Beneficiary Changes when someone is ill

[mich216]

What is the name of your state? California

My grandmother is terminally ill and has one life insurance policy. The policy is for $5000 which is not much but my other cousins are the beneficaries and there is 4 desiganted which 2 are under 18. My family does not have money and my mother has been taking care of my grandmother and has a full power of attorney. My questions is, can we change the beneficary as a power of attorney? We really need to use the life insurance to cover my grandmothers burial costs. My grandmother can not speak and she is in the final stages of Alzhiemers, so she can not authorize the beneficary change.

Thanks,

Michelle

 

[Dandy Don]

No, you cannot use POA to do a beneficiary change--that would be abuse of power of attorney. About all you can do is to ask the beneficiaries to chip in and voluntarily contribute to pay the funeral cost.