Funeral costs and bills for carer

michael079

Hi, I was a cared for my mother for 13 years, she had Parkinson's and dementia. The caring got more and more until it wad full time in 2020,snd I had to move in with her and look after her 24/7. We eventually last year got a live in carer, and I shared the work and supervised the care. I have been recievjnf carers allowance for a number of years. She passed on Saturday evening, unexpectedly as she was still strong and stable. The care has left and I am here alone. I will still receive caress allowance for 8 weeks and I have family to support me who are in touch, but I need to pay for the funeral and pay my mum's bills and other living expenses. I've heard of a funeral support payment/grant that I've read about but it seems carers allowance is the only benefit not listed as qualifying, for some strange reason.

Is there any suggestions of what I can do? I need to grieve a little first before finding a job, and the panic in trying to earn enough befor her funeral next month would be too much, I need to find another solution. If anyone knows what might be out there that I can access it would be much appreciated 

la531983

You don't have to pay for her funeral at all.

If there is no money in her estate to pay for one, and you can't afford it, or nobody else can, contact your local authority and ask for a local authority funeral.

You likely won't get any say in it but you won't skint yourself to hold it.

elsien

Did your mother not have any money left in her bank account at all because funeral expenses would be the first call on that. 

Keep_pedalling

Did your mother have any savings? If she did it is possible to get funeral cost paid directly by her bank. They may also pay the administrator of her estate any amount they do hold before you obtain confirmation. Most banks have quite high limits that they will release without confirmation / probate.

Did she own her own home?

madbadrob

la531983 said:

You don't have to pay for her funeral at all.

If there is no money in her estate to pay for one, and you can't afford it, or nobody else can, contact your local authority and ask for a local authority funeral.

You likely won't get any say in it but you won't skint yourself to hold it.

Agree totally with this post however my council wwre reluctant to get involved with this as my late fathers estate wasnt insolvent.  The issue that I found and one we tend to gloss over on this forum is whether the surviving family can afford to pay for a funeral when the deceased estate is solvent but that is solely down to the property.  This was my case.  I fought with my local council to get this paid for under a public health funeral and they only paid up when I finally agreed to sign paperwork to say I would pay the cost of the funeral and their costs as well once the property sold.  I still got no say in the funeral even though we werfe ultimately going to pay.  

What I wasnt prepared for was the funeral directors to say sorry we want paying up front which 10 years on still shocks me although I do understand their arguments in this.  

So all in all be prepared for an argument with your council over a public health funeral.  PLease also accept my sincere condolences at this time

Rob

la531983

RE the above, well given there was a property involved there was clearly money to pay for it (yes not liquid cash at the time of booking the funeral but the fact remains).  So I am surprised you went down the "paupers funeral" route and I am not at all surprised the LA dug their heels in.

We dont know if the relative of the OP owned property.

madbadrob

la531983 said:

RE the above, well given there was a property involved there was clearly money to pay for it (yes not liquid cash at the time of booking the funeral but the fact remains).  So I am surprised you went down the "paupers funeral" route and I am not at all surprised the LA dug their heels in.

We dont know if the relative of the OP owned property.

Clearly didnt read my total post.  I had no choice but to go down the public health funeral route (no such thing as paupers funerals now) because there was no liquid cash in the estate.  We tried everything to get the funeral carried out via no other route than the LA but we couldnt do that.  My brother and I didnt have the money required for the funeral so this was the only option.  BTW the LA actually have to pay for a funeral where family and friends either dont have the money to pay for the funeral or the capacity to pay.  They recover the monies in most cases from the estates of the deceased.  Under UK law there is no legal requirement for anyone to pay for their loved ones funerals however there is the enviromental act requiring the LA to fund these for the means of protecting the public health of all residents.  

All that said I exampled my own case because if I hadnt someone like yourself would have come along and said sorry you dont know what your talking about.  I also think you was find I was talking in a generality not specifically aout the OPs case when I mentioned property.  The rest re LA and public health funerals was for the OP so they could see a possible issue they may well encounter in the coming weeks

michael079

Keep_pedalling said:

Did your mother have any savings? If she did it is possible to get funeral cost paid directly by her bank. They may also pay the administrator of her estate any amount they do hold before you obtain confirmation. Most banks have quite high limits that they will release without confirmation / probate.

Did she own her own home?

Yes she owned her home. But she had taken out a large amount of equity over the years. It's not possible now to go down the council funeral route, and neither would I want to as her wishes were to rest next to her mum and dad. Family on her side confirmed this with me, something I already knew, and put in me in touch with the funeral director they know in Perth that has dealt with other funerals in the family. It's all been arranged now.

She had about 2k in the bank, but I've still not got round to cancelling all debits and money will be coming out soon. The solicitor I spoke to reassured me on the phone my brother and I will benefit from the estate eventually, but I really can't think about that at the moment, it's a worry as its not concrete, and i also I know the equity people will want their money back soon and this has been home for 28 years. I can't face those thoughts just yet, so please nobody comment on that side of things.

At the moment I just need to work out how to pay for the funeral as I'll also have bills staying here and living costs, and need to somehow get funds for my brother to fly over from Thailand. Yes, it's his responsibility but he doesn't have the funds and I need to think about that. But funeral costs is number one priority at the moment as I assume the funeral director will need to be paid quite soon after the funeral. I can think of all the rest later. 

I'm going to contact her Lothian pension as I know sometimes there are death grants, although from my research so far, we probably won't benefit from that. I'm sure it will all work out, I just wanted to find out if there was any clear and obvious support available that I'd not heard of so far. Thanks for your time. 

Keep_pedalling

You should inform the bank without delay no payments should be going in or out after the account owner has died. With such a small amount the bank will release the money to the administrator without going through probate first. 

Any unsecured creditors she had will now have to wait until probate has been obtained and the house has been sold. First call on the estate is secured creditors, second funeral costs, third unsecured creditors and finally beneficiaries.

Glad you managed to get the funeral arrangements sorted. 

madbadrob

Keep_pedalling said:

You should inform the bank without delay no payments should be going in or out after the account owner has died. With such a small amount the bank will release the money to the administrator without going through probate first. 

Any unsecured creditors she had will now have to wait until probate has been obtained and the house has been sold. First call on the estate is secured creditors, second funeral costs, third unsecured creditors and finally beneficiaries.

Glad you managed to get the funeral arrangements sorted. 

Actually its funeral costs then secured debts etc

Rob

Keep_pedalling

madbadrob said:

Keep_pedalling said:

You should inform the bank without delay no payments should be going in or out after the account owner has died. With such a small amount the bank will release the money to the administrator without going through probate first. 

Any unsecured creditors she had will now have to wait until probate has been obtained and the house has been sold. First call on the estate is secured creditors, second funeral costs, third unsecured creditors and finally beneficiaries.

Glad you managed to get the funeral arrangements sorted. 

Actually its funeral costs then secured debts etc

Rob

No, secured debt comes first. Assets with a charge against them can’t be sold without clearing that charge from the proceeds. 

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/all-notices/content/104115