Financial and practical matters

After someone dies many financial and other practical matters have to be sorted out.

If the deceased made a will, the executor of the will, also called the personal representative, is responsible for making sure that all debts, taxes and expenses from their estate are paid and for sharing out what is left according to the will.

The executor’s role can be complex and daunting, particularly as executors are often close relatives of the deceased and have their own grief to deal with, though a solicitor may do some of the work. Sometimes, if an estate is large or complicated, it is necessary to employ a solicitor. It is possible to complete probate using the coroner’s interim death certificate.

Insurance claims may be complicated too, especially if a loss adjuster is involved. Karen discovered this after her mother died in a fire. Loss adjusters are independent claims specialists who investigate complex or contentious claims on behalf of an insurance company.

Karen found a solicitor who charged reasonable fees and who dealt with her mothers estate. Karen…

Age at interview 40

Gender Female

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After someone has died, the deceased person’s bank, the tax office, insurance provider, and many other organisations need to be informed. See our dying and bereavement resources for links to information about what to do after someone dies.

Informing organisations, such as utility companies, can be exhausting. Josefine sympathised with older people struggling with these practical matters and suggested there should be someone appointed by social services to help them.

Josefine lost £2000 from social services because she was not aware it had to be claimed within 3…

Age at interview 57

Gender Female

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People who are bereaved may have financial difficulties. They may feel unable to work for a while yet have to pay funeral costs and other expenses. Thus they may need to claim government benefits or find other means of financial help. Some people had received financial help through their insurance or from the company that had employed the deceased person. Some had received government benefits, or financial help from one of the special funds for bereaved relatives. However, others had financial problems and many found practical matters difficult. Dorothy said that getting the correct benefits from a government department for her daughter-law was an “absolute nightmare”.

After Dorothy’s son was killed her daughter-law was left with two children and no income, and…

Age at interview 65

Gender Female

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The relatives or dependents of someone who has died as a result of a criminal injury may be able to get compensation under the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme. The bereavement award is a fixed payment of £5,500 (in 2014), but if a claimant is the only person qualified to claim then the payment doubles to £11,000. It may not be easy to obtain this compensation, partly because people only receive compensation if it is clear that the person who died had no criminal record themselves. Some people we talked to found it easy to get compensation but others found it very difficult.

After James was killed in the London bombing Rosemary and her husband received money from a…

Age at interview 65

Gender Female

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Anns son was murdered in 2005 and the trial was in 2006 but she was still fighting to obtain…

Age at interview 57

Gender Male

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After Martin’s wife was killed by a bus he had to look after their children. He found it impossible to work, struggled to pay the bills and found housekeeping difficult.

After Steph died Martin had financial problems and lost his sense of purpose. With a young child…

Age at interview 43

Gender Male

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After someone dies, bereaved relatives usually sort out the dead person’s belongings and decide what to do with them. This can be distressing. Some people we talked to almost felt guilty about moving their relative’s things. People gave things to relatives, some gave things to charity, some sold certain objects, and some decided not to touch them.

Sarah’s husband left a specialist collection of books and magazines that needed to be sold. She…

Age at interview 62

Gender Female

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William decided not to touch his daughters room. Three and a half years after Lauren was killed…

Age at interview 48

Gender Male

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If a traumatic death occurs abroad, other practical issues arise. Insurance may pay for all the expenses that are incurred, or the dead person’s employer may offer support, but after a terrorist attack people may not be covered by their holiday insurance. Susanna explained that after the Bali bombing the Foreign Office only paid to fly home an ‘intact’ body, not other body parts identified later. She also said that because people had died abroad, relatives were not eligible for Criminal Injuries Compensation.

The extraordinary practicalities to be sorted out were made more difficult by different time…

Gender Female

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Matthew suggests that before people travel abroad they need to get insurance which will cover all…

Age at interview 48

Gender Male

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If a person’s family member or friend has died abroad the Foreign and Commonwealth Office may help people cope with the practicalities of a death overseas. See our dying and bereavement resources for links to further information about what to do if someone dies abroad.

Relatives can contact the Bereavement Register, a free service which will arrange for the dead person’s name to be taken off mailing lists and databases in the UK.

The funeral or commemoration

Funeral ceremonies in the UK take many forms. They differ according to a preference for burial or cremation, and in line with any religious beliefs...