Should I complain?

[Mottie]

My mum died last August and I’m sorting things out, just the house to sell now and that looks like it’s going through but yesterday I had an email that I read on my phone from one of her private pension providers. Said something about £34 owing to her and after tax it was £26 ish but I’d need to send in copies of death certificate, my ID and a current bank statement to receive it. I CBA to do that but I was telling Mrs Mottie about it last night and read it on my iPad - a lot easier to see. Apparently there was a lump sum benefit of £1k and the interest on that was £26 after tax. Of course, I sent off the paperwork to get that but it got me thinking. When I notified them of her death, I had a letter from them within a week saying they were sorry to hear about her death but could I send £791 back to them that they had overpaid her. I sent the money back immediately. Now, 8 months later, I get an email telling me they are sorry and it should have been mentioned at the time about the £1k death benefit payment. At all times, I was dealing with the bereavement department so they should have known. Luckily, we didn’t need that money but I’m sure that many people could have needed it at the time and they should have paid that out as quick as they asked for a refund. Is it worth complaining? Would you?

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Would you?

Yes!

 

[motorbiking]

If you have the time. Yes

 

[Elsa TLC]

Give it to them. Incentive wackers

 

[Murdochcat]

Pension providers should be ashamed of the way they deal with relatives after the death of the pension holders.

It’s going to get far far worse once these awful companies will HAVE to provide information for people doing valuations to do the HMRC declaration prior to applying for probate

 

[blup]

I got compensation from a stat undertaker who sent a debt collection agency out after confirming they wouldn’t seek payment until probate was issued

 

[diy_fun_uk]

Yes.

 

[Justin Passing]

You'll only get an apology letter.
HMRC, banks, everyone, makes mistkaes.

 

[morqthana]

You'll only get an apology letter.

Not necessarily.

HMRC, banks, everyone, makes mistkaes.

Making a mistake in a job you are being paid to do is otherwise known as incompetence.

 

[morqthana]

I had a letter from them within a week saying they were sorry to hear about her death but could I send £791 back to them that they had overpaid her. I sent the money back immediately.

The correct response would have been to ask for proof that they were entitled to claw back overpayments from the estate of a deceased person and if they were to say that it would be repaid once probate had been granted.

 

[Mottie]

The correct response would have been to ask for proof that they were entitled to claw back overpayments from the estate of a deceased person and if they were to say that it would be repaid once probate had been granted.

I had no problem with paying the money back. My mum died on 31st August and they made that pension payment on Sept 1st so she wasn’t entitled to any of that particular pension payment. They did say they could wait until probate was granted if that was what we needed. Probate wasn’t needed on any of her bank/savings accounts under £50k which I did think strange but apparently that’s the norm so I settled up any outstanding bills and repayments almost immediately as well as taking responsibility as executor for her utility bills etc. Although it’s a trivial amount with respect of the whole of her estate, I’m just a bit annoyed that the death benefit wasn’t mentioned at any time during my conversations and correspondence with the bereavement dept. Mrs Mottie thinks it was probably down to people working from home and says I should just let it go but I’m thinking I should at least make a complaint to let them know that the bereavement department are not doing the job they are supposed to do with regards to helping the bereaved.

 

[Andy165]

IMO most financial companies are like this. If you don't ask you don't get. That's why they have "zombie" funds unclaimed. Definitely complain. But as others have said, they probabley wont give a sh##

 

[Odds]

Make the complaint, say I: they're obliged to put it on file and it all adds up to the annual review of the department performance. You should've been made aware of all the details, regardless of the amount.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I should just let it go but I’m thinking I should at least make a complaint to let them know that the bereavement department are not doing the job they are supposed to do with regards to helping the bereaved.

They only way to avoid them making errors, and get them to sort their systems out, is to make formal complaints when they do get things wrong.

I recently closed a Nat West account, where I was paying them £2 per month for the privilege. I read up on their site, how to, followed the instruction precisely, emptied the account to £0.00, received confirmation my account was closed, then latter the same day, they said I owed £2. I paid the £2, then they sent me a bill for £1.50 for exceeding my overdraft (by the £2).

I emailed them a formal complaint, saying that their system had said my account was closed, how could I owe them £2, or £1.50? Their reply was that their system, didn't know about the £2, because it had been pending. My reply was it was their system, it was their charge, how could it not know? They dropped the final £1.50 charge.

 

[Mottie]

I’ve sent an email telling them I want to make a formal complaint into how the death benefit on my mother’s pension was handled by the bereavement team. No reply as yet.