Grieving family wrongly told they would get £30,000 in Premium Bonds

• A grieving family was mistakenly informed by National Savings and Investments (NS&I) that they would inherit £30,000 in Premium Bonds.
• NS&I later admitted the error, stating they had confused the deceased, Ms B, with another customer who had a similar name, and that Ms B had no active accounts.
• The family, identified by a member as Mr B, had planned to use the anticipated funds to cover funeral costs.
• Mr B sought £15,000 in compensation from NS&I, but the Financial Ombudsman ultimately awarded only £300, which covered the cost of the grant of probate.
• The ombudsman ruled that NS&I was not liable for the funeral costs, concluding they were not a direct result of the mistaken letter, while NS&I apologised for the distress caused.

IN FULL

NS&I incorrectly told grieving family they would get £30,000 inheritance