Bereavement
Losing a loved one is a very difficult time. We do our best to make the process of dealing with their Hinckley & Rugby accounts as easy and straightforward as possible.
Where to start
When you visit the registry office to register the death, they will tell you about the Tell Us Once service. This is a free service that lets you tell most government organisations about the death in one go. You can also get more information at gov.uk/when-someone-dies.
You will need to contact non-government organisations yourself. We recommend that you order a few certified copies of the death certificate because some of these organisations will require official proof. This includes banks and building societies.
How to tell us
The best way to tell us is either by phone or by visiting one of our branches or agencies. Please note that all forms can be printed from the links on this page or can be given to you in-branch, or posted to you if you prefer.
By phone
Please call us on 0800 434 6343 or 01455 251234. Our lines are open Monday – Friday 9am to 5pm and Saturdays 9am to 12pm. We are closed Sundays and bank holidays.
We will ask you for the following information:
- A few details about yourself.
- Some details about the person who has passed away, including their date of birth, date of death, and their address.
- Some basic account details, if you know them.
We will then explain the next steps for registering the death if you wish to do this by post.
Visiting one of our branches or agencies
Please see our branches and agencies page for contact details and opening times. In addition to our public opening times, branches offer private appointments between 2pm and 5pm on weekdays.
Please bring ID (see below), and any account information and passbooks if you have them. You will also need to provide us with either:
- the original death certificate (or a certified copy); or
- a Death Certificate Verification Form completed by a solicitor.
We will ask you to complete a Death Notification Form, which confirms the name(s) of the personal representative(s) of the deceased’s estate, and then we will register the death. We can only release information about the person’s accounts to the personal representatives.
Each personal representative must provide one item of suitable ID. See what ID we accept, and how to certify a copy of ID if you choose to post it instead of visiting a branch.
What happens to the person’s accounts
After we have registered the death, the following will apply:
Joint savings accounts
Control of the account will be transferred to the surviving account holder on the same terms and conditions.
Sole accounts with balances less than £250
If the combined balances of all the accounts held by the person (not including the balance of any joint accounts) is less than £250, we can release the money to anyone who claims to be entitled to it. A completed Declaration and Indemnity Under £250 Form must be signed by all the personal representatives.
Sole accounts with balances between £250 and £15,000
If the combined balances of all the accounts held by the person (not including the balance of any joint accounts) is between £250 and £15,000, we can release the money to anyone who claims to be entitled to it. A completed Declaration and Indemnity £250 – £15,000 Form must be signed by all the personal representatives and witnessed by a Solicitor or Commissioner of Oaths.
Sole accounts with balances over £15,000
If the combined balances of all the accounts held by the person (not including the balance of any joint accounts) is more than £15,000, we can only release the money once we have received a Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration.
However, if you need to release money for the following expenses, we can allow this. A completed Bereavement Withdrawal Form must be signed by one of the personal representatives and sent to your local branch or agency.
1. We can provide a cheque made payable to a funeral director for funeral expenses. You will need to send us the funeral director’s invoice, the Withdrawal Form, and the savings account passbook.
2. We can provide a cheque made payable to HM Revenue & Customs. You will need to send us the tax demand or confirmation of the outstanding tax liabilities, the Withdrawal Form, and the savings account passbook.
Business Accounts
If the person held a business/deposit account, there may be other things you need to do. Our team will discuss these with you once you have informed us about the death.
Sole mortgage
Once the death is registered, we will send documents to the representatives of the estate so that they can decide their future plans for the property.
Joint mortgage
When the death of a joint mortgage account holder has been registered, the mortgage will be transferred into the name of the surviving holder.
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