I'm dealing with it

As part of dealing with Dad's affairs I've been in touch with banks and pension people to ensure everything is frozen.

Confirmation of an account being frozen is needed together with the status of the account as at the date of death.

Different organisations seem to treat this process very differently. The most involved, so far, was Barclays.

I spent a lot of time talking to the Barclays member of staff, answering his questions. He needed to ask his colleague quite a few questions because he was unfamiliar with the processes he needed to follow.

It transpired that Mr Barclays needed to make a phone call and he needed to pass on all of the information he had gleened from me, including how to pronounce bronchopneumonia.

I sat and I listened while he relayed the information to his colleague (and checked pronunciation along the way).

Mr Barclays advised me that they would be in touch with all of the information I would need.

I received a letter today from Barclays. It included the following:

"May I offer my sincere condolences on behalf of Barclays and its staff.

If you have any questions, please give us a call.

Please note our promotional mailings are selected several weeks in advance. It is possible that mail could still be addressed to the deceased. If this happens please destroy the mail and accept my apologies. Future mailings will stop shortly."

But there was no information about the accounts at all.

And can a company offer condolences? I'm not sure it can.