Bereavement

1. Telling us about a death

You can tell us in the way that feels easiest for you:

• Visit a branch
• Call us
• Send us the details by post

Anyone can do this, including family, friends, or a solicitor.

When you tell us, we will:

• Record the death so you do not need to tell us again.
• Stop letters or messages meant for the person who has died.
• Stop any payments.
• Explain the next steps clearly.

What we will ask for:

• The death certificate (original or a photocopy).
• The name and contact details of the person dealing with the estate. This is the Personal Representative who is legally authorised to do this.

If you don’t yet know who the Personal Representative is, you can tell us later.

2. Registering the death with us

Once we receive the death certificate, we will:

• Update the person’s accounts
• Check who is allowed to deal with the estate
• Do simple checks to confirm their identity
• Share the account details with them

We can only share account information with the Personal Representative.

3. What documents might be needed later

Sometimes, extra legal documents are needed. This may include a:

• Grant of Probate
• Letter of Administration
• Certificate of Confirmation (Scotland).

We will tell you if these are needed.

You may need these papers if:

• The person had more than £30,000 in their sole savings account(s).
• Another bank or company has already asked for probate.
• The mortgage is only in one name.

We will explain exactly what is needed for your situation.

4. Closing the accounts and releasing money

You will need to complete this form, Close Account(s) (PDF, 114 kB). When we have the documents and have checked them, we can close the accounts.

We can send the money by:

• Cheque
• Bank transfer

The money must go to the person who is legally allowed to deal with the estate.

We will let you know when an account has been closed.

For mortgages, what happens depends on how the mortgage is held. We will explain what applies to your situation and confirm the options.

Handy definitions

Estate: Everything the person owned, like money or property.

Executor: A person named in a will to deal with the estate.

Administrator: A person who sorts out the estate if there is no will.

Grant of Probate / Letter of Administration: A legal document that confirms who is allowed to deal with the estate.

Beneficiary: Someone who will receive money or belongings from the estate.

Joint Tenants: Both people own all of the property.

Tenants in Common: Each person owns a set share of the property.