Wife,s dad passed away yesterday but do not know what to do.

rich_shot2003

We really need some help and advice as we are at a lost on what to do next.

Yesterday My wife,s dad passed away and she has been named as next of kin and he has been ill for a while and died in hospital.

Her family had turned their back on her dad so really we are the only ones who had contact with him over the last 10 years or so and we do not expect to get any help from her family and as i say we do not know what to do next or what we need to do.

Yesterday my wife,s niece went up to the hospital to pick up his stuff as the hospital had told my wife she had only 4 hours to pick his stuff up and we could not go as we live the other side of the UK and have no transport and the niece lives near the hospital so she picked up his stuff but there was a lot of stuff missing like clothes and his wallet the niece claims.

now the niece never went to see him while he was alive in hospital or gave us any help even with her living near hospital so we have a feeling she is only getting involved because she thinks she will get something but that is another story.

we are on benefits so makes things even more harder and my wife,s dad told her he has a life insurance but not sure if he really did or not and he also lived in a council flat and we can not get into it as the keys have gone missing from the stuff he had while in hospital so how do we get into his flat?

we know there is a lot of stuff to do but we just do not know what to do or who to go to for help and would be very greatful for any advice please.

jackieblack

Sorry for your loss 

Reading this might help to start with 
https://www.gov.uk/when-someone-dies

Flugelhorn

I am sorry to hear about your loss - very hard to deal with at a distance 

Just to say NoK has no real legal standing any of your FIL's children could administer the estate if he did not leave a will and only the named executor if he did leave will

I suspect that house will be via a housing association and they would be the people to discuss it with

Did you niece pick up the death cert and is she going to register the death?

Spendless

Ring the LA/council about his property and the situation with the keys. Depending on what their policy is, they usually allow some time from a date of death, but if you don't inform them they will continue to charge rent to your late FIL's estate.

Robin9

Very sorry to hear of the loss of your wife's dad.  My experience of hospitals is that they were very good in these circumstances - give the ward a ring and double check what was was brought in and what the niece collected.

Are you in touch with a neighbour ?  Might they have keys ?

Do you think there is likely to be enough money to pay the funeral costs ? If not, unless you are prepared to  pick up the costs, step aside and let the hospital make the arrangements.

Have you made contact with a Funeral Director ?  

Sarahspangles

If your father in law was transferred to hospital from home or a care home they may not have taken his personal possessions with them.  If the possessions have been lost in the hospital the PALS service may be able to help track them down.  PALS are a good contact to know about in any case, they’re more geared up to understanding the processes in place within the hospital.

sheramber

His keys and wallet may have been locked away for safety.

Check if the hospital or the Area NHS have a bereavement officer.

Contact PALS for the hospital area

https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/other-services/Patient-advice-and-liaison-services-(PALS)/LocationSearch/363

bunnygo

I am sorry for your loss.

first, stop and take a breath. He was in hospital so they can look after him for now. It is also Easter weekend so there's nothing you can do anyway.

On Tuesday, contact the PALS (patient liaison and advice service) at the hospital regarding registering the death. Stress that you are a long way away and cannot travel. It is possible to register a death remotely, be insistent on this.

if you are not in a position to pay for the funeral, again step away. You are not forced to do so. If the estate can't pay and no one else is able/willing to do so, the council will arrange a 'public health' funeral. The deceased is still treated with dignity and respectfully buried or cremated.

do you know if there is a will? If so then the named executor is the only one who can deal with everything.

if you feel able, come back here when you have more details and the 'hive mind' will do their best to help.

rich_shot2003

Flugelhorn said:

I am sorry to hear about your loss - very hard to deal with at a distance 

Just to say NoK has no real legal standing any of your FIL's children could administer the estate if he did not leave a will and only the named executor if he did leave will

I suspect that house will be via a housing association and they would be the people to discuss it with

Did you niece pick up the death cert and is she going to register the death?

We are going to pick up death cert and register the death on Tuesday and we have spoken to the housing association with ref to the flat he lived in and am just waiting to get a call on when we can get hold of the keys from them and they have said they need to change the locks 1st but hope we can get in next week.

rich_shot2003

Robin9 said:

Very sorry to hear of the loss of your wife's dad.  My experience of hospitals is that they were very good in these circumstances - give the ward a ring and double check what was was brought in and what the niece collected.

Are you in touch with a neighbour ?  Might they have keys ?

Do you think there is likely to be enough money to pay the funeral costs ? If not, unless you are prepared to  pick up the costs, step aside and let the hospital make the arrangements.

Have you made contact with a Funeral Director ?  

No not made contact with Funeral Director as do not know how to go about that as we have no money as on benefits and we do not think he has any money but he did say he had life insurance but as we can not get into his flat yet to look for paper work for that we do not know.

how do Funeral Director,s work? do they want money up front? if he does not have enough in life insurance as he had only been paying into it for not even 2 years.

rich_shot2003

bunnygo said:

I am sorry for your loss.

first, stop and take a breath. He was in hospital so they can look after him for now. It is also Easter weekend so there's nothing you can do anyway.

On Tuesday, contact the PALS (patient liaison and advice service) at the hospital regarding registering the death. Stress that you are a long way away and cannot travel. It is possible to register a death remotely, be insistent on this.

if you are not in a position to pay for the funeral, again step away. You are not forced to do so. If the estate can't pay and no one else is able/willing to do so, the council will arrange a 'public health' funeral. The deceased is still treated with dignity and respectfully buried or cremated.

do you know if there is a will? If so then the named executor is the only one who can deal with everything.

if you feel able, come back here when you have more details and the 'hive mind' will do their best to help.

As far as we know he did not have a Will.