Bereavement: Savings accounts

If your loved one held savings accounts with us, we’ll do our best to help answer your questions and give you the information you need, providing it is lawful to do so.

Getting information about the accounts and balances

We may need to conduct some checks on your identity before we can disclose any account information. To do this we might be able to perform an electronic search to prove your identity as an alternative to providing original documentation. We’d need your permission first though.

Please get in touch on 0345 266 1209 if you’d like to explore this option or to discuss the original documentation required. These checks will not be necessary if you are already a Skipton customer.

If you are named as an executor in the Will we can tell you the account balance(s) and interest due up to the date of death. If there is no 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 or civil partner, we might be able to deal with adult children or parents.

In order to release the information, we require one of the following:

  • Original death certificate
  • Original coroner’s interim certificate
  • Death certificate verification form

These can be sent by post, along with contact details about yourself and confirmation of your relationship in writing.

Our postal address is:

The Bereavements Team,
Skipton Building Society,
Principal Office,
The Bailey,
Skipton,
BD23 1DN.

Can we help you further?

Are you taking over responsibility for financial decisions?

Many of our customers use our My Review service to talk about their financial plans.

My Review is a chance to talk about your money, whether it’s savings, retirement funds, the legacy you want to leave for your loved ones, and much more. And, if after the conversation we feel you could benefit from financial advice we can make an appointment for you to speak to one of our Financial Advisers.

We'll give you options, answers and the time you need.

We won’t pressure you into taking our products or services, or recommend anything that we don’t think is right for you. That’s a promise to you from everyone who works at Skipton.

Our No Pressure Promise
No Pressure Promise

Notify us of a bereavement

The first thing you’ll need to do is to notify us of the bereavement. This is so we can start to get everything in order and freeze outgoing payments.

Notify us

How can I withdraw money?

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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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Joint accounts

If a savings account is held in joint names, it automatically passes to the other account holder(s) (in accordance with our Savings Account Terms and Conditions). If you’re not the other account holder, you’ll need to let us know why you need the information, then we can check what information we’re able to give you, if any.

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Trust accounts

If the deceased was a trustee on an account, we can’t release information because Trust Accounts don’t form part of their estate. If there are other trustees, we’ll get in touch with them. If there aren’t, the executor may need to seek advice about appointing a replacement.

You can’t transfer accounts into your name if you’re a beneficiary, but in some circumstances you may be able to close the accounts and transfer the money into a new account of your choosing, depending on the terms of the trust.
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ISAs

If the deceased passed away before 6 April 2018 and held a Skipton ISA, the account will be transferred to an easy access Estate Management account and, in accordance with HMRC rules, interest earned will be taxable.

If they passed away on or after 6 April 2018, the funds are permitted to be within the ISA wrapper for three years from their date of death and will continue to earn tax-free interest.

Under the Additional Permitted Subscriptions (APS) scheme, you can transfer your spouse or civil partner’s ISA allowance to you if they passed away on or after 6 April 2015. You can find out more on our Addition Permitted Subscriptions page.

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Bonds

If your loved one held a Fixed Rate Bond in their sole name, you can close it early and get paid the interest that’s built up. Or if you prefer, you can keep it open until it reaches the end of its fixed term. If you keep it open, the account has to be left in your loved one’s name. However, the title of the account will change to ‘personal representative of (name)’, and you won’t be able to withdraw money (including interest) from the balance until the fixed term ends, except for purposes of settling inheritance tax, funeral or probate costs.

Get in touch

For savings help, support and answers, call the number shown below.

Call us

Talk to our Bereavement team

0345 266 1209
Mon-Thurs
8am - 6pm
Fri
8am - 5:30pm
Sat
9am - 12pm

*To help maintain service and quality, some telephone calls may be recorded and monitored.

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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