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We're currently experiencing higher-than-usual call volumes, which may result in longer call waiting times. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
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.
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:
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.
Being a personal representative can include:
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.
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.
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:
*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.
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):
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.
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 £35,000 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:
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.
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:
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.
If you require funds from a Charter Savings Bank account for the payment of inheritance tax, we’ll need the following:
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.
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.
View our customer hub for further details on how we can support you through a variety of different situations and circumstances
View our power of attorney page for more information on registering a power of attorney to your account
Your eligible deposits held by a UK establishment of Charter Savings Bank are protected up to a total of £85,000 by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, the UK’s deposit protection scheme. Any deposits you hold above the limit are unlikely to be covered. Please click here for further information or visit www.fscs.org.uk.
