So many questions!

Savvy_Sue

Fab, if you're anywhere near Reading / Newbury then I have a recommendation for you for clearing / cleaning / sorting out. Absolutely brilliant company in that area.

newleaf

An update on what I've done so far, just in case it helps.
Collected the death certificate from hospital and registered the death at the Register Office,
The Registrar was very helpful and explained clearly what she was doing and why.
I came away with: death certificate x 3 copies at £4 each, green form for the funeral director, reference number and contact details for 'Tell us Once'.
I registered mum's details online with the Deceased Preference Service, which protects against identity theft and junk mail.
On returning home I contacted a highly regarded local funeral director and asked to arrange a Direct Cremation, even though this is not a service they advertise, it was absolutely no problem. They are happy to do the necessary, including returning mum's wedding ring and ashes to me following the cremation, and it will cost in the region of £1100 in total.
Through 'Tell us Once' online service I was able to notify DWP, Council Tax, Housing Benefit, Blue Badge Scheme, Library Service, Inland Revenue, etc.
This morning I contacted energy, water and phone supplier and all those services are now in the process of being finalised, with the correspondence being sent to me. So far, it has been very plain sailing, no hitches at all.
My mum had very few assets (less than £5K), and did not own property, so it looks like I may not even need to apply for probate for the bank or her premium bonds.
I hope you are making some headway Fab, just take it steady, keep calm, weep if you want to, you will find everyone very helpful and sympathetic. I also found a supply of those Lindor chocolates helped a lot!

FabApocalypse

Glad you're making progress newleaf! It's good to hear.

Me, not so much... I've had two or three calls from the Coroner's office. Unfortunately a post mortem is necessary; apparently my mum's GP surgery had been trying to contact her for a while as she hadn't been seen since August. The PM isn't happening until next Tuesday so it will be some time after that before I can register mum's death.

I contacted the Solicitor's Regulation Authority, as I have a copy of the will but not the original, which was lodged with a solicitor's office which has since closed. They have sent me a long form to return, along with a copy of the death certificate and proof of executorship, and then they say they aim to get back to you within six to eight weeks if indeed they have the documents (which they should; why wouldn't they?).

This is not going to be quickly or simply done I fear. I seem to have come to a stop until after the PM. I can't do anything about a funeral/direct cremation until I have a death certificate, ditto even beginning the process of handling the finances. To apply for the Grant of Probation I need the original of the will plus three copies and we're already at six to eight weeks plus wait for that.

All seems a bit insurmountable at the moment... I'm still struggling with the demands of the DWP, too. To add insult to injury I have been clenching my jaw out of tension and managed to break a dental crown yesterday which took the tooth right off with it at the root. And of course it's a front tooth...

Yorkshireman99

FabApocalypse wrote: »

Glad you're making progress newleaf! It's good to hear.

Me, not so much... I've had two or three calls from the Coroner's office. Unfortunately a post mortem is necessary; apparently my mum's GP surgery had been trying to contact her for a while as she hadn't been seen since August. The PM isn't happening until next Tuesday so it will be some time after that before I can register mum's death.

I contacted the Solicitor's Regulation Authority, as I have a copy of the will but not the original, which was lodged with a solicitor's office which has since closed. They have sent me a long form to return, along with a copy of the death certificate and proof of executorship, and then they say they aim to get back to you within six to eight weeks if indeed they have the documents (which they should; why wouldn't they?).

This is not going to be quickly or simply done I fear. I seem to have come to a stop until after the PM. I can't do anything about a funeral/direct cremation until I have a death certificate, ditto even beginning the process of handling the finances. To apply for the Grant of Probation I need the original of the will plus three copies and we're already at six to eight weeks plus wait for that.

All seems a bit insurmountable at the moment... I'm still struggling with the demands of the DWP, too. To add insult to injury I have been clenching my jaw out of tension and managed to break a dental crown yesterday which took the tooth right off with it at the root. And of course it's a front tooth...

It is not insurmountable and you are doing fine. The secret is to take things one step at a time. You will find plenty of support here even on what might seem trivial matters. Don.t be afraid to ask.

Savvy_Sue

FabApocalypse wrote: »

I contacted the Solicitor's Regulation Authority, as I have a copy of the will but not the original, which was lodged with a solicitor's office which has since closed. They have sent me a long form to return, along with a copy of the death certificate and proof of executorship, and then they say they aim to get back to you within six to eight weeks if indeed they have the documents (which they should; why wouldn't they?).

This is not going to be quickly or simply done I fear. I seem to have come to a stop until after the PM. I can't do anything about a funeral/direct cremation until I have a death certificate, ditto even beginning the process of handling the finances. To apply for the Grant of Probation I need the original of the will plus three copies and we're already at six to eight weeks plus wait for that.

All seems a bit insurmountable at the moment...

As YM99 says, it is not insurmountable, that's just the way it seems, plus it is just a case of taking one step at a time, and atm you can't take the next step because of waiting for the PM. No-one would be able to do any more, or move any faster.

Just a thought: does the will leave everything to you, and would that be what would happen if there was no will? Because if that's the case, then just relax completely about finding the original, I believe you could apply for Letters of Administration. But for now, relax and let's worry about the detail later.

FabApocalypse wrote: »

All seems a bit insurmountable at the moment... I'm still struggling with the demands of the DWP, too. To add insult to injury I have been clenching my jaw out of tension and managed to break a dental crown yesterday which took the tooth right off with it at the root. And of course it's a front tooth...

Oh poor you. May I suggest you use the waiting time to do things which help you relax: decent massage, coffee with friends, whatever does it for you.

newleaf

So sorry to hear that you have this extra waiting to contend with. I understand how you feel, I got twitchy enough when there was a mere 24 hour delay in getting mum's death certificate from the hospital, because I just wanted to get on with it and get it all over.
For now, you can do the smaller things, like notifying the utility companies, I found mum's suppliers all have a bereavement support section which deals exclusively with these types of issue and they'll be able to advise you. I had them redirect all their correspondence to my address too, so that I don't have to keep visiting mum's flat to check for post.
Be kind to yourself, and I hope you can get your tooth fixed quickly.

Flugelhorn

I agree with Newleaf - all the utilities / banks / council etc have been incredibly helpful - beginning to think they save their best customer service for when you are no longer around to appreciate it.

There is a huge wish to "get on with things" but actually there is time and all the people involved know that things go at a slow pace.

I think the one that made me realise was Severn Trent who estimated a bill to the date my mother went in hospital (some weeks before she died) and then said "we'll send the bill but ignore it until you have probate as you don't have to pay it until then"

So the answer is to step back and take time - everyone else will wait.

DigForVictory

There's a bit of feedback they could do with - your customer service for the recently bereaved is better than the customer you hope to keep for another decade. Why?

Fab, get to the dentist as soon as they can help - and possibly a sports shop for a rugby players gumshield so you can't do further damage to yourself? (Caution: may taste disgusting & explain all the beer fuelled antics but teeth are expensive to repair.)

Savvy_Sue

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

Just a thought: does the will leave everything to you, and would that be what would happen if there was no will? Because if that's the case, then just relax completely about finding the original, I believe you could apply for Letters of Administration. But for now, relax and let's worry about the detail later.

This is a post which sets out what I'm thinking of, nice and clearly.

newleaf

Another update. It's been a rollercoaster of emotion this week. I tried to clear mum's flat myself, with help from close friends, but wasn't prepared for the emotional impact this would have on me, plus my mum had some mental health issues and was a hoarder, so the task is quite overwhelming. I have a tight deadline for handing back the keys, so today I took the decision to hand it over to a house clearance company. For £650 they will clear the lot, and although it's a lot of money, to me, in my current state of mind, it's worth every penny.