Documents, money and the hard things

Paperwork, cash, caches, and the conversations nobody wants to have.

• DL1 What documents to hold, and howTwo hours sorting paperwork removes a category of problem entirely. The test is not whether you own the document; it is whether you could put your hand on it in ninety seconds, in the dark, and carry it out of the house.Quick actions, 9 steps
• DL2 Digitising and backing up recordsThree copies, on two kinds of media, with one of them somewhere else. A backup in the same building as the original is not a backup, and a backup nobody but you can reach is a problem waiting for the day you are not there.Quick actions, 9 steps
• DL3 Cash, and why some of it should be physicalCard payments need power at the till, a network to the bank, and a working bank. A local power cut removes all three at once, and the shop that can still sell you food is the one taking cash. Small notes and coins, not a hoard.Quick actions, 8 steps
• DL4 Go-bags for a householdMost emergencies are handled by staying where you are, so a go-bag is insurance against the minority. Build it around documents, medication and warmth, keep it light enough that the person carrying it can actually walk, and never go back for it.Quick actions, 9 steps
• DL5 Insurance, and what it actually coversMost people discover the limits of their policy at the point of claiming, which is the worst moment to find out. Read the schedule, check the excess, check the single item limit, and find out whether flood and accidental damage are actually included.Quick actions, 9 steps
• DL6 Wills and powers of attorney, in plain termsA power of attorney can only be made while the person still has capacity, which is the whole point and the thing people leave too late. Without one, the alternative is a court process that takes months and costs a great deal.Quick actions, 9 steps
• DL7 Proving who you are, and reaching your moneyAlmost every route to your own money assumes you have a card, a phone, a signal and an app. Knowing your account number, having telephone banking already set up, and holding accounts at two institutions removes most of the ways that fails.Quick actions, 9 steps
• DL8 Triage, and deciding in advanceNot a procedure to apply in the moment, but a conversation to have once, calmly, years early. The value is in having thought about it, not in a checklist you follow while someone is dying.Quick actions, 9 steps
• DL9 When somebody diesThere is very little that must be done in the first hours, and knowing that is the most useful thing on this page. Registration comes within days, most of the rest can wait, and one government service tells many organisations at once.Quick actions, 9 steps
• DL10 Helping somebody who cannot manage their own affairsCapacity is decision-specific, not a switch, and somebody who cannot manage a mortgage may be perfectly able to choose what to eat. Support them to decide for themselves first, and only then look at who has authority to act.Quick actions, 8 steps