Utilities in one name - will this be a problem?

daffodil17

I've recently tried to help my Mum complete a Taxi Card application from the local council only to find that providing ID for her is something of a nightmare.

Photo ID
She has never travelled abroad so has no passport.
She has never driven so has no driving licence.

Proof of Residence
The house was inherited by my father so no tenancy agreements and all utility and council tax bills are in his name because he's very old-fashioned (I'm the head of the household attittude).

They are both now in failing health. Just last week Mum was diagnosed with lung cancer and had a pacemaker fitted on 19 January. Dad has recently been in hospital over three weeks with pneumonia. Things are not great health-wise and I fear the slippery slope downwards has begun.

But the fact all the utilities etc are only in his name has got me worried that this will prove to be a real hurdle if he dies before my Mum because usually they won't speak to anyone other than the account holder will they?

Basically, my question is, do you think we should encourage him to get all these accounts put into their joint names?

Thanks - and sorry if this topic is mentioned somewhere else. I did look.

RAS

Presumably mum's name is on the electoral roll?

If not, it should be.

Does she get any pension in her own name? Library card?

Might be a really good idea to get a bank account set up in her name (basic one needing no credit check), Even if it sits there with £10 in it, she has something with her name on and can get a statement.

Warn both that if dad dies or become incapable of managing his account, mum will be unable to access the money in the bank account. If he dies it will be frozen immediately they are informed. OK she can probably get access by proving she is the beneficiary and as long as there is not a lot of money, they may release it to her, but she will need a bank account into which to put it.

Is her name on the deeds? If she is on the deeds as a joint tenant, the property becomes hers as the sole survivor. Otherwise it becomes part of his estate.

Do they have wills or Power of Attornies organsied?

daffodil17

She is on the electoral roll because I know they have postal votes. Whether her name is on the council tax bill itself I'll have to check.
Thanks for the prompt.

SeniorSam

They both need to make a Lasting Powr of Attorney so that you can control matters should they be unable to do so tyemselves. Have a word with a solicitor, or Age Concern as soon as possible.

Sam

daffodil17

Thanks for responses and advice.

They do have Wills, they've always been good at that. I'm not sure about Lasting Power of Attorney but both my brother and I have been apppointed Powers of Attorney and although there is paperwork signed and it all went through a solicitor, in practice it's just words because they're both still here so I don't quite understand what it really means.

But I guess that's my answer - that as Powers of Attorney, both my brother and I can control stuff if we have to.

I don't know about her name on the deeds. I very much doubt it. Dad inherited the house when his father died in 1960 and he married in 1961 but with a fiercely old-fashioned attitude that the house had been in the family since 1921 it's unlikely that would have changed to include Mum sadly.

But thanks for the advice, really appreciate it.

Keep_pedalling

SeniorSam wrote: »

They both need to make a Lasting Powr of Attorney so that you can control matters should they be unable to do so tyemselves. Have a word with a solicitor, or Age Concern as soon as possible.

Sam

Seconded, and with their failing health it needs to be done quickly because it takes around 8 weeks for one to be enacted It's not too difficult to do yourself (I did one for my mum), but if you have siblings get them involved as well because you don't want to unwittingly cause strife with them.

Edit - OP answered while I was typing

Powers of attorney are for when people are still alive. For instance I went along to my mum's bank and presented the documents, and I now have a POA card for her current account, so I can get all her shopping in and pay any bills that crop up

RAS

daffodil17 wrote: »

But I guess that's my answer - that as Powers of Attorney, both my brother and I can control stuff if we have to.

Please make sure that these are LASTING (or Enduring) Powers of Attorney. Standard ones are invalid if your parent is unable to look after themselves/make their own decisions.

Savvy_Sue

The thing is, you can't just TELL Dad what to do (or Mum either), but if this is the way he's always done things, and this is what he believes is the RIGHT way to do things, then it may have to be approached sideways ...

And you will find that once the account holder has died, utilities are not averse to speaking to the Executor(s) of any will, or indeed anyone who's like to be paying the bills in future.

However, there's no doubt that life's much easier if both their names are on any bills, so if you can point out that getting Mum's taxicard was made a bit more difficult because she's not on the council tax bill, and it's really easy to get her added, so could you help with that? Usually a phone call is all it takes.

Do they have a joint bank account? If not, does Mum have her own?

Milliemogs_2

No problem at all with utilities being in one name only. All my parents were in dads name only. Rang them up when he died (they can hardly ask to speak to account holder) and they transferred them over to mum without question or proof of death. Even the usually unhelpful bt were excellent. So you shouldn'thave a problem if/when the time comes. Most of them have a dedicated bereavement team. Some like bt will only transfer account to next of kin. I spoke to them on mums behalf just had her at side of me when I made call so she could give her consent for me to talk to them for her.

We have stilll have one bill in dads name, as long as the bill keeps getting paid they don't really care whose name is on the account.

In terms of ID for your mother if she hasn't got the original apply for a copy of her birth certificate. Photo ID, does she have a bus pass. If not apply for one, most councils allow you to apply for one with a birth certificate. That way she will have ID and photo ID should she ever need it.

g6jns_2

Milliemogs wrote: »

No problem at all with utilities being in one name only. All my parents were in dads name only. Rang them up when he died (they can hardly ask to speak to account holder) and they transferred them over to mum without question or proof of death. Even the usually unhelpful bt were excellent. So you shouldn'thave a problem if/when the time comes. Most of them have a dedicated bereavement team. Some like bt will only transfer account to next of kin. I spoke to them on mums behalf just had her at side of me when I made call so she could give her consent for me to talk to them for her.

We have stilll have one bill in dads name, as long as the bill keeps getting paid they don't really care whose name is on the account.

In terms of ID for your mother if she hasn't got the original apply for a copy of her birth certificate. Photo ID, does she have a bus pass. If not apply for one, most councils allow you to apply for one with a birth certificate. That way she will have ID and photo ID should she ever need it.

Bus passes are useless as photo ID as they don't have an address on them. Birth certificates are legally no evidence of ID either and they all have this written on them. Nevertheless they are often requested.

Savvy_Sue

Milliemogs wrote: »

Even the usually unhelpful bt were excellent.

:rotfl: I know, I phoned them to cancel Mum's phone and internet, and they did it on the spot, without ANY checks or request to see a death certificate at all. I commented to my fellow executor that if you wanted to mess with someone, it was incredibly easy to do ...

g6jns wrote: »

Bus passes are useless as photo ID as they don't have an address on them. Birth certificates are legally no evidence of ID either and they all have this written on them. Nevertheless they are often requested.

A combination of documents is often needed, depending on what you're trying to 'prove'. One of my siblings has no current passport, and has used a combination of work ID (photo), bus pass (photo), driving licence (no photo!) and a current utility bill to open bank accounts.