Misinformed during claim process. Cannot bury my father !

Misinformed during claiming process of the deceased. Cannot bury my father! I have sent many complaints to Standard Bank regarding the poor handling of my late fathers funeral cover and transferring of his savings account funds to mine. My father was receiving his government pension (Sassa grant) through his Standard savings account and was advised to open up a funeral cover with R20 000 cover. After his passing I have learnt the consultant who assisted him added an unknown person with a 2022 date of birth as “brother” for the beneficiary. I am unsure how this consultant could allow such, with my father being 57 years old, how could he have a brother who was born last year and even worse how would that brother claim and bury him should my father pass away? Total incompetence to gain a “sale” and misleading their old and vulnerable.

My first contact with Standard Bank was to visit the Pinelands branch on Tuesday 16th May 2023 where I was advised he also has a savings account with a positive bank balance of +- R1900. I was advised he had 6 unpaids on his funeral cover but the cover was still active. I was puzzled as how can he not pay whereas he was earning his Sassa grant through the very same bank? Who’s fault was it that Standard bank failed to debit his account 6 times. My 57 year old dad was told debits would go off from his account, he was never told to make deposits to ensure his policy is up to date. I mean, his savings account is up to date, how did Standard Bank miss to debit him? I was given his savings bank statement which had been requested by the masters of high court.

My second contact with Standard bank is when I visited the N1 city branch on Friday 12 May 2023, this time carrying the letter of authority and all supporting documents required to make a claim. I advised the consultant on the urgency on this matter as my father would be laid to rest in the following week. My father had been missing as of the 15th April 2023 and we were contacted by the Tygerberg morgue to come identity him on the 5th May 2023 and we were advised he passed on the 20th April. So with all this information, I imagined I would receive urgent assistance based on the understanding that this matter was serious and needed urgent attention. The consultant assured me all documents had been sent through to claims and I should have response in the following week. The consultanta again explained to me my father had missed payments (which was odd again) and that I would be given the full R20 000. She calculated and advised the payout would be +-R6000, and because the nature of death was unnatural, the amount would be doubled. She assured me she submitted all my original docs to have his funds on his savings account transferred to my account. I left the branch.

The following week, I was sent from pillar to post. I have sent numerous emails so Standard bank wanting feedback but receiving no response at all. Only consultant that managed to assist with patience and understanding was Zinhle, but even that was too late. After submitting the documents at the bank why was I never contacted all week to request correct or additional documentation? Every single person I have communicated with at Standard bank, I have conveyed the urgency in this matter, to no avail. I have proof in the form of emails sent to numerous Standard bank divisions to get attention and assistance as the funeral date was fast approaching and still no funds.

Today, I can confirm from the R20 000 funeral cover my father was “made” to sign up for he received a payout of R6668. To date I have not received the +-R1900 from his savings account. I need to understand how all of this transpired. I need all statements from my father account to see why his premiums were not debited and I need to understand who is at fault for this. I had to beg the undertaker to bury my father without the funds as his body was depleting being in ice from April. I am now left with debts that could have been prevented has Standard Bank delivered what they had promised when they made an old man sign a form without proper information to get a sale. To say I feel defeated, lost and greatly saddened would be an understatement. My physical and mental health has taken a toll, and the only reason Im waking up daily is because I need to work for my children and gather money to pay the undertakers that buried my father on debt.

I sincerely hope, I will get assistance in this matter. I have tried all I can. Even today waking up I thought at least the amount in his savings account would reflect, but still nothing there. I have all the invoices from the funeral parlour, loan I took out from work to cover the costs to bury my dad. Standard Bank you have committed ******* against the elderly and against my family as a whole. While I was mourning my father, I had to swallow my pride and beg people for money. I need urgent explanations, and I need them now