national savings & investments

[welshgirlwen]

some years ago i invested �200 for my nieces.sadly last year my mum died,and my family left me to foot the bill.�2836.89,now at the time i was recovering from major surgery,so was able to get a funeral allowance off the state for �1006.00,leaving a balance of�1830.89,i came to an arrangement to pay with the undertakers and have now got this down to �141.00,my sister the mother of my nieces was in a far better financial situation than me ie her and her partner working,renting out property locally also owning a house in france,the outcome of this is i shall never speak to her again,i sent xmas cards with money in for my nieces and i now know they never had them.i have two cheques with my nieces names on them,i know i cant give them to them,as they wont be allowed to keep the money.ideally id like to cash the cheques and pay the balance of the funeral off and put the remainder towards replacing the headstone which will cost me a further �650 to do,any ideas anyone???

[factor-fiction]

Very sad. Your sister should have helped. Any chance you could ask her for help now?

The money you generously invested for the nieces was a gift- it was not conditional on how their parents acted or what happened to your mum. It seems to me the nieces should have the money and shouldn't be brought into a dispute between you and the family.

You can destroy the cheques if it makes you feel better, provided they aren't aware of the investment. But I can't see you have any right to keep the money- I think it may be fraud. But there's no harm in asking NS&I

[welshgirlwen]

thanks i know thats true,but as fore amentioned i know my sister wont let my nieces keep the money as it is from me,i would love to give it to them,but at christmas i sent �50 in cards for them it was sent as a signed for parcel,but my niece told my youngest (who is only 10)via msn that they never got the cards.someone did though,you see my sister lives in a rented house and claims housing benefit & tax credits,making her a benefit cheat,and i threatened to report her for this,

[factor-fiction]

If the cheques are made payable to the kids in theory it will go to the kids. Maybe keep the cheques until the kids are old enough to definitely be in control of their accounts. You may need to get the cheques renewed though from time to time.
Or, why not ask your sister if you can open an account in their names with you as the trustee. If you say you�ll pay some money in she might agree. Then pay the cheques in.