Hi, I'm posting this on behalf of my mother who is looking for some advice.

My father recently passed away without leaving a will. Everything is currently being handled by a solicitor who is transfering the house and belongings to my mother but this will still take some time.

With winter coming my mother wanted to check the home insurance and contents insurance was still in order as everything was in my fathers name. She rang the bank to check and they flatly refused to talk to her under the data protection act, they wouldn't even give her a yes or no as to whether the insurance was still valid. She explained that the solicitor had already sent a copy of the death certificate to free the deeds to the house so she could transfer them to my mother but they just said that the insurance department was seperate and they knew nothing about this.

My father had paid up for a years insurance and no refund has been given but she's worried any claim would be invalid if she had to make one.

They then went on to say they would need a signed power of attorney!!!

She has rung her solicitor who has promised to write to the bank but obviously these things take time.

All she wants to know is is the insurance still valid?

Any advice guys?

Up until the point that they receive the death certificate, yes. From that point onwards, your mother would need to start her own policy.

However, as i'm sure insurance company would find a loophole in the event of a claim, perhaps it's best fro her to start her own policy and wait for the refund once it is all sorted out.

Do you know who the insurance is with? Did she ring the bank because it was taken out via them i.e. Barclays? If the insurance was taken out via the bank, it won't be them that actually underwrite the policy, for example, if it is Barclays, it is likely to be underwritten by Norwich Union.

Has she got an insurance schedule or any paperwork anywhere that could tell her who the insurance is with? Or when your father paid for year, there must be something on a bank statement somewhere to say where the cheque/card payment went? The simplest thing to do is to ring the bank, ask them who their home insurance is underwritten by & then contact that insurance company - most insurance companies would be happy with a copy of the death certificate, this should be enough to advise whether your mother in currently on cover or not - this could be faxed to speed things up. They will need power of atorrney in the event of a claim, or if she wishes to cancel the policy or make any amendments though.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for the replies. The mortgage and insurance are all with the Halifax. Even though the bank had a copy of the death certificate to release the deeds to the solicitor a couple of months ago the insurance department claim to know nothing about it.

Could she still take out her own policy even though the house hasn't technically been transferred to her yet?