probate granted 15 minutes after official complaint!

Bfh

Well done Tony
I’ve just been on webchat and was told they’d email HMRC again 
when I asked for escalation I was told I may as well call HMRC
Did this and am told there’s no record of the payment of tax 😢 😢 
The very helpful person is going to get their accounts team to try and track it.
Terrified now, in case the money has gone astray, as well as thoroughly miserable about the whole thing.
Anyone had similar? And why on earth am I only finding this out now?!

Mrs_Z

@Bfh, They should be able to track the payment, eletronic payments always leave an audit trail.  Have you double checked it has been paid to the right account?  Maybe the reference number was missing and the HMRC was not able to 'marry' the payment to your case?  If you are able to give them the date and the amount when it was paid, they should be able to find it! It's just having someone to do the work at their end and look into it which I think is the biggest problem!
No progress for me.  Tried the probate chat line couple of times but it's always over 2hrs wait.  Haven't heard from HMRC regarding the complaint made on 15/8 - read somewhere that they can take 4 weeks.... 
Could I ask which phone number did you use for HMRC?  I think I give them until the end of this week and then see where else I can go.  Contacting the MP is also an option and has worked for some.  
I'm pleased that at least the bank did not require probate as well.  It has enabled me to settle some debts, credit cards etc.  
There must be so many people affected by this ridiculous system when cases are just 'left' and nobody is attempting to resolve them - you have to try and chase.  Mind boggling and utterly depressing. 

Bfh

Mrs_Z the number I rang for HMRC was 0300 123 1072
After my panicky post earlier, and no more than an hour after I’d rang them, the very helpful person I spoke to called me back to reassure me that the payment had now been matched to the account. What’s more they’d immediately sent the IHT421 across.
I now have to try to get through to probate office again and ask them if they’ll please now progress my application.
HMRC were like a breath of fresh air after the frustrating lethargy I’ve been met with whenever I’ve managed to get through to the people in probate.
It’s unacceptable to be so lacking in pro activity when you’re dealing with something like this.
Like you, there are bills and other payments to be settled here too, and I’m now struggling to keep the empty property maintained and these bills paid.

Let’s hope we both get some resolution soon.

Mrs_Z

That's great news @Bfh - I'm soooo happy for you - well done!
I am also happy to confirm that the much awaited 'probate has been granted' e-mail came through this morning.  I contacted the Probate office (via web-chat) at 8.59 on the dot and got straight through - which felt like a miracle - only to be told that there was still no sign of the IHT421 from the HMRC.  So I call them, queued for about 20min listening how important my call was to them but that the wait could be longer than normal as they were having technical difficulties (what's their normal????). So I gave up.  Went out for some fresh air, came back and tried again.  Same message.  Then in the meantime, the e-mail from the probate office came through and I hang up.. Oh the joy!! Felt like my prayers had finally been answered!!!  
It's been a truly awful, frustrating and painful wait. I really feel for anyone out there still waiting.  Just don't give up.  Cases DO get resolved but you have to chase and chase and chase and complain.  It shouldn't be like this.

Pennylane

Mrs_Z said:

That's great news @Bfh - I'm soooo happy for you - well done!
I am also happy to confirm that the much awaited 'probate has been granted' e-mail came through this morning.  I contacted the Probate office (via web-chat) at 8.59 on the dot and got straight through - which felt like a miracle - only to be told that there was still no sign of the IHT421 from the HMRC.  So I call them, queued for about 20min listening how important my call was to them but that the wait could be longer than normal as they were having technical difficulties (what's their normal????). So I gave up.  Went out for some fresh air, came back and tried again.  Same message.  Then in the meantime, the e-mail from the probate office came through and I hang up.. Oh the joy!! Felt like my prayers had finally been answered!!!  
It's been a truly awful, frustrating and painful wait. I really feel for anyone out there still waiting.  Just don't give up.  Cases DO get resolved but you have to chase and chase and chase and complain.  It shouldn't be like this.

Pleased for you!  Try waiting nearly 2 years like I did.  Unbelievable stress, heartache and frustration and I can never get that time back. 

Bfh

So pleased for you Mrs_Z
Unfortunately my chasing isn’t over as still nothing from probate; was hoping for an email today, so I’ll have to join that queue again tomorrow.
Pennylane, I really feel for you. It’s “only” been 18 weeks for me so far, but I feel completely wiped out. I honestly don’t think I’d survive 2 years of chasing and waiting.

Mrs_Z

Hang in there @bfh - you are one step closer.  If the IHT421 has been sent, I guess Probate now have everything they need?
If they do and you manage to get through to them via the Webchat hopefully they can issue the grant there and then. 
They should really have a dedicated team to work on cases which have exceeded x amount of days and resolve those as priorities, not just reset the clock at 8 weeks everytime.  Why not classify the applications into green, amber and red according to when they were submitted?
I'm horrified of reading Pennylane's comment of almost a 2 year wait.  That is absolutely scandalous and should not be allowed. I mean we are paying for this service!!! 

Bfh

Thanks Mrs_Z
i did get through to them yesterday and they have the form. The person I spoke to said once it gets scanned on it will go the examiner and then it will be 8 weeks.
I’m already at 17 weeks.
Asked for it to be escalated and she said she would but she was very unsympathetic bordering on rude so I’m not sure if she did or not.
I’ve heard nothing since and don’t have the energy at the moment to deal with it, it’s been a really tough year and this seems to be pushing me over the edge, stupidly.
I’ll take it up again after the weekend but how I don’t really know - more unproductive calls I suppose!

jdvhsully

I agree that the system needs looking at. We applied for probate on 31 December and have been trying to get it resolved ever since. My SIL sent another email last week chasing up after being asked for more information 8 weeks previously which she responded to within 24 hours, and got the standard email back. She has asked who to escalate the case to but she still hasn’t heard anything. 

Who can the family complain to? Is there an Ombudsman for the probate service? 

Bfh

jdvhsully said:

I agree that the system needs looking at. We applied for probate on 31 December and have been trying to get it resolved ever since. My SIL sent another email last week chasing up after being asked for more information 8 weeks previously which she responded to within 24 hours, and got the standard email back. She has asked who to escalate the case to but she still hasn’t heard anything. 

Who can the family complain to? Is there an Ombudsman for the probate service? 

I can’t do the actual link, but if you Google probate complaint, you should get the government webpage on the results with the online complaint form to fill in.
You get an automated response saying they’ll aim to look at it within 10 working days. I got this 15 working days ago and still no response.
If you’ve got time to hold on to get through to the probate office on the phone or webchat, you can ask them to escalate it.
I did this last week but I’ve no idea of the timescales for escalation - I think some posters have said it’s 2 weeks before they look at the case