probate granted 15 minutes after official complaint!

kev1744

created new post so hopefully more people will see it with catchy title.
so after applying for probate in april for simple will ( only needed to sell my late fathers home) i have been in touch with probate office via webchat numerous times trying to get an update.
today i went on webchat as i had asked for the case to be escalated 6 weeks ago...i was told that for some reason it was still sat in escalation queue and had not been looked at yet.
i was not happy so asked if there was any way i could make an official complaint.
person i spoke to said they would take the details and send to complaints dept, but did warn me that it would be another 2 weeks untill the escalation dept was likely to be able to review my case.
so i made my complaint......15 minutes later i got an email saying probate granted and paperwork on its way!

ill let you read into that what you will 

RnK136

kev1744 said:

created new post so hopefully more people will see it with catchy title.
so after applying for probate in april for simple will ( only needed to sell my late fathers home) i have been in touch with probate office via webchat numerous times trying to get an update.
today i went on webchat as i had asked for the case to be escalated 6 weeks ago...i was told that for some reason it was still sat in escalation queue and had not been looked at yet.
i was not happy so asked if there was any way i could make an official complaint.
person i spoke to said they would take the details and send to complaints dept, but did warn me that it would be another 2 weeks untill the escalation dept was likely to be able to review my case.
so i made my complaint......15 minutes later i got an email saying probate granted and paperwork on its way!

ill let you read into that what you will 

Must be the day for it!
I got my application approved today... after 4 months and going back into the queue twice, 2 webchats and a phone call.

baggins_22

Glad you got it sorted, was the only way to complain via passing on details in webchat?

We contacted webchat numerous times after our 8 weeks and was advised probate had all documents needed, they were just waiting on being actioned. Was marked as urgent and escalated and eventually after 11 weeks our case was looked at and told we were missing IHT forms. Now told it can be 25 working days for these to be reviewed by HMRC and then an additional 6 weeks for HMCT to then pick the case back up after. These timescales are just shocking given the circumstances, not to mention the fact we were misadvised on having everything needed, feels like this service needs an overhaul

RnK136

baggins_22 said:

Glad you got it sorted, was the only way to complain via passing on details in webchat?

We contacted webchat numerous times after our 8 weeks and was advised probate had all documents needed, they were just waiting on being actioned. Was marked as urgent and escalated and eventually after 11 weeks our case was looked at and told we were missing IHT forms. Now told it can be 25 working days for these to be reviewed by HMRC and then an additional 6 weeks for HMCT to then pick the case back up after. These timescales are just shocking given the circumstances, not to mention the fact we were misadvised on having everything needed, feels like this service needs an overhaul

Didn't feel either webchat or phone was particularly advantageous, to be honest. Webchat easier to wait for than sitting on the phone in a queue for 20+ minutes.

Most annoying was they made a mistake about the number of executors and also seemingly weren't able to understand that since the Will was written I have got married and my surname is different - despite the fact that I answered all the questions on these topics correctly in my online application!! So it went back and forth twice taking weeks in-between when really (in my opinion) it didn't need to.

The system/service is shocking. I fully agree.

Pollycat

Original thread:
probate times...why so long? — MoneySavingExpert Forum

Bfh

I’m genuinely pleased for those who’ve finally got their grants. I bet it feels like a massive weight has lifted.
seven weeks ago - 9 weeks after I got confirmation that my application had been received - I got a query asking if I’d paid tax, as the IHT421 hadn’t been received.
I emailed and followed up with a call and was told that HMRC would be emailed and asked to send it across urgently.
Since then, four emails have received no response other than the auto reply. Twice I queued for webchat, only to “lose connection” both times after waiting more than an hour.
I found time to hold on the phone earlier this week to finally speak to someone, who told me that no email was sent to HMRC and so nothing has been done. He promised he would email them and ask them to deal urgently.
I’ve sent a complaint. It will take ten days for them to respond.
I despair of it ever being sorted at this point!

Mrs_Z

Like Bfh, i'm also very pleased for those who have finally got their grants - at least there is a glimmer of hope that some cases are being resolved.
I'm also in a situation where IHT421 has not been received as the HMRC claims not having received the IHT400. The forms were re-rent on 25/7 to them and I complaint to HMRC on Monday - so far,  nothing. I think I will give them another week, then take few copies of the forms, re-sent them yet again and then contact a news paper in the hope that they pick up the fight on my behalf.  Maybe there's even a story in this for them?  I really don't know where else to turn.

Pollycat

Mrs_Z said:

Like Bfh, i'm also very pleased for those who have finally got their grants - at least there is a glimmer of hope that some cases are being resolved.
I'm also in a situation where IHT421 has not been received as the HMRC claims not having received the IHT400. The forms were re-rent on 25/7 to them and I complaint to HMRC on Monday - so far,  nothing. I think I will give them another week, then take few copies of the forms, re-sent them yet again and then contact a news paper in the hope that they pick up the fight on my behalf.  Maybe there's even a story in this for them?  I really don't know where else to turn.

Would it be something that your MP might get involved in?

Bfh

Mrs_Z said:

Like Bfh, i'm also very pleased for those who have finally got their grants - at least there is a glimmer of hope that some cases are being resolved.
I'm also in a situation where IHT421 has not been received as the HMRC claims not having received the IHT400. The forms were re-rent on 25/7 to them and I complaint to HMRC on Monday - so far,  nothing. I think I will give them another week, then take few copies of the forms, re-sent them yet again and then contact a news paper in the hope that they pick up the fight on my behalf.  Maybe there's even a story in this for them?  I really don't know where else to turn.

Sounds like we’re both at our wits end!
I’m going to set aside a chunk of time next week to call again, and if there’s no progress still, I’ll ask if it can be escalated.
I’ve got a horrible feeling though that it’s fallen into a dark hole and there it will stay, since no one seems to do any more than they need to, to get it moving.
Sorry if I’m repeating myself, and sorry for ranting, but this is happening against the background of what’s been an absolutely awful year (same with all of us I’m sure) with two bereavements in very close succession.
The stress of trying to negotiate a system that’s decidedly unfriendly has almost been enough to push me over the edge.
Very best of luck to you, Mrs_Z

Pennylane

Bfh said:

Mrs_Z said:

Like Bfh, i'm also very pleased for those who have finally got their grants - at least there is a glimmer of hope that some cases are being resolved.
I'm also in a situation where IHT421 has not been received as the HMRC claims not having received the IHT400. The forms were re-rent on 25/7 to them and I complaint to HMRC on Monday - so far,  nothing. I think I will give them another week, then take few copies of the forms, re-sent them yet again and then contact a news paper in the hope that they pick up the fight on my behalf.  Maybe there's even a story in this for them?  I really don't know where else to turn.

Sounds like we’re both at our wits end!
I’m going to set aside a chunk of time next week to call again, and if there’s no progress still, I’ll ask if it can be escalated.
I’ve got a horrible feeling though that it’s fallen into a dark hole and there it will stay, since no one seems to do any more than they need to, to get it moving.
Sorry if I’m repeating myself, and sorry for ranting, but this is happening against the background of what’s been an absolutely awful year (same with all of us I’m sure) with two bereavements in very close succession.
The stress of trying to negotiate a system that’s decidedly unfriendly has almost been enough to push me over the edge.
Very best of luck to you, Mrs_Z

The thing is, to us it is a very sad and stressful time waiting for Probate to come through so we can deal with things and also start to grieve.  To the Probate Office we are just faceless numbers.  

It is a very poor service considering we have to pay £215 for the privilege!

I don’t want to say too much about the case I am involved with as you never know who is reading but even though I filled in everything 100% correctly  and nothing had to be returned, they made mistakes their end which have delayed things unnecessarily.  Communication is poor and if you have a query you can’t get through.  

TonyMMM

I have had an email this weekend to say my application has been approved and to expect the paper grants to arrive within 10 working days ....

The original application was sent at the beginning of June ( about 11 weeks ago), with one query raised by HCMTS in July which probably set things back slightly.

Can now (almost) move on with getting things sorted.