When Celia Dowell’s husband, Robert, passed away last December, she promptly received his savings from the banks where he had accounts, thanks to their efficient bereavement teams. Celia, who is 85, found this process straightforward and timely.

However, when it came to accessing Robert’s Premium Bonds through the government-backed institution, National Savings and Investments (NS&I), the experience was vastly different. To date, Celia has not received any portion of the over £18,000 owed to her.

Celia’s case is not isolated. An estimated 37,500 individuals are currently waiting to retrieve funds from deceased relatives’ NS&I accounts, with the total amount tied up reaching approximately £476 million.

Following the controversy surrounding these delays, NS&I’s former chief executive, Dax Harkins, stepped down last month. Sir Jim Harra, previously the head of HM Revenue & Customs, has since taken over the role.

Our readers have shared numerous accounts of enduring long waits and unhelpful interactions with NS&I’s customer service. Many have also been required to obtain probate—a legal document that grants permission to manage someone’s estate—even for modest sums.

Residing in Marston Green, West Midlands, Celia submitted all necessary paperwork to NS&I after Robert succumbed to a pulmonary disease last year. On February 25, she received a reply assuring her that the funds would be disbursed “shortly.”

Unsympathetic: Nustran Bryce, with her late husband Robert, has clashed with NS&I staff

‘I haven’t heard anything since,’ says Celia, who would have marked her 65th wedding anniversary in March. ‘I was just told that there was a heavy backlog for bereaved families. I can’t understand why it’s taking so long – it’s like getting blood out of a stone.’

Nustran Bryce, 71, a former civil servant from Glasgow, says it feels like NS&I does not have a bereavement team because of how unsympathetic the staff were on the phone when she was trying to get her late husband Robert’s Premium Bonds.

She says: ‘I’ve had to deal with a number of financial institutions and they all have a dedicated bereavement team, and there’s no hassle at all. They’re professionally trained and it’s wonderful. It feels like NS&I doesn’t have this, so the right hand doesn’t seem to know what the left hand is doing.’

Nustran was sent the Premium Bonds but received his winnings on the bonds, nearly £1,000, in warrants. These give the holder the right to sell the bond at a specific price – but usually must be taken to the bank to execute.

This meant she had to travel to the bank to cash them in. Nustran can no longer drive due to poor eyesight, making the trip difficult.

NS&I refuses to be a part of the Tell Us Once or Death Notification Service that means a bereaved family has to inform the Government and private banks only once of a relative’s death. This means you must contact NS&I specifically when someone dies.

Nustran is considering moving her money away from Premium Bonds, adding: ‘Trying to resolve issues through their telephone systems is a complete nightmare – just shambolic.’

Mary Handley waited six months for her husband Patrick’s £50,000 Premium Bonds to be paid out.

She attempted to withdraw the money but, after numerous calls and obtaining a probate, the 82-year-old says she heard nothing back. She made further calls to NS&I staff but says that they then treated her ‘dismissively’.

Like her late husband, to whom she was married for 60 years before he died in March last year, Mary also has £50,000 in Premium Bonds. She says: ‘This whole ordeal has made me think. I don’t want my family to go through this when anything happens to me. I’m going to move the money elsewhere. They have broken my trust.’

Maureen Michelson, 74, says she was forced to get probate to get hold of her late husband’s £50,000 in Premium Bonds.

NS&I has a low limit for requiring customers to get a probate to access a loved one’s bonds. Any Premium Bonds worth more than £5,000 require one, which can cost £300 if the estate is worth £5,000-plus. Most banks, such as Barclays, Lloyds and NatWest require probate only when the value of an account exceeds £50,000.

An NS&I spokesman says: ‘We have spoken to Mrs Dowell and arranged for her late husband’s savings to be paid directly to her, as well as agreeing a goodwill payment for the distress and inconvenience it has caused.

‘We apologise to any of our customers who have had a poor experience and where we have fallen short of their expectations.

‘NS&I is not part of the Government’s Tell Us Once service, which focuses on updating departments that provide services such as benefits, passports and pensions, rather than banking services and investments, which often require individualised contact with executors.’

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