TONY HETHERINGTON: I was on vacation abroad with my partner when he had a heart attack and died, but NatWest wanted to talk to HIM!
Tony Hetherington is Financial Mail’s chief investigator on Sunday, battling the reader’s corners, revealing the truth behind closed doors and gaining victories for those who haven’t made money. Read below how to contact him.
Mrs JT writes: In April I was on holiday in Tenerife with my partner when he suffered a massive heart attack and died. After I got back home, I had to take him home, so I contacted his bank, NatWest, because his account included travel insurance.
I supplied his death certificate, but a month later I checked his emails and there were endless messages from NatWest asking him to contact him about his claim.
I emailed and called to remind the bank that the claim related to the over £3,000 cost of returning his body, and unfortunately the dead body was unable to contact them.
Computer Says No: David Walliams in a Classic Little Britain Sketch
Tony Hetherington replies: You might think you went far enough in reminding them, but no. Letters came in from NatWest, all addressed to your deceased partner, asking you to get in touch. You gave me one sent to him in June which reads: ‘We have tried to contact you as we need information to process your claim. Please call us.’
Tried to contact you! For heaven’s sake – what were they using? A medium? A ouija board?
You called the bank over and over and finally you said you wanted to make an official complaint. The result? Another letter asking your deceased partner to get in touch!
All of this came from the travel insurance side of the business. Meanwhile, NatWest’s banking operation was going well. It closed your spouse’s account and sent you the balance because you are the executor of his estate.
The closest to an explanation came in one of your many calls to NatWest. When you explained again that there was no point in asking a dead man to call them, the speaker told you that emails and letters were generated automatically and “the computer settings could not be changed.”
You told me the whole episode was a macabre version of the Little Britain sketch, where you insisted your partner was dead and couldn’t call him, and NatWest insisted, “Computer says no!”
When I contacted them, officials at NatWest headquarters were mortified. You very quickly received a call from the principal’s office, apologizing repeatedly.
Apart from meeting the insurance claim of £3,476 in funeral and transport costs, the bank said it would deposit £400 into your account to resolve your complaint.
However, this missed the mark. Your complaint was never about compensation. What was insulting and disturbing was what you described to me as “the brick wall” of trying to deal with NatWest personnel who ignored common sense in favor of software stupidity, meaning they never had to make a real decision and blame their computer for everything . What you really wanted was changes within NatWest and an assurance that the same could not happen to anyone else in the future.
I can give you this now. The bank has told me from a high level: ‘Our sincere apologies to our customer. We made some mistakes and misinformation was given at a very poignant moment.
‘This absolutely cannot happen again and we have taken measures to provide good care and attention in the future.’
My father with dementia in £12k benefits riddle
Mrs AL writes: My father had dementia for ten years and spent the last six or seven years in a care home until he passed away last December.
The Department of Work and Pensions has written that my father’s estate owes about £12,000 in ‘overpaid benefits’, but I believe he only received about £6,000 in total for personal items such as toiletries.
I’ve tried to make contact, but after six letters and countless phone calls transferred from one team to another, I still have not received an answer.
The Department of Work and Pensions has written to say Ms AL’s estate owes around £12,000 in ‘overpaid benefits’
Tony Hetherington replies: I asked DWP officials to review their records and see where the payments had gone and why they were not justified. I’m afraid the answer is rather sad. An official told me: ‘When Mr N moved into his care home, he was no longer eligible for some aspects of Employment Support Allowance (ESA) and Disability Living Allowance (DLA) given the support provided by the home. Unfortunately, we were not aware of his move, so payments continued as usual.’
Specifically, the ESA payments were intended to cover your father’s mortgage interest while he lived in his own home. The DLA payments in excess of £4,000 have been written off and the £6,858 claimed is money that went towards the mortgage on your father’s house. Another member of your family had a permanent power of attorney, but failed to keep the DWP informed, so payments to the mortgage lender continued.
If you believe you have been the victim of financial misconduct, please write to Tony Hetherington at Financial Mail, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TS or email [email protected]. Due to the large number of questions, no personal answers can be given. Only send copies of original documents, which unfortunately cannot be returned.