentonline.co.uk/kentonline/news/2011-1/september/30/death_faker_mcearlean.aspx

Pollycat

OK guys, it's safe to come out from under the bed - I've calmed down now. :rotfl:

Actually, I spoke to the really nice lady from the council who'd signed the letter about 'requesting to pay by DD' and she ran round a bit on my behalf to talk to a few people and rang me back.

She did agree with me that the Dept that received the letter about transferring the account into Mum's name AND authorising me to talk to the council (Benefits Dept) should have passed it onto the other 2 Depts (Housing and Council Tax) but didn't.

Apparently this Dept did try to tell her that they'd only received Mum's letter and copy of the death cert a few days ago but they were lying because we hand delivered it on the 12th September - confirmed by the date of the letter on my PC and my (anal) spreadsheet of "things to do".
I don't for one minute believe that it took 3 weeks for 2 pieces of paper to make their way up a flight of stairs from Reception in the same building.
But, Hey Ho!

John - thanks for that.
I rang HMRC (on 16/9 according to my trusty spreadsheet ) who sent me a form to complete detailing Dad's income from pensions, benefits and savings.

It took me a while as I had to access their bank details and split out what was half Mum's income (e.g. Pension Credit up to the date DWP 'dis-associated' them and half of the interest from savings).

I wrote a letter explaining where all the figures had come from and posted that on 28/9 (again as per spreadsheet ).

According to HMRC (when I first rang them) Dad was paying a very small amount on his occupational pension (definitely not paying tax on his benefits and not on his savings as we'd done form R85), I'd no idea he was paying tax as these pensions had been in payment for many years.
I've asked for a refund of any tax he shouldn't have paid to be paid to my Mum.

Re the link to Kent times - what a naughty guy he was for faking his own death!

SavvySue
Yes, I did get the form, thanks.
I've been holding off as I wanted to get everything sorted but I think it's about time we completed it.

Thanks for listening, chaps. :T