Life insurance dispute

[Lauzflow]

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[des8]

Re: Life insurance dispute

Hi and welcome.
Sorry to hear of your loss and subsequent disappointment with the action of the trustees.

You don't sound enamoured of your father's girlfriend.

Was this a PTA policy?
The recipient(s) of death benefits are chosen at the discretion of the trustees.
From the little you have told us of your family situation there would appear to be no dependents strictly speaking, the girl friend being the closest n that she might have been in a financial relationship with your father.

HMRC define dependents as:

• The member's widow(er) or civil partner at the time of the member's death
• A child of the member who is under the age 23 at the time of the member's death
• A child of the member who, in the opinion of the scheme administrator, is dependant on the member, because of physical or mental impairment, at the date of the member's death.
• A person who wasn't married or in a civil partnership and is not child of the member, who in the opinion of the scheme administrator is, at the date of the members death:
  • Financially dependant on the member
  • In a financial relationship of mutual dependency with the member
  • Or dependant on the member due to mental or physical impairment

[Lauzflow]

Re: Life insurance dispute

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[des8]

Re: Life insurance dispute

No need to apologize for your feelings.

I wasn't taking sides but only trying to explain how the trustees would probably/possibly view the situation.
i hope you manage to get a satisfactory outcome.

If you are taking legal advice, i would be interested to hear how it goes.

[Lauzflow]

Re: Life insurance dispute

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[des8]

Re: Life insurance dispute

I suspect your main hope is a challenge on the basis that the trustees failed to give proper consideration to relevant matters.
If the court (if the matter goes that far) find the trustees made "inadequate deliberation" the trustees' decision could be voided by the court.
However I believe such an action would be expensive and fraught with risk

[Lauzflow]

Re: Life insurance dispute

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[des8]

Re: Life insurance dispute

She doesn't have to be fully dependent on him, although if she was living with him in his house this would be a good indication of a relationship of mutual financial dependency.
The DWP would not divulge to the trustees whether or not the girl friend was in receipt of any benefits.

[Lauzflow]

Re: Life insurance dispute

Thank you

[Lauzflow]

Re: Life insurance dispute

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[des8]

Re: Life insurance dispute

I'm sorry, but I wouldn't like to second guess the trustees' decision, as in all fairness I don't know the full facts.
There are normally two sides to a story, and we only have yours.
This doesn't mean I disbelieve you, just I don't know the other sides view.

On the positive side they appear to be taking your complaint seriously.
They have requested proof of your position, so whilst they await that, and then consider it, I do not anticipate payments being made to anyone.

Do you have an appointment arranged with your solicitor?