Learning to walk before I run

Suffolk_lass

That counts as an emergency. Failure of a device or white goods item is the first thing it is there for. Wow to MiL death grant. I've only heard of death in service but assumed both your inlaws were retired

edinburgher

Woohoo! A £15 Prolific survey

Baileys_Babe

The death grant payout will take a lot of stress away from MIL and by association you and Mrs E.

edinburgher said:

Woohoo! A £15 Prolific survey

This equals just shy of 5% of the replacement cost of the 2 phones 😊

Watty1

The death grant might help alleviate some of the stress MiL is facing just now.
As for the EF and the phone I think it depends how advanced the EF is.  Eventually I would hope to have an EF for  emergencies and funds for replacements of things but for now I'm ok with just an EFj.

savingholmes

Well done on getting low cost phone replacements.

Good news for MIL too. Does that mean that is all that she will get - or will she get some ongoing 50% of his pension payments on top?

edinburgher

@savingholmes - She'll also get 50% of his pension for life.

Between her state pension, the survivor's pension, her own occupational pension (final salary but tiny), a tiny european pension, a annuity-like bond product, money from her solar panels, this lump sum and savings and ISA from FIL's name, I don't think she realises just how lucky (or wealthy) she is. This is a woman for who an afternoon out is coffee and cake and a trip to the charity shop or Asda Couldn't happen to a more deserving person but no idea what she'll do with it all.

Suffolk_lass

My Mum is similarly income-rich since my Dad died.

• She always gives her grandchildren the maximum tax free gift that she is allowed, and 
• she has my Sis & BiL registered as her carers, so Sis receives money to top up her modest occupational pension and both receive carer credits to their NI records to get them the full new state pension, when they get there. 
• When Dad died, she did a deed of variation (I think that is what it is called in Scotland) so that she could share his estate with their two daughters, and my Sis and I received a welcome lump sum. I was still far too spendy then but we used it to move to a much bigger, nicer house, albeit with a bigger mortgage (precipitating our own financial lightbulb moment).  
• After the estate was sorted, she also gifted us her house, and 
• set up an enduring PoA with care, health and financial powers. 
• While there may be CGT on the house at some point, her estate is much simplified. At 94 she is still with us. 
  

I have only given the detail in case it (or some of it) is useful for you, ed

edinburgher

Would the house not be a gift with reservation @Suffolk_lass ?

Suffolk_lass

I do not recall. We promised we would always support her wish to live there. She paid a lifetime rent if I recall, so maybe not. It also predated a change that was being talked about in relation to care costs, and was advised by the solicitor. My mother would have an "over my dead body" moment if anybody tried to move her now. I believe my Sis and husband would rather move in there than see her in a care facility of any sort

edinburgher

Oh my word. A family member has started grumping about why they aren't named in the will