Helping older people in Gloucestershire feel more independent, secure and have a better quality of life.

We need to think about what digital information our nearest and dearest need to know in the event of death.  

It is wise to list all of this information detailing website addresses, account and user names (but not the passwords) and to keep this information where it can be easily found in the event of your death.  

In the case of all bank accounts, the survivor will need to notify the bank as soon as possible after the death; any account in the sole name of the person who has died will be frozen, and the funds may not used even for urgent payments such as funeral expenses, except by arrangement with the bank.  However a joint account can almost always continue to be used, so that it will be important for the surviving party to the account to know the password and PIN number of any card issued to them.

You should remember that credit card accounts are often in the name of one party alone, even though two cards may have been issued, so that such an account will not be able to be used by the party that is not the accountholder after the account holder has died.

Preparing this information about your digital legacy need not be difficult.  If you need any guidance, information on how to do it can be found online.  

Try to make sure you have some coins as well as notes with you.  Often you find you need these for trolleys, a drink from a dispenser or even a motorway gate.  

It can be a good idea to take lip salve as lips can get dry when travelling and don’t

forget sun tan cream (if you are going somewhere hot!).

You are hiring a car don’t forget your driving licence, and consider taking out insurance to cover the excess payable under the car hire contract.

If you would like any information about this or any other matter please contact your village agent.

Note from ECN

 You may be aware that from 8th June the paper counterpart of the photocard driving license is no longer valid or issued by the DVLA.   However, there seems to be some confusion about whether existing paper copies should be destroyed or not - might be best to hang on to it for now!  

For more information go to www.gov.uk/government/news/driving-licence-changes

If you are hiring a car abroad you are now required to obtain a driving license ‘check code’.  

More information about driving abroad can be found at www.gov.uk/driving-abroad

I came across someone who has a very good tip about how to take care that you have all the information you should have when you go on holiday abroad.  

She and her husband were staying in a hotel near the airport when he discovered he had left his drugs at home.  She kept calm but what were they to do?  Being a very efficient person she had a list of his prescriptions from the pharmacy, which the following morning the chemist in the airport was able to use.  

Quite a cautionary tale!

I have made a little list of things to remember when we go away. Here it is.

 Passport.  Some countries require not only an up to date passport but one with at least 6 months before the expiry date on it.  A visa may be necessary;

 Certificates of any injections needed;

 Prescription details;

 Health insurance documents;

 Any other insurance documents.

It is always advisable to have photocopies of all the above and it can be helpful to leave copies at home in case someone has to deal with problems for you.

Leave a note inside your suitcase with your mobile number, the addresses and telephone numbers of where you are staying and the dates you will be there.  

If your suitcase gets lost this will enable anyone to know whose it is and how to get it back to you.  It is helpful to have something which identifies a suitcase such as a ribbon attached to the handle so that it is easy to spot.

Contact:  Sue Colquhoun  on   07810 630 145

For many of us the Internet has made life easier in so many ways. Banking, paying bills, booking a holiday, doing the weekly shop, or simply reconnecting with old friends can now all be done with the click of a mouse.

Most of us have several different accounts, all requiring us to know our usernames and passwords, which are essential to access these accounts.  However it is important to consider what will happen to our “digital legacy” - that is to say the on-line accounts that we have, e.g. bank, Facebook and email accounts - when we die.  Digital legacy is not a formal legal term it is simply the online presence we leave behind.

Not preparing for one’s digital legacy could cause a great deal of distress and even financial struggles for your loved ones.  

Some time ago a village agent was involved in helping a family who found themselves in this situation.  Sadly the head of the family, who managed most of the family finances and affairs online, passed away very suddenly, leaving no information about online accounts.  Subsequently the family very quickly found they could not access joint bank accounts, at a time when they were overwhelmed by grief and confusion.

This article is in part based on information provided by Saga, which you can access at http://www.saga.co.uk/legal/everyday-legal/digital-legacy.aspx

If you would like any more information about this article or any other matter please contact:

Sue Colquhoun | 07810 630 145

Your Digital legacy