Estate of rta victim.

Keep_pedalling

This is a horrible time for her, and there is no reason for her to rush into sorting the estate out. The fact that his insurence company have taken on the legal side of things will be a great help as is her relationship with the landlord.

SevenOfNine

She may qualify for this https://www.gov.uk/funeral-payments depending on what, if any, benefits she is on. If/when she gets any insurance money they may/will recover the money, but it will help her with the funeral costs for now (& can, I think, be paid straight to the funeral director.

She should freeze the a/c with the bank so that no direct debits leave it (for the time being), & in any case it's best if it's frozen.

The coroner will issue an interim death cert so that she can move things forward, after the inquest she can get a 'proper' death cert then, but the temporary one from the coroner will be more than enough for practically everything.

The banks (except Nationwide who were a pain in the …) will release funds & close the a/c on sight of the death cert (the coroners one will suffice), her ID, & the signing of a disclaimer, as long as the a/c holds less than their limit for doing so (Lloyds is £50k).

Different banks have different thresholds & it sounds as if this young man wouldn't have that much anyway. Personally, I'd move it to a separate a/c, not add it to her own existing a/c so she can start sorting out creditors...…..LATER.

Yes, she can stand back & let the hospital or local authority arrange & pay for the funeral. I know many bereaved mothers, being one myself, & not a single one would ever have dreamt of doing that. They'd get themselves into debt first! But, it is an option you could investigate for her, but be very careful how you suggest it.

Assuming she organises the funeral, she must remember, & you must remind her, it is about LOVE not how much money is spent or how flashy it is. The cheapest coffin, her transport the hearse with her son on his last journey, flowers £10 from the supermarket, at a push some sarni's back at her house. LOVE, not money.

sheramber

Was the son employed?

If so, are there wages to come?

Is there any death in service benefit?

Silvertabby

Yes, she can stand back & let the hospital or local authority arrange & pay for the funeral. I know many bereaved mothers, being one myself, & not a single one would ever have dreamt of doing that. They'd get themselves into debt first! But, it is an option you could investigate for her, but be very careful how you suggest it.

Assuming she organises the funeral, she must remember, & you must remind her, it is about LOVE not how much money is spent or how flashy it is. The cheapest coffin, her transport the hearse with her son on his last journey, flowers £10 from the supermarket, at a push some sarni's back at her house. LOVE, not money. Posted by SevenOfNine

Although horribly named, public health funerals are carried out with dignity. The main problem is that the grave can't be marked with a headstone or other memorial, and this is unacceptable to bereaved parents in particular.

As sheramber says, if the lad was employed then there may be some death in service benefits due.

My deepest sympathies to your friend.

Yorkshireman99

Silvertabby wrote: »

Although horribly named, public health funerals are carried out with dignity. The main problem is that the grave can't be marked with a headstone or other memorial, and this is unacceptable to bereaved parents in particular.

As sheramber says, if the lad was employed then there may be some death in service benefits due.

My deepest sympathies to your friend.

But the ashes,if a cremation, can be returned to the family.

Yorkshireman99

SevenOfNine wrote: »

She may qualify for this https://www.gov.uk/funeral-payments depending on what, if any, benefits she is on. If/when she gets any insurance money they may/will recover the money, but it will help her with the funeral costs for now (& can, I think, be paid straight to the funeral director.

She should freeze the a/c with the bank so that no direct debits leave it (for the time being), & in any case it's best if it's frozen.

The coroner will issue an interim death cert so that she can move things forward, after the inquest she can get a 'proper' death cert then, but the temporary one from the coroner will be more than enough for practically everything.

The banks (except Nationwide who were a pain in the …) will release funds & close the a/c on sight of the death cert (the coroners one will suffice), her ID, & the signing of a disclaimer, as long as the a/c holds less than their limit for doing so (Lloyds is £50k).

Different banks have different thresholds & it sounds as if this young man wouldn't have that much anyway. Personally, I'd move it to a separate a/c, not add it to her own existing a/c so she can start sorting out creditors...…..LATER.

Yes, she can stand back & let the hospital or local authority arrange & pay for the funeral. I know many bereaved mothers, being one myself, & not a single one would ever have dreamt of doing that. They'd get themselves into debt first! But, it is an option you could investigate for her, but be very careful how you suggest it.

Assuming she organises the funeral, she must remember, & you must remind her, it is about LOVE not how much money is spent or how flashy it is. The cheapest coffin, her transport the hearse with her son on his last journey, flowers £10 from the supermarket, at a push some sarni's back at her house. LOVE, not money.

There really is nothing to fear, from a PS funeral.it will be respectful and getting into debt is a BAD idea. Nobody should hesitate to accept help in these circumstances. Being in debt will make things worse. No reasonable person who use a PSF will be thought badly of.

SevenOfNine

Yorkshireman99 wrote: »

There really is nothing to fear, from a PS funeral.it will be respectful and getting into debt is a BAD idea. Nobody should hesitate onto accept help in these circumstances. Being in debt will make things worse. No reasonable person who use a PSF will be thought badly of.

I agree totally YM99, relatives are advised of date/time, welcome to attend & can supply flowers etc I think (but not sure) that if it's a cremation they will return the ashes to the family so they can keep/bury/scatter as they wish, privately somewhere.

My point wasn't really that it held any shame or that debt should be considered an option first. It was that, like it or not (& can't speak for dads), mothers (& only those I know, which sadly are numerous) will more often than not choose to fund the final journey of their most precious child, however unwise that choice may be financially, their emotions just can't allow strangers to make the arrangements.

There was no control over the loss, who would choose that, but they are desperate to take care of, to organise, to provide, the last thing they can do for their son or daughter.

It's way beyond the league of the loss of a parent, sibling or any other family members, financial logic goes out of the window. Not only will a mother choose debt over a public health funeral, some go absolutely over the top, deeply into debt spending thousands they do not have. But not because they feel they will be judged, it's their outward demonstration of their love & enormity of their loss.

All I mean for this woman is that there are public health options if needs be, but if like so many other mothers she is insistent on paying, there are also grants which may help her.

PS for OP, perhaps your friend may find some assistance with assorted matters here http://www.brake.org.uk/ No direct knowledge of it myself, but others have found it useful.

Seanymph

He may have a pension at work that has a life insurance element (in mine it's automatic).

He may even have separate life insurance.

My condolences to your friend.

jeanmd

sheramber wrote: »

Was the son employed?

If so, are there wages to come?

Is there any death in service benefit?

Yes, they are being sorted out. His firm have been amazing.

jeanmd

I understand and think PSF is a valuable service, I totally agree with Sevenofnine that she needs this control over his last moments.

Thank you all for your comments. Everyone has been wonderful from the police, hospital, his employer who gave the rest of the staff Monday off and his friends who have made a tribute youtube video for him (they have many youtube videos out and over 16k subscribers) and started a go fund me page for his mum.