Help and support following bereavement

When someone close to you dies, it can be a very difficult time. There are lots of decisions to make and it may seem overwhelming, but rest assured we’re here to help you. The steps outlined below will outline what you need to do in the first instance.

Step 1: Let us know as soon as possible

If someone who holds a savings account with us has passed away, please call us on 0800 032 9999. We’re open from 8am to 8pm from Monday to Thursday, 8am to 6:30pm on Fridays, 9am to 5pm on Saturdays and 10am to 4pm on Sundays.

We’ll need the following information:

• the full name and address of the person notifying us of the death
• the date of the account holder’s death, and
• at least one of the following documents (all documents will be returned):
• Death Certificate (original document or a certified copy)
• Coroner’s Interim Certificate
• Solicitor’s Verification of Death form (must be the original)

Step 2: Dealing with the person’s accounts

Once you have let us know we can start to take action and deal with the person’s accounts.

For joint accounts – When one account holder of a joint account dies, the account will automatically transfer into the name of the remaining account holder. The account will continue to operate as it did previously.

For sole accounts – Any activity on the account is stopped immediately, to prevent any unauthorised withdrawals or deposits. The account will continue to accrue interest until it’s closed.

Personal representatives

Being a personal representative can include:

• collecting all the assets of the estate
• dealing with any paperwork
• settling any debts, taxes, funeral and administration costs
• appointing a solicitor
• applying for probate where needed

Obtaining funds for bereavement expenses

The time following a death can be expensive and you may need access to the savings held within the deceased’s account to help cover the cost of the funeral, Grant of Probate/Letters of Administration fees and/or payment of Inheritance tax. There is more information on how you can access funds for these purposes in our FAQs below.

You can deal with the estate yourself rather than appointing someone else to do it or you might find it easier to appoint a solicitor, chartered accountant, specialist probate service or bank to handle the administration.

Step 3: Closing the accounts and obtaining funds

Upon receipt of the documents, all sole accounts can be closed immediately without the need to serve notice. This also applies to Fixed Rate Bonds, so you won’t have to wait until the end of the fixed rate period.

How do I notify you that someone has passed away?

If you’re the personal representative of someone who has recently passed away, it may be difficult to know what steps you need to take next. Our friendly customer service team is on hand to help answer any questions you may have.

To notify us of the death of someone who holds an account with us, please send us the following:

1. the full name and address of the person notifying us of the death
2. the date of the account holder’s death, and
3. at least one of the following documents (all documents will be returned):
• Death Certificate (original document or a certified copy)
• Coroner’s Interim Certificate
• Solicitor’s Verification of Death form

*If you send us a Coroner's Interim Certificate, we’ll need to contact the Coroner to confirm its validity. Should we not be able to confirm this, we'll require the original or a certified copy of the Death Certificate in order to close the account.

Please take a look at our Bereavement Guide to assist you in managing a deceased customer’s account.

If you need any further support with our bereavement process, please call us on 0800 032 9999. We’re open from 8am to 8pm from Monday to Thursday, 8am to 6:30pm on Fridays, 9am to 5pm on Saturdays and 10am to 4pm on Sundays.

How do I close the account(s) when someone has passed away?

The next steps will depend on the total balance held in the deceased’s account(s) with us. Interest will continue to accrue until the account is closed and the account will stay open until we receive appropriate documentation to close it.

If you wish to close the account, the following is required in addition to The Death Certificate / Coroner’s Interim Certificate / Solicitor’s Verification of Death form (if we’ve not received one of these already):

Sole account with balance below £25,000

• Completed Deceased Customer Account(s) Closure form

Sole account with balance above £25,000

• Grant of Probate/ Letters of Administration
• Completed Deceased Customer Account(s) Closure form

Joint Account

Ownership of the account will transfer to the remaining account holder upon notification of death and receipt of at least one of the appropriate documents (the Death Certificate / Coroner’s Interim Certificate / Solicitor’s Verification of Death form). Any notice periods or fixed rate periods applicable to the account will still apply.

We can accept a copy of the Death Certificate (this is what we would recommend) provided it’s been certified on each page by a professional person or service. Rest assured we’ll return all documents to you as soon as possible.

For more information on who can certify your document, please take a look at our Certifying copies of original documents leaflet.

Do I need Grant of Probate / Letters of Administration to close the account?

A Grant of Probate is an official legal document which gives authority to the deceased’s executors (personal representatives) appointed in the deceased’s Will, to act on behalf of the deceased when dealing with their estate.

Letters of Administration is an official legal document which gives authority to the deceased’s administrators (personal representatives) appointed by the Probate Registry where there is no valid Will, to act on behalf of the deceased when dealing with their estate.

We’ll require Grant of Probate / Letters of Administration where the balance in the deceased’s account(s) held with us exceeds £25,000 before the account(s) can be closed.

For information on how to apply for Grant of Probate / Letters of Administration, please visit HM Courts and Tribunals Service website at gov.uk.

If you require funds from a Charter Savings Bank account for the Grant of Probate / Letters of Administration fee, we’ll need the following:

• The Death Certificate / Coroner’s Interim Certificate / Solicitor’s Verification of Death form (if we’ve not received this already)
• Completed Grant of Probate / Letters of Administration fee form

We can accept a copy of the Death Certificate (this is what we would recommend) provided it’s been certified on each page by a professional person or service. Rest assured we’ll return all documents to you as soon as possible. For more information on who can certify your document, please take a look at our Certifying copies of original documents leaflet.

If you send us a Coroner's Interim Certificate, we will need to contact the Coroner to confirm its validity. Should we not be able to confirm this, we'll require the original or a certified copy of the Death Certificate in order to close the account.

Can you release funds to cover funeral expenses?

The time following a death can be expensive and you may need access to the savings held within the deceased’s account to help cover the cost of the funeral.

If you require funds from a Charter Savings Bank account for funeral expenses, we’ll need the following:

• The Death Certificate / Coroner’s Interim Certificate / Solicitor’s Verification of Death form (if we’ve not received this already)
• Original bill or invoice from the Funeral Director, detailing the costs of arranging the funeral

We can accept a copy of the Death Certificate (this is what we would recommend) provided it’s been certified on each page by a professional person or service. Rest assured we’ll return all documents to you as soon as possible. For more information on who can certify your document, please take a look at our Certifying copies of original documents leaflet.

If you have your own account with us and there isn’t enough in the deceased’s account to pay for the funeral or other remaining bereavement expenses, please contact us on 0800 032 9999 as we may be able to help.

If you send us a Coroner's Interim Certificate, we will need to contact the Coroner to confirm its validity. Should we not be able to confirm this, we'll require the original or a certified copy of the Death Certificate in order to close the account.

Can you release funds to cover Inheritance Tax?

If you require funds from a Charter Savings Bank account for the payment of inheritance tax, we’ll need the following:

• The Death Certificate / Coroner’s Interim Certificate / Solicitor’s Verification of Death form (if we’ve not received this already)
• Official or Solicitors letter detailing Inheritance Tax liability
• Original completed IHT423 form signed by Personal Representatives

We can accept a copy of the Death Certificate (this is what we would recommend) provided it’s been certified on each page by a professional person or service. Rest assured we’ll return all documents to you as soon as possible. For more information on who can certify your document, please take a look at our Certifying copies of original documents leaflet.

If you send us a Coroner's Interim Certificate, we will need to contact the Coroner to confirm its validity. Should we not be able to confirm this, we'll require the original or a certified copy of the Death Certificate in order to close the account.

Do you allow Additional Permitted Subscriptions (APS)?

In the event of a customer's death, the ISA allowance may be inherited by their spouse or civil partner. This is in line with ISA Regulations and HMRC guidance on Additional Permitted Subscription ('APS').

Charter Savings Bank does not currently offer APS ISAs.

Other ways we can help / Further resources / For further help