Her husband died overseas - then she had to notify his super fund

In our modern, digitalised world, logins and passwords make it convenient to manage your affairs online from anywhere in the world. But it's a different story when something goes wrong.

And for one Australian family, a tragedy demonstrated just how complicated our digital world can be.

In July 2024, Olivia and James* embarked on a three-week holiday with their two-year-old daughter, planning to visit James' family in Ireland and Olivia's family in the UK before exploring Europe's cultural highlights.

Then James suffered a fatal heart attack just two days into the trip.

While grappling with her grief and assisting James' family with funeral arrangements, Olivia faced pressing logistical challenges.

These included cancelling flights, managing household bills linked to James' accounts, and adjusting their future travel plans. It would turn out to be a frustrating experience at every turn.

Cancelling flights

Olivia faced the challenge of managing several upcoming flights that James had booked with Ryanair and Qatar Airways. Although she had access to his login details, cancelling the flights online would forfeit any chance of a refund. Friends and family stepped in to phone the airlines.

Irish budget carrier Ryanair offered the easiest route to obtaining a refund, according to Olivia's friends, who handled the initial calls.

"Being based in Ireland, Ryanair accepted a death notice as proof and didn't require a death certificate," said Mary, a close friend of the family. "They understand that in Ireland, death notices published online or in newspapers can only be issued by funeral directors. This meant we could get a quick, seamless refund online."

Dealing with Qatar Airways, however, was far more challenging.

While contacting them by phone was straightforward, and they provided verbal advice on securing a refund, their requirements were lengthy, according to Mary. Qatar required a death certificate, a marriage certificate, and a birth certificate to confirm the cancellation applied to all members of the travelling party. Mary was instructed to cancel the flights online and then email all the documentation to a generic "do not reply" email address.

"Because there was going to be a delay in obtaining the necessary documents and I needed to pass the process and email address on to my friend, it seemed reasonable to ask Qatar to provide the steps in writing," Mary explained. "But no matter how much I escalated, they refused."

Without a death certificate at the time, Olivia's attempts to resolve the bookings were delayed. After hours of emotionally draining calls, she and her friends eventually secured refunds.

Transferring travel bookings

After James' funeral, Olivia returned to Australia and turned her attention to the next pressing tasks-nullifying the contract on their rented apartment, cancelling James's credit card, and halting any bills in his name.

However, there were also more flights to manage.

One particular challenge arose regarding a holiday to Fiji that she and James had planned with family and friends for January. Determined to continue with the holiday as James would have wanted, Olivia sought to transfer his ticket to her brother's name. But once again, the process became a frustrating ordeal.

Over multiple calls, American Express (AmEx) Travel representatives provided Olivia with conflicting instructions, including posthumous requests for power of attorney-a legal impossibility.

"It felt like I was banging my head against a wall," she said. "I wasn't asking for anything unreasonable. The flight was already paid for. I just wanted to change the name so my brother could join us. But every time I called, I had to relive my story from the beginning."

Despite submitting James' interim death certificate and their marriage certificate, Olivia faced repeated setbacks.

After I contacted AmEx Travel for comment on her situation for this article, they promptly responded and confirmed that they required Letters of Administration to modify James' booking. However, upon learning that Olivia has applied for but not yet received these documents, AmEx Travel agreed to waive the requirement once Olivia's solicitor confirmed that the application process had begun.

A further complication arose when Qantas, the airline operating the flight, told AmEx Travel that it does not allow name changes on international tickets under any circumstances. In response, AmEx agreed to cancel the original flights and cover the additional cost of booking new ones.

Bills, banks and super

Australia's Death Notification Service is a government initiative that enables users to notify multiple organisations of a death through a single online form. While effective, the service is only available for deaths that occurred in Australia, leaving Olivia to notify James' banks and institutions individually.

Most organisations were able to temporarily freeze James' accounts, but transferring control required Letters of Administration from the Supreme Court.

Olivia applied for these documents soon after receiving his death certificate on August 24, but they were not issued until late January. Most banks said they would accept the documents once issued.

Once Olivia received the Letters of Administration, she contacted Mercer Super to access James' superannuation and life insurance.

While James had listed Olivia as his primary beneficiary, which helped expedite the process, Mercer required additional documentation, including a certified death certificate, James' ID, Olivia's ID, and their marriage certificate.

"After finally receiving the Letters, granting me legal right to my late husband's estate I was disappointed that I had to re-certify and resubmit all these documents to yet another corporate process," she said.

Olivia's claim is still under review and could take another six months. This means that, nearly a year after James' death, she remains unable to access his superannuation or life insurance funds.

Lessons learned

Olivia's ordeal highlights critical flaws in systems meant to assist grieving families. Companies need to adopt more compassionate and efficient processes, such as appointing dedicated case managers for bereavement cases. This would spare the bereaved the emotional toll of recounting their trauma multiple times and navigating red tape.

Her story also underscores the importance of having a will.

Finder research reveals that three in five Australians don't have one. A will would have allowed Olivia to bypass the Supreme Court, and gain faster control of James' accounts. It's also crucial to list your partner as the beneficiary on your superannuation policy, or you could face an even more drawn-out process when trying to access funds after a loved one's passing.

Regardless of age, planning ahead is essential, as it can ease the burden on loved ones during a crisis. While Olivia eventually resolved many of these challenges with the support of family and friends, she worries for those without similar resources.

"Grieving is hard enough," she said. "The last thing anyone needs is to be bogged down in endless red tape. These systems need to do better."

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*Names changed to protect privacy

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