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My 20-year-old Granddaughter Can't Get Her Hands On Money Locked Away In A Long-lost Children's Bond: SALLY SORTS IT

I am writing on behalf of my 20-year-old granddaughter who is currently busy with university and various jobs. She is trying to locate a Children's Bonus Bond account with National Savings & Investments, which was set up in her name long ago by my mother and which, until recently, none of us knew anything about.

My mother failed to let anyone know and, although I was her executor when she died in 2011, I didn't come across any paperwork relating to such an account.

The first my granddaughter knew about it was when NS&I sent her forms to complete confirming all the addresses she had lived at. NS&I also requested she supply the account number which she obviously didn't have. Can you help?

A.M., Bournemouth.

Sally Hamiltion replies: The subject of your letter rang a loud bell. I remember writing articles in 2018 for sister paper The Mail on Sunday after my research revealed thousands of savers had unclaimed money languishing in defunct Children's Bonus Bonds — and their replacement Children's Bonds. The estimated unclaimed figure then was £500million.

In those articles, I urged families to check whether they might have overlooked one of these baby bonds, as they were often opened by relatives, with recipients often unaware of their existence.

The bonds were popular, paying attractive rates fixed for five years, at one time offering a guaranteed return of 11.84pc a year. Each five-year bond automatically renewed on maturity for a further five years until the child reached age 16 — unless they were cashed in beforehand.

Scam watch

Older holidaymakers should beware fake adverts on Instagram and Facebook claiming to offer free travel insurance, consumer website Which? Warns.

Fraudsters are claiming that under a new Government initiative over-55s qualify for the free insurance. But no such scheme exists.

The scam adverts aim to trick social media users into clicking on links and handing over personal and financial information, Which? Says.

Report the adverts by clicking on the three dots to the right of the post and pressing report.

Sales of baby bonds ended in September 2017, and from April 2018 maturing bonds could no longer be renewed. If account holders didn't claim the cash and NS&I couldn't trace the owners, the money was swept into the NS&I 'residual' account. This is a graveyard account where all forgotten NS&I accounts end up, paying nominal interest of 0.25pc.

The justification for paying so little is to prevent savers leaving their money to moulder through apathy. I understand the logic, but this is hardly fair for the huge number of young people who know nothing about the accounts set up by loved ones. According to NS&I, the unclaimed balance on children's bonds now stands at £191million.

When I asked NS&I to help reunite your granddaughter with her money, it confirmed that she is one of nearly 406,600 savers with forgotten accounts holding an average £471. Her bond is worth £168.

NS&I said it wrote to her when she turned 16 in 2019. Neither she nor her parents recall receiving any correspondence.

The first she knew about it was when NS&I wrote to her asking to confirm if she was the same person they were trying to contact. She confirmed she was and where she had lived over the years, but then NS&I told her it could not do anything to help without the account number. This is why you came to me.

Can Sally Sorts It help you?

Do you have a consumer problem you need help with? Email Sally Hamilton at sally@dailymail.Co.Uk — include phone number, address and a note addressed to the offending organisation giving them permission to talk to Sally Hamilton.

Please do not send original documents as we cannot take responsibility for them.

No legal responsibility can be accepted by the Daily Mail or This is Money for answers given.

I asked NS&I to look again. A few days later it reported that the issue had been with the past addresses supplied as they did not match with their records. But, after my intervention, an agent contacted your granddaughter to set about finally releasing her money.

An NS&I spokesman says: 'We have now arranged for a repayment application form to be sent to her with a letter explaining what her investment is and what to do next. We will action her request once we receive it back.'

So, once again, I am urging families that if they suspect a relative could be the owner of a forgotten matured baby bond to take action to rescue it from the wasteland of the residual account.

Do this by using the NS&I tracing service at nsandi.Com or My Lost Account, a service run by UK Finance and the Building Societies Association.

We are having a nightmare trying to persuade TUI to transfer a holiday we were due to take to help us get over the sudden death of our grown-up only son but had to cancel due to complicated and exceptional circumstances. Please can you help?

P.W., Mansfield, Nottinghamshire.

Sally Hamiltion replies: You described the exceptional circumstances. Your son collapsed and died suddenly in July whilst on a caravan holiday with you and your wife. You administered CPR but to no avail.

Your son had lived with you for two years following the break-up of his relationship and his death left his two young daughters (who also lived with you half the week) without a father. The tragedy took its toll on you all and was compounded by fears one of you might have the same heart defect that led to your son's sudden death and waiting for test results to check was highly stressful.

But, on December 7, you got the all-clear and — buoyed by this piece of good news — decided to book a cruise and get away from it all over Christmas. You paid TUI £4,600 for a trip to the Caribbean and went to bed excited at the prospect of a big adventure.

But, during the night, your wife woke up in a panic, suddenly fearful of leaving the grandchildren on their first Christmas without their dad. Your wife was inconsolable all weekend, so you decided to postpone the cruise, and contacted TUI first thing on Monday December 11.

All appeared in order. You were simply asked to provide the firm's exceptions panel with an insurance rejection letter to prove that you were unable to claim on your travel cover, which you did. But you didn't hear from them until December 28, two days after the original cruise had departed. To your dismay, TUI declined your request and refused a refund because you were effectively 'no shows'.

I felt TUI could have taken a more empathetic approach and I asked it to reconsider its decision. This time, it responded swiftly and I am pleased to say TUI has let your rebook your holiday for December this year at no extra cost. You are now on course to spend 18 nights in the Caribbean, arriving back on Christmas morning in time to celebrate with the grandchildren.

STRAIGHT TO THE POINT

I BOUGHT a £300 dress from Reformation but accidentally returned it to Abercrombie & Fitch because I attached the wrong label to the parcel. Reformation has given me an extension and I hoped Abercrombie & Fitch could find the dress. But I still don't have it.

A.P., via email.

ABERCROMBIE & Fitch has found your dress and returned it to you. You can now return it to Reformation to receive your refund.

****

IN APRIL I flew from Majorca to Manchester with Ryanair, but when I arrived, I discovered my case had been damaged. I went to the airline's desk but no one was there. Now it says it will not pay for my broken bag as I don't have a reference number, which should have been given to me at the airport.

S.S., Manchester.

I asked the airline if it would budge but, sadly, it would not and referred to its terms and conditions.

****

I TURNED 18 last August but I can't access the £820 in my Child Trust Fund. I've emailed my bank many times and it keeps telling me I need to send ID. But my identity documents have already been verified and signed by a branch worker.

Y.G., Milton Keynes.

YOUR bank apologises and says a hold was put on your account for fraud checks. The money is in your account.

****

I BOOKED a mobile tyre-fitting appointment with Halfords but it was later cancelled. I was promised a full refund but had to wait more than two weeks for the money. I am not happy with how my complaint was handled. Please help.

J.F., Maidenhead.

HALFORDS apologises for the issue you had with your appointment. It has refunded you £150.98, offered to cover any additional costs incurred and given you a £70 gift card.

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BBC Call The Midwife Makes Huge Two-word Statement About 'poignant' Christmas Special

Call The Midwife has delighted fans by confirming work has begun on this year's Christmas special. However, it also marks the end of an era for the show, as it is the last episode which will be set in the 1970s.

Taking to Instagram, the BBC posted a picture of Shelagh and Patrick Turner with two of their children in front of a Christmas tree, holding a clapperboard to mark the moment they began filming. The opening two words of the caption reading "It's happening!!" delighted fans everywhere.

"We've just received the iconic clapperboard shot hot from the set of Call the Midwife, where our intrepid team have begun the first day's filming for the new Christmas special and the FOURTEENTH series!!" the post continued. "And what better way to open up the new season than with the Turners Shelagh (Laura Main), Patrick (Stephen McGann), and their children May (April Rae Hoang) and Angela (Alice Brown) in the cosy festive turner home xxx.

"We begin our filming season in Christmas 1969, before we move on to the new year, and our new series 14 episodes. This yuletide marks a poignant turning point - as it's the last time we'll be filming in the swinging sixties! Next stop: the supersonic seventies!!!" (sic)

The post also included a statement from the writer and Executive Producer of the show, Heidi Thomas, who said: "After all these years, I still get butterflies every time I see the first clapperboard picture from the set. Series 14 is set in 1970, launching us into an exciting new decade.

"We can't wait to bring you another season full of touching, exciting, emotional stories from Nonnatus House. And BOY do we have some stories for you! We cannot WAIT to show you what's coming...." she teased. (sic)

Fans were thrilled by the news and took to the comments to share their excitement. @tinagirl67 wrote: "Really can't wait best ever prog to watch always my fav." (sic)

@amanda_alison_12 agreed, saying: "Excellent cannot wait, absolutely sensational drama." (sic)

@chloe_isabelle98 was extremely excited, gushing: "SO EXCITING!!! Alice and April have grown SO much since the last series ended!" (sic)

@tamikirkpatrick enthused: "I cannot WAIT! It is my most favorite show of all time. I am literally an ambassador for this show. Like I'm a faithful volunteer I do hope the nuns keep living.

"I cannot bear it if they don't. Also the nurses. And bring Chummy back?! Pretty please? I LOVE THE WRITING AND THE ACTORS. It's glorious." (sic)

@jen.Morrow chimed in: "I am so excited when I see this, I can actually smell my childhood Christmas's! I want born in the sixties, but not much changed through the 70's at Christmas I don't think, anyway, I love it and I cannot wait!!!" (sic)

Meanwhile @hanuka12 commented: "I can't wait! I have so many emotions and so many wonderful experiences with those who give us this series! Thank you and good luck!"

Local Man Accused Of Strangling Woman Last Christmas, Posting About It On Facebook Won't Face Murder Charges

Editor's Note: This article contains profanity.

WACO, Texas — The Waco man who reportedly choked his girlfriend to death in front of his kids last Christmas, will not face murder charges.

The D.A. Said he'll only face aggravated assault charges.

28-year-old Kevin Eugene Reese is accused of strangling the mother of his two children, Queen Brooks, to death on Christmas Eve.

Their neighbors were shocked it happened.

"She was in the ICU after he strangled her in front of her kids."

Queen's sister talked to 25 News right afterwards.

"This is something you see on the news you know? That happens, but it never happens to someone close to you — a sibling," Brianna Brooks said.

Briana said Queen was found barely alive by her mother on the floor of her apartment that she shared with Reese.

After a few days in the hospital and being declared brain dead, the family made the hard decision to say goodbye. Briana said she will never forget what Reese did.

"I would never think he would ever do anything like that. It's heartbreaking that something so cruel was done to my sister," she said.

After the murder, Reese reportedly took to his Facebook page and wrote:

"Christmas comin' and da only thang I done wrapped is my hands around dis b**** nexk."

A grand jury indicted Reese for aggravated assault, a first degree felony.

25 News reached out to the district attorney's office to find out why Reese won't face murder charges.

"Based on the current investigation and reports, aggravated assault is easier to prove. It's a first-degree felony with the same range of punishment," District Attorney Josh Tetens said.

Queen's sister hopes Reese spends the rest of his life behind bars.

"That was cruel, you need to sit in there and think about what you did accept your consequences," she said.

Aggravated assault can carry a sentence of five to 99 years behind bars or life in prison.

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