Paying mortgage and council tax after a bereavement

[MelbourneWay]

Asking for a friend who has a three year old daughter. Her partner passed away recently, it was somewhat unexpected. They had a mortgage together. She is on universal credit getting about £600 per month which comprises the standard allowance and support for one child. She can just about live on that but can't pay the mortgage or council tax at the moment. Mortgage and council tax also come to about £600 per month. Is there any help that she can get for the mortgage and council tax whilst she is waiting for probate?

Death in service is employer paid life insurance. It's also called Group Life Assurance. So you do have life insurance if you have death in service, you just don't pay for it yourself.

Fair enough, OP.

Speaking to the bereavement team at the Mortgage co sounds a good idea.

I very much hope she gets some certainly and security soon.

Had the solicitor even been able to tell her when probate might be?

My friend was allowed a whole year off council tax after having a massive mental breakdown. Call them to discuss the situation.

When my df passed we used this service www.gov.uk/after-a-death/organisations-you-need-to-contact-and-tell-us-once
It was very good, that’s if your friend can get hold of documents. I’m surprised she can’t find a copy of his will somewhere.

yes I get that death in service is a form of life insurance, but my mortgage company has no idea I have it - there was no requirement for me to say I had it to avoid a requirement for life insurance. So perfectly possible to have a mortgage with nothing

It's only building and contents insurance that are a requirement of the Mortgage.

Most brokers or decent mortgage companies will suggest its worth getting due to situations like this however it's not a condition so if you chose not to you just run the risk of house being sold / reposed if you can't cover it.

I have death in service bug also have life insurance that way the mortgage is taken care of if I die and DH has my death in service as a nice lump sum on top

When I bought my property I had no dependents /partner so the mortgage advisor was very surprised I wanted to bother with life insurance.

So depending on when he bought property it might not even have been suggested.

Oh sorry iv just read partner not husband / wife
It's really shitty should extend to co-habiting partners