(1)Where on the death of any person there is due to the deceased or his personal representatives from a government department a sum, not exceeding [F1£5,000], in respect of salary, wages or other emoluments or of superannuation benefits payable by virtue of a scheme made under section 1 of this Act, probate or other proof of the title of the personal representatives of the deceased may be dispensed with, and the appropriate authority may pay the whole or any part of that sum to those representatives or to the person, or to or among any one or more of any persons, appearing to that authority to be beneficially entitled to the personal or movable estate of the deceased; and any person to whom such a payment is made, and not the appropriate authority, shall thereafter be liable to account for the amount paid to him under this subsection.
(2)Subsection (1) above shall be included among the provisions with respect to which the Treasury may make an order under section 6(1) of the M1Administration of Estates (Small Payments) Act 1965 substituting for references to £500 such higher amount as may be specified in the order.
(3)The reference to a government department in subsection (1) above shall be construed as including a reference to a body or institution listed in Schedule 1 to this Act [F2and as including a reference to any part of the Scottish Administration].
(4)In this section “the appropriate authority”, in relation to any sum, means the Minister in charge of the government department [F3, the Scottish Ministers in respect of any part of the Scottish Administration,] the body, or the trustees or other authority responsible for the institution, as the case may be, from whom that sum is due.
Textual Amendments
F1“£5,000” substituted by S.I. 1984/539, art. 2(f)
F2Words in s. 4(3) added (1.7.1999) by S.I. 1999/1820, arts. 1(2), 4, Sch. 2 Pt. I para. 51(a) (with art. 5); S.I. 1998/3178, art. 3
F3Words in s. 4(4) inserted (1.7.1999) by S.I. 1999/1820, arts. 1(2), 4, Sch. 2 Pt. I para. 51(b) (with art. 5); S.I. 1998/3178, art. 3
Marginal Citations