Understanding question from late Grandparent's pension provider

Marcon

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81873012#Comment_81873012

Poor old pension administrators. They get criticised for not doing their job properly, and now they're being criticised for being too thorough!

There are usually good reasons why these questions are being asked, especially as this appears to be a very old defined benefit scheme. Such schemes often had a provision for a 'child's' pension to be paid with no upper age limit where the member's child had a physical or mental disability or impairment which meant they had been dependent on the member ('dependency' didn't always mean financially dependent) on account of this. Sometimes a 'disabled child's' pension would kick in when the member died, at other times it kicked in when any spouse's pension ceased to be payable (as here).

Another possibility is that the scheme is in the process of winding up and there is a surplus to be distributed, and the trustees are taking a pragmatic view about how to do that.

If people want to throw their toys out of the pram on principle, so be it - but maybe thinking first, and perhaps checking why the questions are being asked, could play to their advantage.

Spendless

Tbh I was glad of all comments, views and opinions, however contrasting. It helped me make the judgement call on what to tell Dad about it, who doesn't deal with 'admin' well or understand red tape.

Navigating him through this successfully has meant he was prepared to listen to other things, so he has now gone and topped up his and Mum's Isas with the money Nan left him instead of leaving it in his current account cos 'he might need it' He listened to what I had to say - checked I was correct with the bank staff (which I have no problem with) and then acted accordingly.

Marcon

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81895582#Comment_81895582

It very much is their business.

The most common reason for asking about probate is that a pension was paid in arrears, and there is some money owing to the deceased at the time they died. That money should rightly be paid to the estate - which, although everyone uses the term, doesn't actually exist. The money would need to be paid to the executors or administrators in their capacity of Personal Representatives. If probate hasn't been/isn't being applied for, schemes will often take a pragmatic view depending on the amount involved. But they need to ask the question…