Claiming inheritance YEARS after a death..

notentirelysure

Hello all, sorry to take so long to update. It’s been a long business (partly because other family stuff delayed us) but in the end we did manage to get nearly £20,000 from three accounts! I wrote to the banks giving the account numbers, and eventually they responded. For one of them it was the bereavement unit who were most helpful. We did have to go through probate in the end, which was a bit of a nuisance - it’s not a very long or complicated form, but I did have to call the advice line a couple of times, partly because I wasn’t sure whose name went where if I was filling it in using Power of Attorney. However, the helpline staff were very clear and helpful, both times. I also had to track down the original will and get the firm of solicitors (who only had it because the previous firm had closed down) to retrieve it from a dusty archive... Once I’d applied, probate was granted very quickly. The banks then required that I send them certified copies of will, death certificate, grant of probate etc (or take the original in to a branch, where that was possible) and fill in numerous forms. But we got there, and they paid the last bit in to his account at the end of the year.

Thanks so much everyone who helped, and encouraged me to try, even though the accounts were closed! This will be so helpful. I’m really glad we tracked it down.

Sea_Shell

Well done in sticking with it, and getting a result.

I'm assuming that most of that £20,000 was from the sale of his house, before he moved in with your Dad? It doesn't sound much, but then I guess we're talking over 25 years ago. The house sale could have been many years before that too!