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Legal, pensions and money

MY MOTHER !!!!! [confused]

(71 Posts)
Flowerofthewest Tue 14-May-13 22:46:28

My mother (87) phoned me last week to say that she was transferring all of her ISA money because she wants to spend it and enjoy life!!!! She transferred £23,000 apparently to her current account shock

Tonight at ten o'clock she rang me to say that she had been to the bank to put in £500 to pay her fuel bill and before putting it in the account had asked for a balance. There was only £3,000 plus in the current account.

She is sure she hasn't spent £20,000 in a week as I am. My sister is certain that she told her she had transferred the money to another savings account.

She is hopeless. She has all her faculties - no dementia, a bit forgetful and I am sure the bank would have discouraged her from placing such a large amount in a current account. She is a very determined lady though.

I am going to the bank with her tomorrow to see what has happened.

Wish me luck!!!!

j08 Wed 15-May-13 21:27:32

"There's us struggling to find the money for our holiday in the caravan this year and her sitting on a gold mine."

Have you actually read the thread?

Elegran Wed 15-May-13 21:34:39

Do you think that means they meant to take the money then? Or were they just commenting on the contrast between them counting every penny and mother sending hers out into the wide blue yonder?

You are in a strop tonight, JO8

j08 Wed 15-May-13 21:40:34

Of course I did n' t mean anyone was going to take any money. Your mind working overtime again.

j08 Wed 15-May-13 21:41:58

I'm in a strop? With you?! Surely not. hmm

Elegran Wed 15-May-13 21:48:51

Maybe it was because you said:-

"Perhaps she feels more secure having it herself. Why should she give it to you unless she feels so inclined?"

I interpreted ""There's us struggling to find the money for our holiday in the caravan this year and her sitting on a gold mine." as a comparison. You appeared to interpret it as saying that they wanted the money given to them, and that the mother would not feel that her money was safe from them.

I must see people in a better light than you do. Just shows how written words can be read different ways.

j08 Wed 15-May-13 21:53:25

My grandson may be onto quite a good thing with his"whatever!" hmm

Galen Wed 15-May-13 22:08:27

My mother never felt ok unless she had at least £10000 in her current account. She left just under £600000on which we had to pay £100000 IHT.
After solicitors fees when it was shared out there was not that much. Also I did a variation on the will to give substantial amounts to my children.
For my 60th birthday she sent me a cheque for £10!
I try to give my children what they need when they need it!
As someone said ' there are no pockets in shrouds'
My DD has my power of attorney and has had it since my husband died.
Prior to his death we mutual POAs

Flowerofthewest Wed 15-May-13 23:27:10

The money WAS put back into her ISA Jo8, I was there and she has a letter printed in front of us confirming this, She only opened the account last year so there is only one years money to pay in. Also she was confused by the large amount on the statement which is from her savings.

JO8 For goodness sake, I was joking, tongue in cheek about her money. Of course its hers and of course I don't expect her to give me it. JOKE!!!!

The comment about us 'struggling' was meant to be funny. mum would laugh at it too. Some people certainly have had a sense of humour bypass!!! grin

My mother does feel more secure knowing that she has a 'nest egg' and I would never never dream of even asking her for it. We do joke that it would be nice to see her children's smiling faces if she gave us a windfall!! and she see it for what it is, a joke. She replies "It's all there for you and your sister when I am gone" She will probably outlive me anyway. Never seen a more active 87 year old.

I must say though that if I had an amount just 'sitting' in an account waiting for me to die I know that I would give my children some now, when they need it. That is just me. I don't expect that of mum.

I agree with Galen - There ARE not pockets in shrouds, never a truer word spoken.

Flowerofthewest Wed 15-May-13 23:36:30

Just re-read your post JO8, you do have a bee in your bonnet! I am NOT hankering after my mother's money, in fact the opposite. I could have POA if she agreed but she wouldn't understand what it meant. It's not that she is suffering from dementia its just that my mother is a simple soul who couldn't even write a cheque when dad passed away 30 years ago. He handled all the money and she still finds it hard to understand that the money is, in fact, hers and not the banks. She feels guilty when she takes some out, getting better at it now but she really isn't that worldly wise in these matters.

I do have money for our holiday, again, it was said tongue in cheek. POA would ensure that she doesn't write cheques for random men on the phone who are trying to scam an old lady out of £2,000 or more.

Elegran thanks for support and I totally agree she needs to be with all her faculties to make the decision for at least two of us to be POA. If, for instance, she has to go into hospital (I hope not) for any length of time then how would her bills be paid? When my DDH was sedated for 5 weeks last year then not able to communicate to me his pin number I was very much without cash for a while. We do have separate accounts and I needed cash at one particular time (not to go on holiday I may add) As soon as he could write (very awkwardly ) I asked him his pin numbers.- THAT was when I knew he had no brain damage, he gave them to me straight away. (Or maybe he did have some temporary brain damage - giving ME his pin numbers grin

FlicketyB Thu 16-May-13 11:27:11

Ariadne the thing to do is sort out a POA now, it then does not need to come into play until necessary. DH and I gave our children POAs for us as soon as they were old enough to legally take on the responsibility, we were in our early 50s at the time. My DS has done the same. My parents did it when in their 60s and theirs were never activated because both had all their faculties and managed their lives without problems until they died.

Flowerofthewest would your mother make her current account a joint account or give you the right to sign cheques on her account? One of uncles gave me cheque signing rights when he went into hospital but was not yet prepared.to make a POA. We got a short simple form from the bank that was dealt with in minutes.

kittylester Thu 16-May-13 14:03:11

That was what I was suggesting Flickety grin

Flowerofthewest Thu 16-May-13 16:50:19

Flickety, No no no she would never agree to that. Have no reason as to why. I may suggest again that if she ever has to go into hospital (using my DH as an example) then she may want me to have access to her account to pay her bills. She is thinking of setting up a bill account though so that may be the solution.

Thanks for tip re the forms from bank though xx

lucyjack Thu 25-Jul-13 16:24:42

I never understand adult kids who complain that their parents have loads of money while they struggle to pay for holidays.

I think it's disgraceful to expect an elderly lady to hand over her savings to pay for their offsprings' holidays.

Elegran Thu 25-Jul-13 16:46:40

If anyone had done that it would indeed have been disgraceful, lucyjack. However Flowerofthe west was not expecting any such thing, as the rest of her posts show.

betsysgran Thu 25-Jul-13 17:22:13

I hope ALL GNers have been sensible and made wills and put POAs in place. It makes life for our families so much easier, if they are needed, especially at particularly difficult times. It always amazes me that a huge number of people don't have either in place.

Aka Thu 25-Jul-13 17:56:29

And not just a LPA for Property and Finance, but also a separate one for Health and Welfare.

betsysgran Thu 25-Jul-13 17:58:53

Aka Thanks, I forgot that there are 2 parts.

j08 Thu 25-Jul-13 17:59:11

What?! We are supposed to put Power of Attorneys in place now? Why?!

Sod that.

betsysgran Thu 25-Jul-13 18:03:29

j08 How to cause massive worry and more problems when (or if) you become unable to deal with your affairs. How to stick your head in the sand!!

betsysgran Thu 25-Jul-13 18:07:28

Better to have it in place and not used than the alternative.

j08 Thu 25-Jul-13 18:10:36

Our financial affairs are already being handled very competently, thank you very much. grin

If we are ever declared completely out of our minds by at least two fully qualified medical professionals, then the kids can apply for Power of Attorney!

j08 Thu 25-Jul-13 18:12:13

Till then it's--mine all mine-- ours all ours! grin

betsysgran Thu 25-Jul-13 18:14:38

And cost them many thousands of pounds and a huge amount of time going to court which would be better spent with you.

Galen Thu 25-Jul-13 18:20:00

It then becomes much more difficult and complicated.

betsysgran Thu 25-Jul-13 18:22:58

Thanks Galen my thoughts exactly. Maybe some people don't care about causing their families more upset.