Next of Kin

[Robin77]

Please can someone help. I had been looking after my aunts brother in law for years , helping with shopping etc . My ant is now in and care home. Her brother in law was also in a care home for 6 years. He died 30 months ago. He did not own his own property and was a council tenant in Tower Hamlets. When he went into a care home Tower Hamlets council applied for power of attorney over his savings to pay for his care home. When he died he did not leave a will but I was on all documents as his next of kin even thou I was not a blood relative. He was buried along side his wife and his mum. I arranged the funeral and had to have the costs reimbursed to me by Tower Hamlets council from the savings he had left. I paid for many extras over the years but did not ask for any money . I now have to make arrangements with the cemetery to have his name added to the gravestone of his Mum and wife. Tower Hamlets council advised me 30 months ago that as he had now died they had to seek to find if he had any relatives. To date they have found none. They ignored all my correspondence until I emailed them and copied in the chief executive of the council. They will in the near future release funds so I can pay the cemetery to add his name to the grave stone. I think the remaining of the savings is £5000 - £6000. I am actually the niece in law. I have heard that I could possibly apply for letters of administration on the grounds he left no will and have seen on the internet that I can apply if I’m not a blood relative. The council found no living relatives and I have been advised that I should apply to “inherit “ what is left of his savings. However the council told me today that I cannot apply for letters of administration and the balance of his savings will go to the government. It has been alleged that This council have a reputation of misleading the public for their own financial gain. It has been alleged that many of their staff are corrupt. I’m concerned that his savings have not been spent in accordance of the law and would like an itemised list of the outgoings as well. Something is definitely off with the whole process. They ignored all correspondence for over 2 years , I think in hope I would disappear. It’s only when I contacted the Chief executive that I got a response. Please can anyone help me ?

[des8]

In the UK there are strict rules regarding who inherits and can apply for grant of letters of administration when a person dies intestate.

The rules of succession can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/inherits-someone-dies-without-will

As you are not a blood relative you will not be entitled to apply for probate, nor will you inherit.
The estate passes to the crown

I'm afraid next of kin is legally a meaningless phrase