Bereavement: Mortgages

If the deceased had a mortgage with us, it’s really important to remember that the monthly payments should be made so the account doesn’t fall into arrears. If that’s going to be difficult please contact our Credit Management team on 0345 850 1766 who will talk you through the options.

You also need to make sure any buildings insurance is kept in place. Once you’ve registered the death with us, we can help you with the next steps.

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How to let us know someone has passed away

We've set up a dedicated email on SkiptonDirect-BereavementNotification@skipton.co.uk so you can notify us when a loved one who had accounts with Skipton or through our partners has passed away. When we receive the email we will update our system and write to you letting you know what you need to do next.

We will need to know:

  • Details of the deceased person: their name, address, date of birth, date of death, whether there is a Will and any Skipton account numbers (if known).

  • Details of the person notifying us: their name, address, relationship to the deceased person, email address, phone number and when we should contact them (we only call if we need more information or if you ask us to).

  • Any additional information you want to give us.

You don't need to send any documents by email. If we need to see documents such as a death certificate, we will let you know how to send these to us.

Find out what happens to different accounts

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Sole borrowers

If the mortgage was only in the name of the deceased, they’re known as the sole borrower. This means the mortgage 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.

We can’t release full information about the mortgage to you until we’ve seen the original Grant of Probate, Letters of Administration or Certificate of Confirmation.

However, we can let you know the balance and monthly payment amount so you can seek Probate and continue to make the mortgage payments. To get this information (which will be sent to the mortgaged address) you’ll need to show us the original death certificate, the original coroner’s interim certificate or a solicitor’s death certificate verification form.

We can’t transfer the mortgage to anyone else. If you’re a beneficiary, you or someone else can apply for a new mortgage for the property, but we can’t guarantee to accept the application.

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Joint borrowers

If the mortgage was in the name of the deceased, with one or more other people, they are known as a joint borrower. There are two types of joint borrowers (joint tenants or tenants in common), and what happens to the property differs for each.

Joint tenants - their share of the property will automatically transfer to the other joint tenant and your loved one’s name will be taken off the mortgage (unless they were bankrupt, in which case their share doesn’t pass to the other borrower – it passes to the trustee in bankruptcy). You don’t need a Grant of Probate for this to happen – just the death certificate, which you should also register at the Land Registry to remove them from the property register.

Tenants in common - the share of the property belonging to the deceased won’t transfer automatically to the other joint borrower(s). Instead, it will pass according to the instructions they left in their Will. If there is no Will, the property will be passed on according to the rules of intestacy (rules that come into effect when someone dies without leaving a Will).

If you're the joint borrower and you're unsure what type of joint mortgage you had, we'll be able to let you know.

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Life assurance

To make a claim on any life assurance policies, you’ll need to get in touch with the policy provider. If the policy is linked to a Skipton mortgage, we’ll deal with the claim once you have a Grant of Probate, Letters of Administration or Certificate of Confirmation. We’ll then use the proceeds to reduce or repay the mortgage account.

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Mortgage payment protection insurance

If a policy is in the sole name of the person who’s passed away, it will stop. For joint policies held through Skipton, we’ll let you know what the next steps are. If the mortgage payment protection insurance is not with Skipton, please contact the provider for next steps.

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Buildings insurance

It's really important you make sure the property's protected until the mortgage is repaid. If the policy is in the deceased sole name, you need to transfer it to the names of the personal representatives to ensure the cover continues.

If the buildings insurance is with Skipton, we can help you with the next steps once you've registered the death. If this insurance isn't with us, you'll need to contact the provider directly. Please remember that if the property is empty for more than 30 days, most buildings insurance will lapse. So you might need a solicitor or a specialist broker to help you set up a policy that's suitable for empty properties.

Get in touch

Get in touch

Talk to our Credit Management team

0345 850 1766
Mon-Thurs
8am - 6pm
Fri
8am - 5:30pm
Sat
9am - 12pm

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Site intended for UK residents only. Skipton Building Society is a member of the Building Societies Association. Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority, under registration number 153706, for accepting deposits, advising on and arranging mortgages and providing Restricted financial advice. Principal Office, The Bailey, Skipton, North Yorkshire, BD23 1DN.

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