Elysium50plus

14/11/2022

16/01/2020

Inheritance Tax Simplified 2019/2020
I am pleased to announce the publication of the 2019/2020 Inheritance Tax Simplified book published by Management Books 2000 which is also a reference work for the CISI Advanced Financial Planning Certificate.
(orders [email protected] £14.99 + 1.50 P&P).

24/06/2019

From my friend Helen

30/05/2019

Pressure on Funeral Directors Mounts
Fewer people died in the first quarter of 2019, which has affected profits at the only listed funeral director - Dignity (Shropshire Star 14.5.19). The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) launched an investigation into the funeral market in March 2019 following concerns over high prices and the treatment of vulnerable customers.
Prices can only increase in the long term for funerals and cremations. A pre-paid funeral plan (which can be paid in instalments) can guarantee a fixed price cost in the future and is well worth having. This type of planning will save your estate money in the long run and give you peace of mind.

30/05/2019

End of Life Patients
When you're at the end of your life, your lips are dry and you have swallowing difficulties. The Taste for Pleasure initiative enables patients receiving mouth cleaning and hydrating treatment to experience most-loved flavours. These range from blackcurrent squash to whiskey. Find out the patient's most favoured food and drink to remind them of joyful past experiences. Sharing patient mouth care is important for family and carers to help with end of life time with a loved one.

14/05/2019

What is a Bereavement Award?
Basically it is a an award made following the death of a loved one involved in an accident or medical negligence - due to the fault of another. The definition is a 'civil personal injury claim at court following the unlawful death of a person involved in an accident or illness at work due to the fault of another'. . In England and Wales the surviving spouse or civil partner or the parents of a child under age 18 can claim a statutory amount of £12,980 (under the Fatal Accidents Act 1976). Unmarried couples together for at least 2 years can also claim. In Northern Ireland it's £15,100 and in Scotland it's fairly discretionary depending on circumstances under the Damages (Scotland) Act 2011.
You can further claim compensation through a solicitor for loss of income or benefits, funeral expenses and headstone, compensation for fatal injury, expenses and losses and medical expenses. However the statutory bereavement award is said to be derisory and is far too low - but only public opinion can help to get this increased.

14/05/2019

Six in Ten have not discussed their wishes - a recent newspaper article (Pippa Armstrong in the Shropshire Star 2.5.19) wrote that 60% of people have not spoken to their family or friends about their wishes if they were to die (Macmillan Cancer Support poll) and 36% of people have no death planning in place. Four out of the 10 of the 36% said they did not feel the need to worry about it yet and 14% said they had more important things to do. 23% of those who had recently lost someone did not know the all of the person's wishes and suffered as a result, either emotionally or financially. A large number suffered unexpected financial costs - as nothing had been prepared for. From my own experience, the first thing one should look for in a will is whether the deceased wanted to be buried or cremated or if their remains were to be left to science or a teaching hospital. This is all part of future planning. Leaving these kind of decisions to others, after you have gone, causes immense stress for those left behind. Think about it....

25/09/2018

'Grieving struggling to pay funeral costs' (Shropshire Star 24 September 2018) is a headline that emphasises the importance of planning how to pay funeral costs when a loved one (including yourself) dies. Unpleasant thought? Most certainly. But something that must be paid and provided for. Many families are having to take on a mountain of debt at a time when they can ill-afford it, with bereavement borrowing having increased over the last 5 years. The Social Fund does not cover funeral director's fees nor the coffin as a necessary cost. The average cost of a funeral nationally has marginally decreased over the past year (from £3,784 to £3,757), however, funeral costs have tending upwards over the past 5 years. Said Tony Granger, who wrote the popular Elysium Bereavement Guide - the definitive guide following the death of a loved one - 'Don't leave it to others to pick up the pieces when you go - get your affairs in order now and include funeral costs planning - there are 'no medical' insurance policies available as well as pre-paid lump sum plans, that can give you and your families peace of mind'.