Probate question

PCDIMWIT

Can someone advise me which is the correct forum to post this question? I dont see a forum category specifically for wills and probate, here goes:-

I have the probate to act as executor for a relative who died intestate, I have the letters of administration etc.,
I have estableished that there is no libability for tax on the estate of this relative.
I have obtained back bank statements from the bank account (that I know of) which was the current account of the relative.
I have seen all the utility and STATE PENSION and Attendance allowance payments to the relative for the Current Account I KNOW of.

I have a problem in that I KNOW my relative was being paid a pension from the civil service, she was a job centre manager
and worked for what was the DHSS at the time., and had worked for this govt. dept. for at least 30 years.

I cannot find any details of the relative's DHSS pension (which I believe was a substantial pension as it was paying for
care home fees of relative)

My question is: Who should I approach to find out the details of relatives Civil Service pension and into which bank account
it was paid?? What documents will I have to send to the Pension fund/paying office other than a copy of the letters of administration?

Hope you can help and point me in the right direction.
PCDIMWIT

tabby_cats_mum

Capita Hartshead administer civil service pensions, phone number 0870 169 9700. They will send you the relevant forms, I have found them very helpful.
I would also ring the council local to them and speak to the care service, they may have helped administer the payment of the care home fees.
Also ring the DWP on 0845 6060285.
I'm currently dealing with the estate of a deceased civil servant who was in a care home and these are the people I've been dealing with.
Good luck.

esuhl

Maybe the Pensions Tracing Service could help (I think they're a government-scheme or part of the HMRC - not a private company).

More info (including phone number and application form) here:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Pensionsandretirementplanning/Companyandpersonalpensions/DG_10027189

PCDIMWIT

thanks for that, Will the DWP be able to tell me which bank account the relatives Civil Service pension was paid into? I assume that with the N.I. number they will know all of the accounts that were held? We think there are some accounts we dont know about (apart from trying to find out which bank account the Civil Service pension was paid into - and obviously it is ONLY that bank which will release statmements to me as the executor on presentation of a copy of the letters of administration). do you also know about the NS&I?? I have heard there is a single form that can be filled in to find out if the relative had ANY NS&I savings products, we know that there are some savings certs. but not sure about other savings products. Thanks alot PCDIMIWT

atush

I know the money isn't 'lost' as the death was recent. But isn't there a lost assets register you could check that would cover bnk accts as well as other seet accts?

anmarj

PCDIMWIT wrote: »

thanks for that, Will the DWP be able to tell me which bank account the relatives Civil Service pension was paid into? I assume that with the N.I. number they will know all of the accounts that were held? We think there are some accounts we dont know about (apart from trying to find out which bank account the Civil Service pension was paid into - and obviously it is ONLY that bank which will release statmements to me as the executor on presentation of a copy of the letters of administration).

the dwp will not disclosed any bank information and if the bank account is different to the one that the state pension went into they are not going to have that info anyway.

esuhl

PCDIMWIT wrote: »

thanks for that, Will the DWP be able to tell me which bank account the relatives Civil Service pension was paid into? I assume that with the N.I. number they will know all of the accounts that were held? We think there are some accounts we dont know about (apart from trying to find out which bank account the Civil Service pension was paid into - and obviously it is ONLY that bank which will release statmements to me as the executor on presentation of a copy of the letters of administration). do you also know about the NS&I?? I have heard there is a single form that can be filled in to find out if the relative had ANY NS&I savings products, we know that there are some savings certs. but not sure about other savings products. Thanks alot PCDIMIWT

Sorry - I don't know the answer to either of those questions.

It might be worth just writing to all the main high-street banks (enclosing a Death Certificate) to ask if your relative had any accounts with them.

Have you tried asking the banks (the ones where you know your relative had an account) whether the pension was being paid in there?

tabby_cats_mum

esuhl suggestion is a good one, either go in with the death certificate and any other documentation such as the birth certificate, marriage licence and your own personal ID or send a copy of the death certificate and a covering letter. Ask if your relative had any accounts with them. When I took in POA documentation I found out about accounts I was unaware of once the banks wrote back to me.
With regards to the NS&I just send the death certificate and DOB etc and say you believe the deceased had accounts with them, if they didn't they'll write back and tell you. That's what I did with premium bonds.
The death certificate you use must be a certified, original copy and all institutions will return it to you, usually within a week.
I have discovered that the banks don't need probate and will give you any money in the accounts if it's under £15-20,000 depending on the bank. I just had to sign a waiver saying I would adhere to the terms of the will.
Hope this helps.

sleepless_saver

1. Civil Service pension: as tabbycat's mum said, Capital Hartshead will be able to tell you all about it.

2. There may have been more than one bank account, always worth checking. The British Bankers Association has a form you can fill in to trace unknown accounts. See link.

3. There is a similar service for unknown building society accounts if you think the deceased may have had a savings accounts with a building sociey. See link.

4. General info on practicalities of dealing with an estate.

Meeper

If the pension was being used to pay the nursing home fees, have you asked whether it was being paid directly to them, therefore into their bank accounts?

Norman_Castle

http://www.nsandi.com/contact-us

http://www.nsandi.com/contact-us-helpful-information-faqs-death-claims