Ryder02
LE
when my mum snuffed it a couple of years ago I had to deal with her bank, Barclays (my dad is getting ever more senile).Back story:
At the end of April, a very good friend of mine died tragically as the result of a fall at home. I'd only seen him a few hours before.
He was South African with no immediate family here. I and SWMBO have had to deal with (some of) his affairs. This involved getting in touch with employers, freezing bank accounts, contacting pensions companies and so on.
What has become depressingly familiar is that none of these organisations, in their various dial-in options, have the ability to get straight through to anyone who deals with bereavements - they may have bereavement teams (of, as I am learning highly variable but usually poor utility) but you simply cannot get at them.
When you finally do, they have no facility to deal with you via email. Many will not accept interim death certificates. When you finally speak to someone and ask for an email address, there is either a refusal ("We don't do things via email.") or there is only an 'enquiries@...' address available.
The standard of care in this country for those having to deal with someone's affairs is shocking.
The government has at least set up a 'Tell us once' page, which allows many public-sector organisations (DVLA, Passport Office, etc.) to be told with a single mouse-click/electronic version of a death certificate.
The private sector, given that we are 16 months in pandemic and lockdowns of varying severities, is woefully off the pace.
Oh, and, "We are currently experiencing very high call volumes..."
Despite my general contempt for such organisations the lass on the front desk and the department who dealt with such matters were actually very good.
This was before the pandemic, but from the way they dealt with it I doubt if they would be anything other than competent now.
My problem is that as my dad is going ever more ga-ga if I snuff it (due to either my alcohol consumption or continuing to go into the hills/kayaking/travel/reserves/whatever) how the hell do I make sure he is looked after?
ETA: Only child, his family all emigrated/dead. No real close friends I could load it onto, etc.