NatWest lost my late mother’s will

My mother died nearly four months ago, having made me her executor. She had banked with NatWest for more than 60 years.

NatWest’s bereavement services team advised me to take originals of her will and death certificate to my local branch where they would be copied.

The copies would then be sent on by bank staff to the relevant section of the bank. I did as asked two days after my mother’s death.

The copy of the death certificate reached bereavement services, but NatWest managed to “lose” its copy of the will.

By the time I was notified of the loss, the original will had been sent to the Probate Registry.

Even though a member of NatWest staff had seen the original will alongside proof of my identity, NatWest’s bereavement services refused to unblock my mother’s non-interest bearing account until I produced a signed will again.

This, of course, I was unable to do immediately.

I have had to wait until I received the Grant of Probate, almost four months after my mother’s death, for NatWest to finally agree to release the account monies.

NatWest’s error has caused me considerable stress and difficulty at an already unhappy time.

Please advise your readers that, if they ever take documents to NatWest for copying they should insist on being given a signed receipt as proof.

They should also make

sure that two copies are made and that one is held in reserve in case of “human error”. SF, DEVON

The copy of the will never reached the estates team it was bound for.

NatWest did offer some help with bills such as funeral expenses but there were still outstanding carers’ bills and property expenses too that you had to pay using your personal overdraft.

NatWest eventually apologised for what it described as a human error, and offered “a gift”, but not compensation.

Only further to my involvement did it send £350 to make up for the distress and inconvenience.

It said it would also help with the expenses you incurred paying costs from your overdraft facility.

You say, though, that extrapolating the necessary

information would take too much time in your busy life. Anyway you feel the £350 is generous and acceptable.

NatWest added that, although many branches will keep a file for “work in progress”, it is considering making this the normal practice throughout branches in the future.

You are happy that apparently some good has come from all this.

A NatWest spokesman said: “We apologise to Mr F for the service he received during a very difficult time.

“We have offered compensation and are reminding colleagues to keep copies of wills.”