Any Barclays recent experience?

lisyloo

has anyone dealt with Barclays during lockdown?
how long are they taking to deal with bereavement claims? (In this case under the probate limit).
at what point do they close the account to stop deposits? On receipt of claim or only at the end when they’ve processed it? (I’m concerned about DWP pushing us over the probate limit).
Thanks in advance

Keep_pedalling

The account will be closed as soon as you inform them, in your shoes I would ring the bereavement department without delay.

lisyloo

I know you are very knowledgeable but someone else told me that wasn’t the case and that DWP money will carry on going in until they actually close the account. I will try calling them but last time it was a 2 hour wait. And it’s an issue if you are on conference calls all day working from home, hence I was asking for recent experience.

Emmia

If you don't want to wait on hold, they also seem to have an online notification form.

https://www.barclays.co.uk/what-to-do-when-someone-dies/notify-us/

lisyloo

Thanks Emmia. I did the online notification form about 5 weeks ago and the bereavement claim about 3 weeks ago.

I've managed to get through and they said it takes 10-15 days to deal with the email (which they hadn't done prior to my call) and raise a "transfer task" (which they have now done whilst I was on the line) and then an additional 10-15 to get paid.

She also confirmed that the account was frozen when they received the online notification (which is good as I'd prefer DWP payments to bounce).

I could not get through to DWP at all so they seem to have removed that service.

Bobziz

Frozen for nationwide meant no payments went out but payments could still go in. Not sure if Barclays is the same...

lisyloo

Someone else said that (might have been xylophone).
i specifically asked if payments in from DWP would bounce and she said yes, so it will be interesting to see.
its a small inconvenience to repay but the main thing was to avoid going over the limit for probate. As she’s arranged the transfer I think we are ok. It’s a little annoying not to have read only access as I’d just be able to see whether payments were going in.

badger09

Bobziz said:

Frozen for nationwide meant no payments went out but payments could still go in. Not sure if Barclays is the same...

lisyloo said:

Someone else said that (might have been xylophone).
i specifically asked if payments in from DWP would bounce and she said yes, so it will be interesting to see.
its a small inconvenience to repay but the main thing was to avoid going over the limit for probate. As she’s arranged the transfer I think we are ok. It’s a little annoying not to have read only access as I’d just be able to see whether payments were going in.

That was me.

HSBC definitely told me my late sister's account would be frozen, meaning it could still accept payments in, but no payments out would be made.

It would stay like that until Probate was granted, or until HSBC if were satisfied no Probate was needed (which they did) at which point, they would close the account & transfer the balance to the account I'd nominated (which they did).

lisyloo

Thanks badger, will see what happens.

lisyloo

Good news, Barclays came through today after approx 4 weeks.
only 1 weeks extra DWP so I suspect Barclays did freeze it from deposits relatively quickly.

SevenOfNine

Barclays definitely do 'freeze', nothing in & the only thing they'll allow 'out' is if they get an invoice from the funeral director.   (Assuming the funds in the a/c are over their limit for paying it out.)