PPI Claim on Joint Account - Father has passed away and Mother cannot proceed with claim.

Mackem_Beefy

Hi,


I'm new here, needing advice on how to proceed with a difficult problem. I have browsed the forum, but feel due to the nuances of the situation I'm about to describe that it's worth posting anew.


My mother is trying to claim back PPI from Barclays Bank. The claim has been split in two, one for Barclaycard and the other for a mortgage holding company. I think the mortgage holding company looked after my mother and father's mortgage for the short time they had one.


The card and mortgage were in joint names, as were all other assets.



The PPI company asked for a copy of the death certificate, which we have obtained from our local registrars for £12.


The PPI company also asked for a copy of my dad's will. He did not make a will.


At the time my dad died nine years ago, Barclay's Bank and various creditors were happy with just a copy of my dad's death certificate. Once they had this, they removed my dad's name from the current account, utility accounts, etc. and everything was in my mum's name from there on in.



There were no requests for Grant of Probate or anything else and my mum sorted everything herself in a matter of days.



Now in the absence of a will, the PPI claims company have asked for a Grant of Probate. Reading elsewhere, it looks like it's a Grant of Letter of Authority they need.


Do I need my mum to ask for this in retrospect to progress the claim and how much would this be? I cannot find a helpline number to ask about this, though I assume it's HMRC I have to contact (I am helping her with this - she's not IT literate). If it is a large amount, it may not be worth proceeding with the PPI claim and my mum, now in her 80s is thinking along these lines.



I find it a little strange that nine years ago when my dad died, this Grant of Probate or Grant of Letter of Authority was not asked for by the bank, utilities and other creditors. Were they incorrect in not asking for this?




Ian

Nasqueron

STOP USING A CLAIMS FIRM


They do NOTHING you can't do yourself
They use the SAME free of charge complaints process that you can use


Using a claims firm will result in you paying thousands of pounds of pounds for a stamp

dunstonh

The card and mortgage were in joint names, as were all other assets.

Whilst the mortgage can be in joint names, the credit card would not be.

The additional cardholder is not the account holder.

At the time my dad died nine years ago, Barclay's Bank and various creditors were happy with just a copy of my dad's death certificate.

You mention creditors. If any debts were your fathers and were written off following his death, then any PPI redress from a successful complaint would go against the debt and would not be paid to the beneficiary.

I find it a little strange that nine years ago when my dad died, this Grant of Probate or Grant of Letter of Authority was not asked for by the bank, utilities and other creditors. Were they incorrect in not asking for this?

They wouldn't be required by creditors.

antrobus

Mackem_Beefy wrote: »

....


Now in the absence of a will, the PPI claims company have asked for a Grant of Probate. Reading elsewhere, it looks like it's a Grant of Letter of Authority they need.

Do I need my mum to ask for this in retrospect to progress the claim and how much would this be? I cannot find a helpline number to ask about this, though I assume it's HMRC I have to contact (I am helping her with this - she's not IT literate). If it is a large amount, it may not be worth proceeding with the PPI claim and my mum, now in her 80s is thinking along these lines.

You need ‘letters of administration’
https://www.gov.uk/wills-probate-inheritance/if-the-person-didnt-leave-a-will

You can apply in your own name as you are next of kin to the deceased.

Mackem_Beefy

"antrobus"



How much would a letter of administration cost?


Ian

Mackem_Beefy

"dunstonh", thanks.


As it happens "creditors" were just utilities, etc. that were paid by direct debit from the joint account and was sorted at the time of his death without hassle.


As regards the credit card, my mum says it was in joint names.


"Nasqueron"


We're using MoneybackPPI with a 12% charge as opposed to the 30% charge by other companies. We're simply doing it for simplicity due to my mum being in her 80s. If we lose a little to ease the process for her, so be it.





Ian

Nasqueron

Mackem_Beefy wrote: »

"dunstonh", thanks.


As it happens "creditors" were just utilities, etc. that were paid by direct debit from the joint account and was sorted at the time of his death without hassle.


As regards the credit card, my mum says it was in joint names.


"Nasqueron"


We're using MoneybackPPI with a 12% charge as opposed to the 30% charge by other companies. We're simply doing it for simplicity due to my mum being in her 80s. If we lose a little to ease the process for her, so be it.





Ian

12% of the refund you could have had yourself by complaining directly. The complaints process to use them is the same simple process you would use yourself. Unfortunately for you, claims firms damage your chance of winning when they send in template complaints packed full of lies rather than you simply writing to the bank listing the complaint reason and providing evidence

Literally all the information you gave to the firm you could have used to make the complaint using the same form the claims firm used, sent in the same envelope, same stamp etc. CMCs see people like you as mugs - you were taken in by PPI so you are likely to be taken in by their lies about PPI. Whatever happened to once bitten twice shy?

[Deleted User]

Mackem_Beefy wrote: »

We're using MoneybackPPI with a 12% charge as opposed to the 30% charge by other companies. We're simply doing it for simplicity due to my mum being in her 80s. If we lose a little to ease the process for her, so be it.

Claim companies do nothing to "ease the process". You (or she) fill in the same forms(or similar) as you could do simply and completely free by complaining directly to the PPI seller.

If the contract is not yet signed I strongly urge you not to use a claims firm charging ANY percentage of your potential redress. You need to understand that it is total waste of your mother's money

Mackem_Beefy

"nasqueron"


I think I will end the claim via MoneybackPPI and with my mother, talk directly to Barclays ourselves.


Ian

-taff

Also [I'm almost sick of saying this] you are not caliming a refund. You're making a complaint.
To make a complaint, you need complaint reasons. You can only stick to factual reasons for complaint. Not needing the cover is good, not knowing that you had it, is bad.

dunstonh

As regards the credit card, my mum says it was in joint names.

She is mistaken. She was probably an additional cardholder on her husbands account. (or he was an additional cardholder on her account).