Bank paid out saver’s money to wrong family

A bank has faced major embarrassment after paying out the savings of a pensioner to another customer’s family – under the assumption that the customer was dead.

The pensioner, who had £3000 in savings with the Abbey, discovered when she visited the bank that her savings had been paid out and her account closed because her records stated that she was dead.

The 77 year old customer stated that she visited the bank after her statements stopped arriving in the post. She stated: ‘I took the matter up with my local branch in Telford and they asked me if my husband had perhaps closed it.

I replied it was unlikely because he passed away 25 years ago. The young lady serving me began typing away on her computer but all of a sudden looked puzzled and told me that according to their records, I was dead. She went a bit pale, either because she was embarrassed at such a mistake or she thought she was seeing a ghost.’

After investigating the bank discovered that a customer with a similar name and of the same age had died. However, in error the wrong account had been closed and the £3000 had been paid out to the family of the deceased customer. The customer has been told that she will be getting back her money along with some compensation.

She stated: ‘Abbey have told me they have reclaimed my savings and have pledged to give me some compensation as a result of all the fuss caused. But I’m 77 and a widow, so it doesn’t do my health any good when I’m told my £3,000 has disappeared because I’m dead. It has taken a lot of time, effort and money, what with phone bills and bus fares to Abbey and my local library to process all the paperwork.’

Tom Smith
3rd July 2007

Tags: abbey, savings, money, dead, accounts, mistake, family, funds