• Bereavement

    Bereavement

    When you’ve lost someone close to you, sorting out financial stuff might be the last thing on your mind. Just contact us as soon as you’re able, and we’ll do all we can to make everything as straightforward as possible.

    How we can help

    Our specially trained bereavement advisers will provide information on how to deal with the credit card or loan account and the action we’ll take.

    Step 1 - speak to a bereavement adviser

    You can call our Bereavement Team on 0800 028 0691 (or +44 1244 757 230 from outside the UK).

    Lines are open 8am-8pm 7 days a week. Standard network charges may apply.

    Step 2 - you’ll need to provide:

    • Proof of your identity (2 pieces) - one showing your name, another with your address.
    • The original death certificate.
    • Any cards to help us protect the accounts.
    • Any Grant of Probate*/Letter of Administration.


    You might also find it useful to prepare a list of questions you might have.

    *For accounts, products and services held with us in the sole name of the person who died, we will only need to see the Grant of Probate if the value of the accounts is more than £50,000. We’ll need to see the original, or certified copy when it is available.

    Step 3 - what to expect during the call

    Our adviser will ask some questions to help us to fully understand the circumstances. We might need to do some investigating and get back to you, depending how complicated things are. Our Bereavement Team will handle those cases.

    Step 4 - what will happen to cases passed to the Bereavement Team?

    They’ll take ownership of the case and keep you up-to-date with any progress until everything is settled.

    Step 5 - notifying other banks

    If accounts were held with other banks and you still need to notify them, you can use the free Death Notification Service.

    You don't need to do this for any accounts held with Lloyds Banking Group as we'll automatically notify all of the following - Lloyds Bank, Halifax, Bank of Scotland, Scottish Widows, Clerical Medical and Birmingham Midshires.

    If you're not ready to talk just yet

    If you’re not ready to talk to a bereavement adviser directly, you can start the process by filling out this form online.

    Then when you’re ready to continue the process you can call us on 0800 028 0691.

    What happens to the credit card?

    This debt will need to be repaid from the estate. Our Bereavement Team will contact you to explain in more detail.

    If the credit card account is covered by an insurance policy, we’ll let you know how to make a claim. We’ll also advise what to do with any cards.

    Please note, if you are a named cardholder on the account (an additional cardholder), you’ll no longer be able to use it.

    What happens to an outstanding personal loan?

    This debt will need to be repaid from the estate. If the loan was in joint names the surviving account holder can continue making monthly repayments or pay the loan off in full.

    Do I need to worry about inheritance tax?

    Depending on the size of the estate and who the beneficiaries are, there may be a liability to pay inheritance tax.

    For more information, you can speak to our Estate Administration Service on 0800 056 0171. Lines are open Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm. Standard network charges may apply.

    Alternatively, contact your local tax office or visit the HMRC website.

    What if there is a will?

    If the person who has died leaves a will, the people named as executors must act as personal representatives of the person who has died and take legal responsibility for carrying out the instructions in the will, including dealing with money and property (known as the ‘estate’). In Scotland, the personal representatives are known as executor-nominate.

    In some instances the executor may be Lloyds Bank, in which case please call our Estate Administration Service on 0800 056 0171. Lines are open Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm.

    What if there isn’t a will?

    If the person who has died didn’t leave a will, this is called intestacy. The law sets out who should inherit the estate. You may need to apply for authority to be the administrator of the estate.

    The administrators will act as personal representatives of the person who has died, dealing with money and property (known as the ‘estate’). In Scotland the personal representatives are known as executor dative.

    For help and information, please call our Estate Administration Service on 0800 056 0171. Lines are open Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm. Standard network charges may apply.

    How do I pay urgent expenses?

    We understand that the next few weeks might be difficult, dealing with funeral arrangements and legal paperwork. You may have some bills that need paying before you can get all the legal documents required for administering the estate.

    If the person who died has a credit card account with a credit balance, you can use the funds to pay the following expenses before all the legal paperwork is sorted:

    • Funeral expenses - payable to funeral director.
    • Inheritance tax - payable to H.M. Revenue and Customs.
    • Probate fees - payable to H.M. Court service.
    • Confirmation fees - payable to The Scottish Court Service.


    We’ll normally send the cheque direct to them, but you can ask us to send it to you.

    In these instances, you might need to confirm in writing who needs to be paid and whether you have, or intend to apply for a Grant of Representation/Confirmation and the original invoice.

    If the funds on the credit cards are enough to cover all or part of the expenses, we’ll arrange a cheque made out to the person or organisation named on the invoice.

    What happens to standing orders and Direct Debits?

    We’ll cancel all payments and Direct Debits when an account holder has died, however the cancellation of standing orders will be the responsibility of the person dealing with the customer's account.