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Inheritance Tax
The last surviving spouse can pass on £600,000 to thier children without paying tax while a person who never had a partner can pass on £300,000 free of tax.
A lot of children are hoping that when their parents pass away, and the family home is sold, that the money will be sufficent to pay off their own mortgage. The risk is that (a)house prices may fall and (b) their parents may live longer than expected, thus needing to cash in some of the value of the home to top up their pension. An additional, risk is that the retired person may also need expensive medical care and thus have to live in a retirement home - the cost of which has to be funded from the persons assets i.e. the council will force the sale of the home to fund the cost of the retirement home. Thus in conclusion, depending on an inheritence to pay of your mortgage is a risky buisness.