Old paid up policy

Tony_Biscuit

My mother recently died and I had possession of her old paid up full life policies. Had no problem with all but one. This from old Britannic, now Phoenix. Still have the policy and all letters about it. When I tried to claim on it they tell me it was paid out in 2000 to my mother for £823. I dispute this. The policy was 50p per week (£26 per year) for 18 years with a full paid up value of £250. in 1998. My question is, and Phoenix wont tell me, can a policy with a paid up value of £250 after 2 years have a surrender value of £823 ? I still have the policy and my mother never had a bank account so could never have cashed a ccheque.