Page 2 | DF has been deceased for 30 years and I've got a letter with regards to his Pension pot

TunaTheSilverTabbyCat · 2025-01-04T19:09:14+00:00

I've received a letter from Legal & General asking if I'm his NOK (which I am) as there's monies that are sitting in a Pension from a Company that he worked for back in the 50's/60's which stopped trading in 1966 DF would have been 88 in February A) they've taken nearly 30 years to contact his NOK, I moved 2 years ago B) Could this be a possible scam? (I do have a Reference number and they are requesting that I telephone them at the earliest opportunity) Slightly flummoxed by it if I'm being honest!!! Has anyone else had this happen to them in the UK?

harriethoyle · 05/01/2025 14:24

@UncharteredWaters im sorry you had the same experience - its absolutely surreal isn’t it? You wonder if you’ve made yourself clear about the whole death bit when they ask! 🙈

Itisjustmyopinion · 05/01/2025 14:30

UncharteredWaters · 05/01/2025 00:32

Yep had this with the bank.
Standing in the bank with a death certificate at 21 after the sudden death of my dad - they asked me to get him to come in and confirm his own death….

‘confirm he’s dead?’
’yes’
’are you fucking stupid?’
’don’t swear at me - it’s a simple request’
(Tears started rolling)

Thankfully a wonderful local businessman and family friend had overheard, immediately intervened and said you have 2 minutes to get the manager, and a sincere apology or believe me when I say I and every business in this town will leave the branch….

I’ve never forgotten it.

Show quote history

That’s shocking and I hope you made a complaint. I have worked with bereavement teams in banks to design their processes and that is a horrendous example

Definitely not as bad as yours but when my aunt was trying to get things sorted after her husband died, one company didn’t believe she was his wife as they had only been married a year. Funnily enough I don’t think they expected that he would be dead from a car crash within a year of marrying. The “computer says no” attitude of some companies is awful

Original poster

TunaTheSilverTabbyCat · 05/01/2025 17:47

Thanks for all of your replies
I'll be calling them tomorrow and requesting an email address going forward

OP posts:

Badbadbunny · 07/06/2025 07:29

Itisjustmyopinion · 05/01/2025 14:30

That’s shocking and I hope you made a complaint. I have worked with bereavement teams in banks to design their processes and that is a horrendous example

Definitely not as bad as yours but when my aunt was trying to get things sorted after her husband died, one company didn’t believe she was his wife as they had only been married a year. Funnily enough I don’t think they expected that he would be dead from a car crash within a year of marrying. The “computer says no” attitude of some companies is awful

Show quote history

Sadly it’s the same with lots of customer services, not just banks but gp surgeries and hospitals can also be ridiculously stupid. I think it’s because they don’t actually listen - they “hear” what they think you’ve said rather than what you’ve actually said, which is why they so often trot out absolute nonsense.

Thisbastardcomputer · 07/06/2025 07:55

Legal and General hunted me down to pay me £2.50 left in an account, so it’s possibly genuine

legosnowqueen · 07/06/2025 08:04

This reply has been withdrawn

This message has been withdrawn at the poster's request

MoreChocPls · 09/06/2025 05:39

Contact legal and general via a number on their website and ask.

socialdilemmawhattodo · 09/06/2025 06:25

whiteroseredrose · 04/01/2025 19:34

It is probably legitimate. I work for a pension company and we do do searches for Death Certificates for very old pensions and then try to find family.

Google Legal and General and give them a call.

What dept would that be called please? I think a job like that could suit me very well!

alianangel · 09/06/2025 06:45

A similar thing happened to me, I was contacted about a pension belonging to a friend of mine. I’d inherited most of their estate and they used the will to trace me over 15 years later.

I looked up the pension provider online and called them rather than using the details on the letter they sent. I had to provide proof of my identity and a copy of the death certificate..

whiteroseredrose · 09/06/2025 09:35

socialdilemmawhattodo · 09/06/2025 06:25

What dept would that be called please? I think a job like that could suit me very well!

Show quote history

Hi. Our team is called Goneaway Team. They search for people where we’ve had mailings returned to us. Sometimes they are deceased.

ButteredRadish · 09/06/2025 09:39

I got an email & letter from Legal & General telling me about my pension from when I’d worked for Early Learning Centre for 3 months before they shut down. There’s £40.08 in there and because it’s less than £100, I cannot add to it! Nor can I take it (obviously!). So £40.08 just has to sit there for 26 years (when I turn 67) 🤨

Figcherry · 09/06/2025 09:43

ButteredRadish · 09/06/2025 09:39

I got an email & letter from Legal & General telling me about my pension from when I’d worked for Early Learning Centre for 3 months before they shut down. There’s £40.08 in there and because it’s less than £100, I cannot add to it! Nor can I take it (obviously!). So £40.08 just has to sit there for 26 years (when I turn 67) 🤨

You may get a coffee and a cake eventually for that. 😂

ilovepixie · 09/06/2025 09:48

ButteredRadish · 09/06/2025 09:39

I got an email & letter from Legal & General telling me about my pension from when I’d worked for Early Learning Centre for 3 months before they shut down. There’s £40.08 in there and because it’s less than £100, I cannot add to it! Nor can I take it (obviously!). So £40.08 just has to sit there for 26 years (when I turn 67) 🤨

You should be able to access it when you’re 55.

4forksache · 09/06/2025 09:52

Exciting!

SwedishEdith · 09/06/2025 10:18

lightsandtunnels · 04/01/2025 20:07

My parents had a letter addressed to me (my maiden name) at my old family home 30 years after I'd moved out. It was from Aviva and it was indeed a legitimate pension pot from a job I had back in the 80s. I never even knew that I had paid into a pension with the job. I thought it was a scam and almost didn't bother contacting them. But I am glad I did!

As I had reached early retirement age when the letter came I was able to take the pension as a lump sum. It was almost £20k so very welcome!

Wow, how long had you worked for the company?