Help required. Fathers life insurance paid out but i was a named recipient

Rmc2020

Hi. I received a letter middle of June from accurate data services and sunlife stating my father had a life insurance policy and they were trying to trace me as I was a named recipient along with my two brothers.

Back story is I have been estranged from my family and have had no contact with them since around 2000. I was informed of my father's passing via a message on facebook in 2010.

I filled out the forms accurate data services provided me but as I had no idea of his exact birth date and date of death I just had to guess. I called them a few days later to try and get information but was told they couldn't tell me anything and once they had heard back from all three of us the information would be passed on to sunlife. I was advised if I had not heard by the end of July to chase it up.

So I waited and heard nothing. Eventually I phoned and initially I was told they did not think that I was the person who they were looking for, however after I answered a couple of questions I was told they were satisfied I was indeed the right person. And the would look into it.

I again heard nothing and contacted sunlife directly and I was told the policy had already been paid out .

So it feels like I have been done out of my inheritance which my father had meant for me simply because I had initially got some information inaccurate.

My query is is there anything at all I can do now after the fact to try and get the money I am due? I feel accurate data services fobbed me off a bit when I first called them and only weeks afterwards did they engage in conversation and agree I was the person who was the named recipient. By then it was too late and the policy had been paid out.

As I have no contact with my siblings and they would have no interest in assisting me to resolve this is there anything I can do and how would I go about this?

Many thanks in advance

Weighty1

Normally a life insurance policy doesn't have assigned beneficiaries unless it is written in trust and even then the trustees have the discretion to change who the beneficiaries are.

To me, it doesn't sound like Accurate Data Services have done anything wrong. GDPR and the previous DPA obligate them to make sure they are dealing with the correct individuals in matters such as this so they can't provide info if you can't pass security checks. This sounds like you'd need to take this up with your siblings more than ADS.

Penelopa.Pitstop

How about getting your birth certificate and use that for proving you are the right person? You also should be able to get your father's death certificate and birth.

p00hsticks

Penelopa.Pitstop wrote: »

How about getting your birth certificate and use that for proving you are the right person? You also should be able to get your father's death certificate and birth.

Proving his id to the insurance company now won't be of any use, as they've paid out on the policy.

SonOf

So it feels like I have been done out of my inheritance which my father had meant for me simply because I had initially got some information inaccurate.

Unlikely. Sun Life would pay the money to the estate (its extremely rare for people to put these types of plans into trust).

The estate would be distributed in accordance of the Will, if there was one. If there was not a Will, then the rules of intestacy would apply. So, you would either need to be named in the Will as a beneficiary or he died intestate.

There would also need to be a surplus to the estate. People that generally have these over 50s plans have little or no assets. The life insurance payout would cover the funeral and any debts.

My query is is there anything at all I can do now after the fact to try and get the money I am due?

Why do you think you are due any money?

I feel accurate data services fobbed me off a bit when I first called them and only weeks afterwards did they engage in conversation and agree I was the person who was the named recipient. By then it was too late and the policy had been paid out.

You seem to have interpreted their actions to mean you are getting some money. That is not the role of ADS. Their role was to locate you.

On the death claim form, it is normal for all children to be named on it along with their addresses. It doesnt mean those children get the money but it is requested in case there is no Will. ADS would have been employed by Sun Life to try and find you. ADS would not be told much about the policy beyond the fact it was a life insurance plan. Maybe some assumptions have been made by you or the person you spoke to. Guesses as to what it may be. However, the bottom line is that ADS are purely there to trace you, verify you are the correct person and provide your details to Sun Life to allow them to complete the claims process.

As I have no contact with my siblings and they would have no interest in assisting me to resolve this is there anything I can do and how would I go about this?

You need to find out if there was a Will and if you were named as a beneficiary in the Will.

garth549

It's your father's will that's important here. Life insurance will normally just be paid into the deceased's estate.

If he doesn't have a will then you may be entitled to something based on intestacy rules. How much depends on whether your father was married. If he was then it could be nothing.

Nearlyold

You can search for Probate and Will records here:- https://www.gov.uk/search-will-probate