Probate 16 weeks plus

junebaby

Been waiting 16 weeks for probate from Monday just gone. Have not heard anything since applying on line and posting the will and death certificate off to them. Rang and spoke to a lady who said she would fill out a form and escalate it as it had now been 16 weeks since we had applied. 

I asked what timescale they were working to and she couldn’t tell me. Actually made me feel like I was being a nuisance. 

It is a very straightforward will. With a flat and a small amount of cash. 

I think the process is very distressing at a time when you have lost a loved one and can’t believe they are allowed to keep you in the dark. We are having to pay bills on the flat for the upkeep. 

Has anyone had similar issues?  Not sure what to do next. 

Many thanks. 

Sarahspangles

If you posted the application and will then 16 weeks is the average processing time.  An online application with the will posted under the cover sheet they supply takes four to six weeks.

EDIT - I just looked at the HMCTS performance information, for grants issued in January, the most recent month reported, the average processing time for paper applications was 20.3 weeks, where an application was ‘stopped’ (something needed to be checked/confirmed) the average was over 26 weeks, or 16.3 weeks where the application was not stopped.

This is compared to 8.4 weeks average for a digital application (18.6 weeks stopped, 4.5 weeks not stopped)

junebaby

All the details were completed and paid for online. We were then given a long reference number and printed off this to use as a cover sheet. The cover sheet with the reference number was then posted off with the will and death certificate. 

Sarahspangles

junebaby said:

All the details were completed and paid for online. We were then given a long reference number and printed off this to use as a cover sheet. The cover sheet with the reference number was then posted off with the will and death certificate. 

I missed that you said online.  If you look at my edit, the average times in January suggest that your application is taking longer because it was stopped for something to be checked/confirmed, as you’ve significantly exceeded the timescale for unstopped applications.  But if it achieves the average turnaround of about 19 weeks it won’t be much longer.

lisyloo

If it's a small amount of cash, why do you need probate?
just checking have you asked if you can have it without probate?

junebaby

It’s not just cash there is a property as well. 

Sarah how do you know the average turnaround is 19 weeks? I can’t find anything online. 

Jowwie

I am currently waiting 10 weeks (plus of course the time it took to value the estate). Finances all frozen since death. The delay could end up costing us into thousands just in lost bank interest.

I did a quick estimate yesterday of the fees we have all paid to HMCTS over the last year for probate. Came out with a figure of approaching £87 million (318k applications x £273).  There must be some money in this pot somewhere for some more staff for this service? Clearly under resourced.

Jowwie

Probate stats are here. Table 5.

www dot gov dot uk/government/collections/hmcts-management-information#2023

msb1234

You stated that you’re paying out for the flat. Why? I’m the executor for my mum. When I notified everyone of her death, all her utility / Council tax etc bills were put on hold. The only thing I’ve paid out for myself is house insurance, which I chose to do. Everyone else is patiently waiting for the house to be sold in order to receive their payments. She died a year ago. I’ve had a couple of phone calls from the debt collection agencies the utility / credit card companies are using, but they’ve been very polite and are happy to wait. 

You really don’t need to be paying anything out before the estate is settled.

uknick

junebaby said:

All the details were completed and paid for online. We were then given a long reference number and printed off this to use as a cover sheet. The cover sheet with the reference number was then posted off with the will and death certificate. 

Probably me being thick, but what is the difference between;

Submission to Grant Issued (weeks)(Digital, stopped) and Documents Upload to Grant Issued (weeks)(Digital, stopped)

 
Do you combine the two numbers?

Jowwie

My understanding  is the path is  1. submission 2. documents upload 3. (after some HMCTS magic) grant issued

I don't think you combine the numbers. Submission to Grant Issued is the one I think most relevant to us as it covers end to end, especially as we do not appear to always be informed when documents are uploaded. Document uploads I think is outsourced, so you can use the "document upload to issue" stats to get an idea  if there is a delay in the outsourced uploading or in the subsequent processing by HMCTS.

Not an expert here though!