Bereavement

Based at head office in Skipton, our team supports bereaved next of kin and personal representatives. They'll guide you through our process of notifying us of the death of a customer and closing the accounts. You can call the team directly on 0345 266 1209 between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday.

When you call, you'll need to answer a few security questions but you'll only need to go through the details once per call. There might be a limit on the amount of information we'll be able to give you at this time, unless you can prove you're an executor (if there is a Will) or legal next of kin (if there is no Will) or you're the solicitor acting for the estate.

If there's a Will, we'll be able to provide account information to the named executor(s) or the solicitor acting on their behalf. We might ask to see the Will to make sure we're giving information to the right person. If there isn't a Will, see the FAQ below, 'What happens if they didn't make a Will?'.

If it was written using Skipton's Will-writing service, please contact the Bereavement team, who will be able to confirm whether we have details of where the Will is being stored. If you're sure the deceased made a Will via Redstone Wills Ltd, our specialist partner, please get in touch with them on 0808 168 2560. Please note, only the executor is entitled to receive the Will.

If someone hasn't made a Will, this is called being 'intestate'. In this case, we can only give information to certain people. First we speak to the spouse or civil partner, or the solicitor appointed to act on behalf of the estate. If there's no surviving spouse, we might be able to deal with adult children or parents.

A GOP gives the appointed executor authority to distribute the assets of the estate. Where total balances held with Skipton Building Society are over £30,000 the executor will need a GOP (or Letters of Administration if there is no Will), which is issued by your local District Probate Office. If total balances are £30,000 or less, we may be able to release the funds if you provide us with a completed Letter of Indemnity and/or a Statutory Declaration.

These documents have particular requirements (See 'What documents do I need if the total held with Skipton is £30,000 or less?"). If you can't meet the requirements for any reason, even if the estate is worth £30,000 or less, you'll need a GOP (or Letter of Administration if there is no Will).

You can apply to the Probate Registry yourself. Please note, the government website also uses the term 'Grant of Representation' for GOP or Letters of Administration.

Alternatively, you can pay a fee for someone to handle this for you, like a solicitor or other professional. Our partner, 1825 Estate and Trust Administration, can do this for you. You can read more about 1825 on our Partnerships page, or call our bereavement team on 0345 266 1209 who can refer you to them.

If the balance is £1,000 or less, we can accept a Letter of Indemnity, as long as the beneficiaries are the ones solely entitled to the funds held with us and are the spouse, civil partner, child or parent of the deceased.

If the funds are between £1,001 and £4,999, we can accept a Statutory Declaration form that has been completed in the presence of a solicitor, as long as the beneficiaries are the ones solely entitled to the funds held with us.

If the balance is between £5,000 and £30,000, we can accept a Letter of Indemnity, as long as the beneficiaries are the ones solely entitled to the funds held with us and are the spouse, civil partner, child or parent of the deceased. This must be provided along with a Statutory Declaration form that has been completed in the presence of a solicitor. 

In all cases, there must be no assets held elsewhere that require GOP or Letters of Administration.

Beneficiaries who don't have accounts at Skipton Building Society will need to provide identification along with the above documents. View or download 'Proving your identity' to see what you'll need.

Yes, we can release funds to pay for funeral expenses once the death has been registered with us. We'll need the invoice from the funeral directors so we can issue a cheque, made payable to the funeral company. We can also release any amount that's on an HMRC inheritance tax calculation form, subject to the balance of the account, even if this means closing the account. This is called 'withdrawal before probate'. To do this, you'll need to complete the 'Withdrawal before probate' form, which can be downloaded here.

• Withdrawal before probate form

Please complete and take this document to your nearest branch or post it to:

If the deceased arranged a prepaid funeral with our partner Dignity, please call them on 0808 301 7743 or visit the Dignity Funerals website.

Once the death has been registered, if you are the personal representative of the deceased we can talk to you about what will happen next, which depends on the type of mortgage it is. In the meantime, it’s important for the personal representatives to make the monthly mortgage payments and pay for buildings insurance. If making payments is difficult, please call our Credit Management team on 0345 850 1766. They can talk through the options open to you. Find out more on our Bereavement mortgage page.

If the mortgage was held in the sole name of the deceased, it is a debt of their estate and must be repaid in full. The money to do this usually comes from a life policy, the estate, or from selling the property.

Bereavement Advice Centre
0800 634 94 94
www.bereavementadvice.org

Citizens Advice Bureau
www.citizensadvice.org.uk

The Bereavement Register
Reduce the amount of unwanted marketing post being sent to people who have passed away
www.thebereavementregister.org.uk

The General Register Office
(includes links to the Scottish and Northern Ireland register offices)
www.gov.uk/general-register-office

Applying for Grant of Probate, Letters of Administration or Confirmation:

England & Wales
www.gov.uk/applying-for-probate

Scotland
www.scotcourts.gov.uk
0131 444 3300

Northern Ireland
www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/applying-probate

Find a solicitor on the Law Society's website
www.lawsociety.org.uk/for-the-public/using-a-solicitor/find-a-solicitor
020 7320 5650

Fraud Prevention - CIFAS
A not-for-profit organisation working to reduce fraud and financial crime.
www.cifas.org.uk

Cruse Bereavement Care
www.cruse.org.uk

UK Government
www.gov.uk

Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs (HMRC)
www.hmrc.gov.uk

HMRC Probate and Inheritance Tax Helpline
0300 123 1072

Tell Us Once Service
Report a death to most government organisations in one go
www.gov.uk/after-a-death/organisations-you-need-to-contact-and-tell-us-once