
How to let us know someone has died
We’re sorry to hear someone’s died and understand it might be difficult to deal with their accounts. To help make things a bit easier, this page will tell you what your next steps are and what information you need to have to hand.
Getting in touch
Closing other accounts
To keep things simple for you, we’ll sort out any of these brands across our whole group at the same time:
- MBNA
- Lloyds Bank
- Halifax
- Bank of Scotland
Once we’ve received a death certificate, we’ll also notify these brands for you:
- Scottish Widows
- Clerical Medical
- Birmingham Midshires
Depending on the balance on the accounts, a grant of probate/confirmation might be needed. If this is the case, we’ll let you know.
You can also use the free Death Notification Service to let other organisations know the account holder has passed away.
The government’s Tell Us Once service will contact relevant government services, including HMRC, for you.
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- UK, EU, or EEA driving licence
- Current Passport
- EU/EEA identity card
- Northern Ireland Electoral Identity Card
- Disabled driver pass
Or (dated within the last 3 months)
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- UK or foreign death certificate
- Interim UK death certificate or coroners’ certificate
- Abbreviated extract of death (Scotland)
- Grant of representation
- Grant of probate (England, Wales, and Northern Ireland)
- Letters of administration (England, Wales, and Northern Ireland)
- Certificate/Grant of confirmation (Scotland)
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How do I get a death certificate?
When someone dies, you’ll get a medical certificate which shows the cause of death. If you take this to a registrar of births, deaths, and marriages, they'll give you a death certificate. You need this to prove someone has actually died. It’s a good idea to ask for more than 1 copy because you'll probably have to show it a few times.
Sometimes, the cause of death isn't known. When this happens, the coroner will give you an interim certificate, which you can use instead of a death certificate.
How do I pay for the funeral and other urgent expenses?
If the deceased has money in their bank accounts, it can be used for:
- Funeral costs
- Inheritance tax
- Probate or confirmation fees
What will happen with credit cards?
Additional cardholders named on accounts won’t be able to use their cards anymore.
If the deceased person owed money on any credit cards, there are several options. Usually, we’ll use any other current or savings account balances they have with us to pay them off. If their cards are covered by repayment insurance, we’ll tell you how to make a claim. If neither of these apply, we’ll get in touch to discuss things further.
What will happen with loan accounts?
If the loan was just in the deceased’s name and they have money in their other accounts, we’ll discuss your options when you get in touch.
If the loan was in joint names, the other person named on the loan needs to keep making the monthly repayments. If the loan is covered by insurance, we’ll let you know how to make a claim.
What is probate?
This is the process used to get the court's permission to deal with a deceased person's estate.
If you're named in someone's will as the executor, you might need to apply for a grant of representation. If there’s no will, a letter of administration might be needed.
You can also apply for a grant of probate from the Probate Registry. They'll send this to you after:
- They check the will is valid
- They receive completed application forms
- All taxes are paid
If you need help applying for probate, we can do this for you.
In Scotland, this process is called confirmation and is usually handled at the Sheriff Court.
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Assets
Anything belonging to the deceased with a financial value, like money, investments, property, or personal possessions.
Beneficiary
Anybody that’s been left something in a will or trust.
Estate
The assets left in the deceased person’s will.
Executor
The person named in a will to carry out the wishes of the person who’s died.
Grant of representation
A legal document that confirms who’s allowed to deal with an estate.
Intestate
The term used when the person has died without a will being made.
Letters of administration
This lets a named person deal with the deceased's estate if there isn't an executor.
Liabilities
This is any debt the deceased has, or any costs an executor has to pay while handling the estate.
Personal representatives
As a group, executors and administrators are called personal representatives.
Trust
This is when money or property is held for someone else until they reach a certain age. For example, children who are under 18.
Will
A legal document that says who benefits, and in what way, from the estate.
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Citizens Advice Bureau
Visit: adviceguide.org.uk
Cruse Bereavement Care
Call: 0808 808 1677
Visit: cruse.org.uk
Probate England and Wales
Call: 0845 302 0900
Visit: gov.uk/wills-probate-inheritance
Probate Scotland
Call: 0131 334 0380
Visit: mygov.scot/confirmation/
The Bereavement Register
Call: 0207 089 6403
Visit: thebereavementregister.co.uk/
Grief Encounter
Visit: griefencounter.org.uk
Help with what to do after someone dies
Visit: gov.uk/after-a-death
Information on reporting a death, wills, probate, or inheritance tax