Pre pay funerals

Savvy_Sue

MrsE wrote: »

Could I not buy it on her behalf?

Mojisola wrote: »

I don't know.

It's not entirely clear what you're asking, MrsE.

If you have Power of Attorney over your mum's affairs, then you can spend her money as she would have done. Would she have bought a pre-paid funeral plan at this stage? And does the bank know you have a card for your mum's current account?

Also I note that some of her money is in your sister's account: do you realise that if it's a joint account, when your mum dies, the money passes into your sister's name, it's regarded as being her money?

soolin

I just wanted to add that my Dad had a pre paid funeral plan with the Co op and it made the process when he died a lot easier to manage. I just took the bond to the co op and my sister and I just picked out what we wanted (that depends on the level of the bond) and we left. No need to make arranagments for getting money or working out how to pay before probate. I'm pleased he had it. His cost around £3000 and he had only had it 4-5 years and that covered everything except for an extra car that we booked.

Dad had dementia and I honestly thought he would go on for ever, but as soon as the home realised that something had changed they had him blue lighted to hospital and he died there. The hospital kept Dad for a day or two until the coroner said they didn't need an autopsy and then we had to make the arrangements, but Co Op already had that in place and moved him somewhere for a while and only took him to the chapel of rest 48 hours before the funeral.

Apparently all the crem/church fees went up recently but the bond covered all those increases.

dzug1

MrsE wrote: »

Could I not buy it on her behalf?

Unless you have Power of Attorney, then not legally. Even then it's debatable as to whether it's in your mum's best interest (and allowed) or yours (not allowed)

You can buy it and pay for it yourself though

Ken68

I think undertakers expect to wait for their money and relatives or solicitor can apply for release of funds prior to probate if needed.
Also I read years ago that a body could remain at the County Mortuary for a month free of charge, not sure if this still applies. And undertakers do have a budget cremation system, not advertised. Just no hymns no limousines perhaps no service.

Biggles

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

And does the bank know you have a card for your mum's current account?

Also I note that some of her money is in your sister's account: do you realise that if it's a joint account, when your mum dies, the money passes into your sister's name, it's regarded as being her money?

It does look as though everything has the potential to go pearshaped unless you and your sister have a very good understanding.

Some of the money in an account in her name - which is now legally her money. I presume that's to defraud the benefit system by making it seem that your mother has less funds than she really does?

And some in an account to which you have a card, which you are presumably using illegally (or, at least, contrary to the bank's terms & conditions and without your mother being in a state to authorise its use).

None of that is a good idea, though it may have seemed a convenient arrangement at the time.

You should really get this on a regular basis by returning the funds to her account and by getting a power of attorney completed urgently if she still has times when she is well enough to sign one.

jay1181

Biggles wrote: »

I does look as though everything has the potential to go pearshaped unless you and your sister have a very good understanding.

Some of the money in an account in her name - which is legally her money. I presume that's to defraud the benefit system by making it seem that your mother has less funds than she really does?

And some in an account to which you have a card, which you are presumably using illegally (or, at least, contrary to the bank's terms & conditions and without your mother being in a state to authorise its use).

None of that is a good idea, though it may have seemed a convenient arrangement at the time.

You should really get this on a regular basis by returning the funds to her account and by getting a power of attorney completed urgently if she still has times when she is well enough to sign one.

hi as i said in another post on here we have just went through this with my grandmother. We had to have power of attorney to buy the plan for her as she would have had to sign for it. but if your mother is not of sound mind at this stage them you will not be able to do the easy route of getting power of attorney due to her having dementia. You would have to go thru the courts a long and expensive affair belive me. English law may be different though as we live in scotland.
I wish you luck and hope it all turns out how you hoped but if your mother has money in other peoples accounts and you/her havent declared it for benifit purposes when the time comes the money would go to whoevers name is on the account and not to or bothers sisters ect and if dwp find out they will claim ALL the money overpaid to your mum back thru her estate eg money in other accounts houses saving polices ect ect please dont learn the hard way and get this sorted BEFORE it all goes pairshaped.

MrsE_2

Biggles wrote: »

It does look as though everything has the potential to go pearshaped unless you and your sister have a very good understanding.

Some of the money in an account in her name - which is now legally her money. I presume that's to defraud the benefit system by making it seem that your mother has less funds than she really does?

No, its only 4-5K, my mum asked her to look after it for her funeral costs

And some in an account to which you have a card, which you are presumably using illegally (or, at least, contrary to the bank's terms & conditions and without your mother being in a state to authorise its use).

I pay her care home fees & any other bits, but she doesn't want any other bits anymore.

None of that is a good idea, though it may have seemed a convenient arrangement at the time.

You should really get this on a regular basis by returning the funds to her account and by getting a power of attorney completed urgently if she still has times when she is well enough to sign one.

She doesn't:(

MrsE_2

jay1181 wrote: »

hi as i said in another post on here we have just went through this with my grandmother. We had to have power of attorney to buy the plan for her as she would have had to sign for it. but if your mother is not of sound mind at this stage them you will not be able to do the easy route of getting power of attorney due to her having dementia. You would have to go thru the courts a long and expensive affair belive me. English law may be different though as we live in scotland.
I wish you luck and hope it all turns out how you hoped but if your mother has money in other peoples accounts and you/her havent declared it for benifit purposes when the time comes the money would go to whoevers name is on the account and not to or bothers sisters ect and if dwp find out they will claim ALL the money overpaid to your mum back thru her estate eg money in other accounts houses saving polices ect ect please dont learn the hard way and get this sorted BEFORE it all goes pairshaped.

We are talking about 8k here, in total. 4k of that is for her funeral. There is no attempt at fraud. She has saved it from her pension as she spends nothing.

hcb42

sorry about your situation, although equally I am not sure what you are trying to achieve by buying this prepayment scheme at this time, if you have the money anyway.

I have arranged both my parents funerals over the last 2-3 years and the costs were about £2.5K including cars and basic catering in pub etc afterwards. (they had policies which they paid monthly for, so obviously spreading the cost, but buying in a lump sum, when you have the money, and don't have POA won't really benefit you anyway really.

Undertakers are extremely decent people - cost is dealt with sensitively and we didnt pay beforehand - we paid shortly afterwards with the insurance monies. If there is no insurance then funeral expenses may be paid for out of the deceased bank account without waiting for probate.

Not sure how you and sister are with these joint accounts though, that could complicate things for you unless neither of you is actually touching the monies and will honour the fact it is your mother's money even though you both have legal access to it at moment - (assuming you are named on the account and she hasnt just given you her bank cards. )

hcb42

PS I love your BE THANKFUL quote