Halifax - appointments after death!

Mikeyorks

My father died a few weeks ago and (Mum being 86) I took on the job of getting Probate and restructuring her finances. Most of their cash assets are tied up in ISAs.

Everything’s gone reasonably well thus far – apart from the irritatingly slow bits of Insce companies demanding to see Probate before they will pay out on fairly minute value Life policies etc. All reasonable … with the singular exception of Halifax.

Tried to get an appointment with them to see me / Mum (it’s a close to 200 mile round trip for me) – with about a week notice. Not a chance – earliest about 3 weeks – and that in a City with 4 Branches. Pointed out this a bereavement case – surely some flexibility there? Not a chance – despite their central booking people did appear to be trying to help.

Gave up – and asked my Mum to pop into her local Branch and see if the personal touch worked. Primed her that the sole bit of pre-probate business was to try and liquidate the single ISA (£7k) my dad had with them. They have an online .pdf titled ‘Help and Understanding’ – where they clearly state they will d/w amounts (‘for small estates’) under £15k held with Halifax / BOS on production solely of the death certificate.

Very upset call from Mum that evening. She’d been told they couldn’t help in advance of probate, as the ISA was over £5k! So they had helpfully given her an appointment in mid – Apr (timed presumably for after Probate) ….. but the letter was addressed to my father! Even to the salutation …. ‘Dear Mr xxxx’. – where he was invited to attend for ‘bereavement advice …. but ‘phone if you can’t attend’!

As I’d already committed to going down to clear up other bits of business – took her into the Branch on Fri. Introduced to the resident bereavement ‘expert’ – and showed her the offending letter. Not quite sure what I was expecting? A minimum of ‘whoops’? .. a maximum of ‘we’re sorry’? …… not a bit of it. Simply a statement to the effect there had been no error – that is how their system works ‘in order we can ensure the right account has been accessed’!

I counted quietly to 10 – then moved on to simply ask if they could deal with the ISA, which fitted their criteria of being under the £15k level at which they would deal with it informally? No change there either. She simply countered that the £15k value was that of the estate (although she didn’t ask – and didn’t know, what value that is). Told her that isn’t how it was ‘phrased on their site – and asked for the hard copy booklet they hold in Branches. ‘We’re out of stock’….. neatly summarised the Halifax thus far … and I left.

There’s a remarkably unemotional - but factual note with their CS people from this morning – simply asking them to confirm / deny that their policy is to issue bereavement advice appointments to dead people ….and hand the letter to the widow / widower? And to comment on the level of ‘help and understanding’ they actually offer.

But has anyone else experienced this quite remarkable facet of Halifax in action in bereavement cases?

regularsaver1

First of all sorry to hear of the death of your father

This is not normal practice, trust me. If they can't get an appointment in 4 branches in an area, it means that their diaries are not open, or someone is not trained. Sounds like this was a problem is that area. Appointments should be given up to a maximum of a few days in advance, or even straight away.

We recently received about 40 copies of this booklet, as it has been revised, so I'm suprised that they did not have any in stock.

A letter should not have been given. The appointment is usually booked in the dec'd person's name, or the details of the accounts in the appointment notes, so that all account details can be looked into prior to appointment.
They should have booked the appointment in your mothers name with your fathers details attached to it, or in the notes.
They have not followed procedures in this case

The branch will register the death and send all details uo to action. There is a helpline.

It may be an idea for you to try and get hold of this team. They are extemely helpful, as in my opinion the area of branches that were being looked at are not prepared enough, otherwise your mother would have got an appointment earlier.

Lisa

Sorry , just to check, did you say your father only had £7k in total with Halifax?

jem16

Sorry to hear about your father's death.

My experience with the Halifax was totally the opposite I'm glad to say. When my husband died four years ago, I had to make an appointment with them to sort out our accounts. Fortunately all but one was either in my own name or joint accounts. The one account in my husband's sole name was a Tessa which contained around £9,000. I simply showed them the death certificate and they arranged for the account to be closed and the proceeds were paid to me within a couple of weeks.

I would try to get hold of the team that regularsaver mentions.

Mikeyorks

Very grateful to you both, for your replies .. it's helped put a bit of perspective on it. I've personally been with Halifax (mainly) for over 20 years - but this has reminded me it's the first time I've been into a Branch (do everything online - and use an agency for cheques) in the last 15. And it's not an experience I've appreciated.

There's a formal complaint + a copy of the offensive letter with Halifax now - so I'll await the outcome of that, before I go any further.

Just got the probate appointment through yesterday, for mid-April. But more mild irritation that it then takes up to 10 days for them to post the Grants out afterwards.

Yes - just £7k with Halifax in an ISA (as most of £70k is with A&L ISAs). Reason for attempting to free that up early is to give my Mum some liquid cash. I've 'banned' her from touching her ISAs as some £35k of my Dad's has to be released - and we need to find a home for that. So her's is better remaining where it is (but transferred to a better rate). But it's embarassing her a little that I'm footing eg the funeral bill in the interim - in order to preserve the (adequate) cash she has.

However ... we will sort it in the end, despite the best efforts of that particular Branch! I've made an appointment at a different Branch - so we have a clean sheet - 2 weeks after the probate date! But even that (very end Apr) had to be the day after I wanted it - as no Halifax appointments on my preferred day!

Perhaps (the perversity of co-incidences) ... it's roots are in the fact the local Branch of Halifax rang my wife at 1830hrs tonight, to invite her to a savings review! I'm sure (my wife knows her, but passed her on to me as i/c our finances) the poor girl is still bemused that I couldn't stop chuckling. You wait forever for an appointment - then 2 arrive>>>etc.

Thanks both of you.

Mike

regularsaver1

Hi Mikeyorks

I know you have made a complaint and have sorted a new appointment, but ...

on Monday they introduced a customer bereavement service line

From website:
"For more help and advice we have a dedicated Bereaved Service Centre. They can be contacted on 08456 03 32 16. Lines open 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday, and 9am to 1pm on Saturday."

This number was not available the last time I posted

benood

Fortunately I've not had to deal with the Halifax for bereavement but my children have accounts and their uselessness in getting accounts cleared for gross interest seems consistent with the problems you experienced.

Despite providing original birth certs it has taken a couple of years to get sorted as they keep losing the paperwork between branch and head office, total incompetence, nothing more to add.

regularsaver1

benood - its a verbal registration for gross interest. you are then given a certificate

this can be registered in branch - in 2 mins, with the roll number

CLAPTON

Whilst i can add nothing about the Halifax specifically, I found that in general the branches of banks and B Soc were pretty useless and it was much better to deal with the HQ 'estate' teams directly through the post and by phone.

Firstly it saves all the wasted time going into a branch and secondly you also can easily keep a copy of everything that happens.
It doesn't take any longer, in fact i would say its quicker because the branches often need to send the stuff to HQ anyway and of course you don't have to wait for an appointment.

CLAPTON

and i forgot to mention that i asked (in writing) if they would release funds early for the funeral expenses... they all agreed to do so an receipt of the funeral invoice.

benood

regularsaver1 wrote: »

benood - its a verbal registration for gross interest. you are then given a certificate

this can be registered in branch - in 2 mins, with the roll number

So they're even worse than I thought! I'm still being chased for a second copy birth certificate. Unbelievable.:mad:

garagemc

As for the letter let me explain....

The system which the halifax uses generates an automated pre written letter.

The Halifax try to personalise everything by using the customers name at every given opportunity, even at the counter. Therefore whoever was serving your mother, had to go on to your fathers customer profile and book an appointment from there.

Otherwise he would have needed to make a profile for your mother, which isn't exactly pleasant for an 86 year old.

Maybe the person should have had the courtesy to ask if it was ok, maybe they did, maybe they didnt.