We have brought to us cases which are really quite desperate, but this is one of the saddest cases we’ve had in a little while. The mother of the family organised all the finances, ran the bank account, etc. It was all in her name. Sadly she has died suddenly leaving her husband to pick up the pieces and sort out their benefits. He had to obviously register the death, but without realising hadn’t checked properly at the time as he was so distraught, that his wife’s date of birth had been lodged incorrectly. In order to sort the benefits out properly, and housing benefit, etc, the certificate has to be correct, for which he faces a charge, plus the cost of a replacement certificate, totalling over £100. He has nothing, no money and is currently caught between a rock and a hard place. Without the money to get the certificate altered he cannot have his benefits adjusted and access any money. Also the child benefit for their teenaged daughter who is still in full-time education is in his wife’s name. Add to all of this misery his wife never worked, so he is unable to access the bereavement support payment. He says ‘ I’m on the floor: I don’t how I’m going to feed her’ (his daughter). A dreadful situation to be in. He hasn’t money to resolve this situation, nor money to feed them both. To add insult to injury he doesn’t even have a bank account in his name, so at a time when he might be grieving he has to get all these things sorted out. Between us we agreed to send the family £200 so that the certificate situation can be resolved and they can at least buy some food (thankfully the daughter has an active bank account to receive the funds).