Sorry after an intensely frustrating conversation with my mother I need to vent desperately!
She has changed bank accounts this month and she went into the branch of her chosen new bank herself and did all the forms etc. by herself. I was really pleased for her because all financial/ form filling/ people in suits behind desks type activities she finds incredibly dificult and it induces huge anxiety so I knew it was a big deal for her to do it alone.
Anyhow she told me that her bills were going out of the new account but the money was in her old account earlier this week. I told her all about the problems I had last year changing accounts and how the civil service took 4 months too work out they were paying the wages into the old account and how I had to arrange a mahoosive overdraft and move the money manually over each month from old account to new all that time. I thought I was being pretty explicit in my advice - move the money over youself - don't expect it to be sorted out straight away.
So she went straight to her old bank withdrew all the money and closed the account!!!
Then she gets a letter from the new bank saying don't forget to keep your old account open till the changeover is complete. Now she is freaking out as she has no idea whether her money is going to be paid to the right place. And there is no where else for it to go now!
She gets a tiny local govt pension and then widows pension - I have told her to ring the people paying her today and make sure they are going to pay the money to the right account! I have not mentioned the direct debits they will have to be sorted out another day. What happens to money that is paid into a closed account?
I have told her to work out what she needs for the next month and make sure she has an overdraft to cover it - but honestly she has created a problem by being impatient! She is blaming the women who helped her open her new account for not telling her to not close the old one straight away - but I would have thought it was bloody obvious - am I harsh!?
I swear mum lives in an alternative reality in her head where people in suits are totally competent and able to sort everything out for you. Whereas I assume they are either incompetent or don't give a shit and therefore micromanage and chase up every transaction. Maybe because I have been a person in a suit behind a desk.
Sorry I had to get that out of my system - but is there anything else I should be telling mum to do to ensure her thruppence happeny doesn't get lost in the ether - she can't afford to have her income delayed?