Mother just died, I have no money of my own, what to do

RAS

AlAlbert said

I am fairly sure that the banks were never told when my grandmother and father died.

Certainly my family doesn't seem to have bothered with this sort of thing historically. Until very recently, the water bill was in my deceased great grandfather's name (seriously), the phone bill is still in my father's name (18 years after he died), and my deceased grandmother still has a joint bank account with my now deceased mother.

In the case of my mother's bank account, I am making payments from it more or less daily for every day expenses. The practical need to do so hasn't altered much despite my mother's death.

Apply for Universal Credit immediately and an advanced payment, as it take 6 weeks for the full amount to be paid out.

If anyone asks for utility type bills  or a credit card to be paid, contact their bereavement department and advise them that the bill-payer is deceased. They will wait for payment from the estate. Make sure you mention that there will be a delay because it needs a coroner's report.

As soon as you get the death certificate, take that and the will to either the savings or current account (probably the savings account) and transfer some or all of the value to your personal account.

Once that is in your account, use that to cover your day to day expenses (nothing that can be delayed) and 'fess up to the bank account. Expect them to freeze it but ask that they pay any funeral expenses.

Savvy_Sue

If there is money in any of the long-deceased accounts, I'd definitely get them closed as soon as you can. Technically you are committing fraud by continuing to access your mother's accounts after her death. 

Marcon

This is a long thread so apologies if someone else has already said this - have you checked the council tax position? As sole occupant you will be entitled to a 25% discount (although possibly is already in place if your mother had claimed it on the basis of disability).

AlAlbert

Keep_pedalling said:

They will freeze the accounts, but with the values you are talking about they will almost certainly transfer what is  in them to you. Banks will also pay funeral costs from the deceased persons account directly to the FD if required.

Ok, that makes sense. I must say that the "almost certainly" there does worry me. ;-) I'll report back on what happens.

AlAlbert

RAS said:

Apply for Universal Credit immediately and an advanced payment, as it take 6 weeks for the full amount to be paid out.

Yup, in fact I began the application yesterday evening. I'm now waiting for a call back from them to continue it (ID issues).

RAS said:

If anyone asks for utility type bills  or a credit card to be paid, contact their bereavement department and advise them that the bill-payer is deceased. They will wait for payment from the estate. Make sure you mention that there will be a delay because it needs a coroner's report.

Bear in mind that I am still living here and the problematic issue is that I need to pay ongoing normal bills like food, etc., not just utility bills. Thus it's no real advantage to me to delay payment of utility bills until probate: It will come out of the same pot sooner or later, and the bills will just rack up and up if they are not paid, making it all the harder to pay them when the time comes.

Naturally, if I tell the bank that my mother has died and they were to freeze her funds without letting me have access (unlikely though that hopefully would be), then I would then need to suspend payment to various utilities.

RAS said:

As soon as you get the death certificate, take that and the will to either the savings or current account (probably the savings account) and transfer some or all of the value to your personal account.

Once that is in your account, use that to cover your day to day expenses (nothing that can be delayed) and 'fess up to the bank account. Expect them to freeze it but ask that they pay any funeral expenses.

Well, the savings and current are in the same bank so I'd presume that they either freeze both or none.

Thanks for your advice.

AlAlbert

Savvy_Sue said:

If there is money in any of the long-deceased accounts, I'd definitely get them closed as soon as you can. Technically you are committing fraud by continuing to access your mother's accounts after her death. 

Eek! Most alarming.

AlAlbert

Marcon said:

This is a long thread so apologies if someone else has already said this - have you checked the council tax position? As sole occupant you will be entitled to a 25% discount (although possibly is already in place if your mother had claimed it on the basis of disability).

Yes, I will be due a Council Tax discount now. Thanks for reminding me: I need to call the council.

Sadly I looked into this when my mother was alive and there were no discounts available to her that matched her particular situation.

MovingForwards

With utilities and council tax call and explain your mom has died, but you still live in the property. They will close the accounts and wait for payment, opening new accounts in your name; this buys you time to start receiving money.

Each bank has a bereavement section and it will also say how much the upper limit is for releasing the funds without probate. If the money in the accounts is more than that, you won't get it until producing probate.

Funeral expenses are priority debts to be paid, all debts need to be repaid before you can start to receive what's left afterwards.

Delaying matters isn't helping your situation. Contact UC, explain the urgency of the situation and say you need an urgent advance as you're without money and I assume without other family able to assist you on a temporary basis.

I do feel for you, it's a dreadful situation you've found yourself in, but you've got to face it.

nanapop1977

AlAlbert - bite the bullet and phone the bank's bereavement team. They will guide you through the process of closing the account and accessing the money. You will probably need to email a copy the death certificate/will and it might take a couple of weeks for the funds to reach your account. Phone credit card provider and advise them your mum has passed away and that you can't pay the outstanding balance until Probate is granted. Also phone utility providers and say them same.
If the cash flow situation does end up being a problem for immediate needs( i.e food/personal hygiene products) ask your GP/CAB for a referral to the local food bank and any other local agencies that might be able to support you until you get back on your feet. Do you have a close friend who might be able to offer any moral support?
Losing a parent is always hard whatever the situation, but take one step at a time and most of all, try to take care of yourself  and it will all come together in the end.

gwynlas

Condolences on your loss and I can see why you are reluctant to inform institutions of your mothers death. Whilst you can see that the house would convert into a HMO or be a great family home please do not think about going into a  partnership on the basis of somebody else doing it and you just sharing in the profits. Unless you have previous experience and money to invest a developer could and would take advantage of your building naivety and give you all sorts of misinformmation re costs and works required. On the other hand if you release your capital inheritance, find a manageable property that needs work you could add value,however from the sound of it living in a property that detiorated around you for lack of input though you could have contributed towards funding then you might be better finding a turnkey property.