Telling the bank is one of the first jobs after a death, and one of the ones people dread most. The good news is that banks deal with this every day, they have dedicated bereavement teams and you can often tell several at once. Here is how it works, calmly and in order.
Start with the death certificate
Almost everything here needs the death certificate, so register the death first and order a few certified copies while you are at it. Banks will usually accept a certified copy, and having spares means you are not waiting on one document to reach several organisations.
Tell several banks at once
Before you ring round one by one, look at the free Death Notification Service. It lets you tell several banks and building societies in a single online submission. Most of the big high-street names are members. Each one updates its records and gets back to you within about ten days to explain the next step.
App-based banks such as Monzo and Starling are usually notified directly rather than through the service, so keep a short list of who banked where.
What each bank will ask for
Once you make contact, the bereavement team will usually want:
- The death certificate or an interim certificate from the coroner.
- Proof of who you are, such as a passport or driving licence.
- The account details you have for the person who died.
- The will if there is one, plus a grant of probate or letters of administration if the balance is above the bank’s threshold.
You do not need all of this ready to make the first call. Tell them first, and they will tell you what to send.
What happens to the accounts
The bank will freeze the sole accounts and stop any cards, so standing orders and direct debits stop too. Check whether anything essential, like a funeral director’s payment, needs handling another way; many banks will pay a funeral bill directly from the frozen account on production of the invoice.
For releasing the money, most banks set a threshold, often around £50,000, above which they need a grant of probate before paying out a sole account. Below it, they can usually release funds on the death certificate and a signed form. Thresholds vary by bank, so ask the team what applies.
Joint accounts normally pass straight to the surviving holder and are not frozen in the same way.
If you are not sure where they banked
Look through post and email for statements, check the paperwork at home and review recent direct debits if you can see them. FamilySafe exists partly to spare families this hunt: one place where the accounts and the people who need them already live together.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to contact every bank separately?
Not for the members of the free Death Notification Service, which covers most high-street banks in one submission. App banks and a few others are told directly.
Will the account be frozen straight away?
Usually yes, once the bank is notified. Ask about paying the funeral bill from the account, which many banks allow before probate.
Do I always need probate to release the money?
No. Below a bank’s threshold, often around £50,000, funds can usually be released without a grant. Above it, a grant of probate or letters of administration is normally needed.
Sources
- Death Notification Service (deathnotificationservice.co.uk)
- GOV.UK: What to do when someone dies
- Individual bank bereavement pages (see our bank-by-bank guides)
Reviewed by a probate paralegal (name to be assigned). Last reviewed: [set on publish]. This is general information, not legal or financial advice and does not replace probate administration.
