Bereavement support

We know this is a difficult time, so we're here to guide you through the next steps.

Supporting you through difficult times

We know you must have a million and one things to think about at the moment, so we’re here to help make this process as straight forward as possible. If your loved one had an account or product with us, take a look at the options below to find out what to do next. You can find explanations of the terms used throughout this web page on page 4 of our Bereavement Guide [PDF]. 

If you are able to do so, please print and fill out this form to notify us of a death of a customer - Bereavement Notification & Information Request Form [PDF].

If you would like to make any changes to our service, whether it be a preference for how we communicate with you or receiving our letters in large print, please contact us.

Coping with the loss of a loved one is never going to be easy. And whilst we’re here to help you through this journey, Cruse Bereavement Support can provide help with any emotional needs for you and your loved ones. They can also provide information for financial help and any benefits you could be entitled to. Please visit Cruse Bereavement Support or call on 0808 808 1677.

There are also other organisations that you may find useful during this difficult time. Take a look at who they are and what they can help with in our useful websites list, which can be found at the bottom of this page.

What do I need to do first?

Register the death with the Government

You'll need to register the death with the  Register Office

Notify our Bereavement team

Call us on 0345 266 1209 between 9am-5pm Monday to Friday, or email us at skiptondirect-bereavementnotification@skipton.co.uk.

You can also write to us on the following address:

Bereavement team
Principal Office
The Bailey
Skipton
North Yorkshire
BD23 1DN

We'll get in touch

We will freeze outgoing payments from savings accounts and let you know what documents we need to see and how to send these to us.

We'll always need to see the original or certified copy of the death certificate or Coroner's interim certificate and dependent on your relationship to the deceased and the total balance in the account(s) with us, we may also need to see other documents such as:

  • Grant of Probate (UK)
  • Certificate of Confirmation (Scotland)
  • A letter of administration

Please see 'Registering the death with us' section of our Bereavement Guide [PDF] for full details of what is needed to register the death with us.

Skipton Trustees Limited Executor Services

If a loved one has appointed Skipton Trustees as an Executor in their Will, please note that these services are provided by abrdn Financial Planning and Advice Ltd.

You can contact abrdn on 0345 646 0256.

Help with accounts

What happens with savings depends on the types of account held, the amount of money in the sole accounts and if there's a Will.

Once we've been told about someone’s death, payments from savings accounts held only in their name are frozen. If it's a joint account, control automatically passes to the other account holder(s) once we’ve registered the death.

Disclosure of information

We may need to carry out some checks to prove your identity before we can disclose any account information. To do this we might be able to perform an electronic search, instead of requiring original documentation. We'd need your permission first though, so call us on 0345 266 1209 to find out more. These checks are not necessary if you are already a Skipton mortgage or savings customer.

If you are named as an executor of the estate in the Will, we can tell you the account balance(s) and interest owed up until the date of death. If there is no Will, this is what’s known as being 'intestate'. In this situation, we can only give information to certain people. First, we speak to the spouse or civil partner, or the solicitor who is acting 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.

So that we can release the information, we’ll need one of the following:

  • Original or certified death certificate.
  • Coroner’s interim certificate.
  • Death certificate verification form administered by a Solicitor.
  • A Grant of Representation (if already available) – this can include a Grant of Probate, Letters of Administration, or Certificate of Confirmation in Scotland.

You can send this document to us by post, along with written confirmation of how you’re related to the person who’s died. Please also provide your contact details so we can get in touch if we need more information.

For savings accounts that total less than £5,000 or for mortgage accounts, we may accept a scanned and emailed copy of the requested document to skiptondirect-bereavementnotification@skipton.co.uk if we can verify the death via other external sources.

Transfer of ISA allowance

If the person who died was your husband, wife, or civil partner, you can use the tax-free allowance they had in their ISAs. This is called an Additional Permitted Subscription (APS). For more information, please call us at 0345 266 1209 or visit our APS for ISAs page. Our Bereavement Team will be happy to help

 If you would like to make use of your APS and apply for a Legacy Cash ISA:

If there's a mortgage, it’s important to continue to make the monthly payments to avoid falling behind with payments and other potential complications. This is because the mortgage is classed as a debt of the estate. If managing the mortgage is going to be challenging, our Credit Management team can talk you through your options. You can call them on 0345 850 1766.

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.

If the person who’s died had investments through our financial advice service, we are here to help. We have a dedicated team who can register the death with the investment providers whom we also have an active relationship with and process these claims. They are also on hand to answer any questions or concerns you have.

Call our Financial Advice Probate team on 0800 085 0459 or email probateandlegalmailbox@skipton.co.uk.

If there’s a Will which was created through our Will service (provided by Skipton Trustees Limited and administered by Redstone Wills Limited), please call them directly on 0808 168 2560. It’s important to know that only the executor of the estate is entitled to receive the Will.

If the Will was created under the old service (provided by Irwin Mitchell), please contact us directly on 0345 266 1209.

If the person who’s died had a Skipton Funeral Plan provided by Dignity, you can call them on 0345 607 9711 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Frequently Asked Questions

General enquiries

Based at our head office in Skipton, our specially trained 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 what happens next. 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 these 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 of the estate (if there is a Will), or the next of kin (where there isn't a will).

Once we have registered the death, we'll provide account information to the named executor(s) of the estate or the solicitor acting on their behalf.

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 acting on behalf of the estate. If there's no surviving spouse, we might be able to deal with adult children or parents.

A Grant of Representation, also known as Grant of Probate (when there is a Will), letters of administration (when there isn't a Will) or certificate of confirmation (in Scotland), gives the personal representatives of the estate authority to distribute the assets of the estate. If the person who’s died had £50,000 or more with Skipton, the executor will need a Grant of Representation, which is issued by your local District Probate Office. If they had less than £50,000, we may be able to release the funds if you provide us with the relevant account closure forms dependent on the balance in the account(s) and your relationship to the deceased.

These documents have particular requirements, which you can find out more about further down, under the question: 'What documents do I need if the total held in savings accounts is less than £50,000?'. If you can't meet the requirements for any reason, even if the estate is less than £50,000, or you are obtaining Grant of Representation for any other part of the estate, you will need to provide the original or certified document to us in order for the account(s) to be closed.

If you want to apply for a Grant of Representation yourself:

If your application is successful, you will get the Grant of Representation and confirmation will be sent in the post.

Yes, if there is enough money in the account, we can release funds to pay towards funeral expenses once the death has been registered with us. We'll need the invoice from the funeral directors so we can issue an electronic payment or cheque, made payable to the funeral company.

Subject to the balance held with Skipton, we can also release any amount that's on an HMRC IHT423 form, even if this means closing the account. This is called 'withdrawal before probate' and you will need to complete the form below.

Withdrawal Before Probate form [PDF]

Please complete the form and drop it off at your nearest branch or post it to: 

Bereavement team
Principal Office
The Bailey
Skipton
North Yorkshire
BD23 1DN

What happens to savings accounts?

If the person who’s died had less than £50,000 with Skipton, we may be able to close the account(s) without a Grant of Representation or Letters of Administration (Certificate of Confirmation in Scotland). For us to do this, there must not be any other assets held elsewhere that require a Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration. If you need to get a Grant of Representation, Letters of Administration, or Certificate of Confirmation, we’ll need to see it regardless of the balance(s) in the account(s).

Balance of £5,000 or less

If the balance is £5,000 or less, we can accept an Account Closure up to £5,000 form. This form provides specific instructions for completion. Please note that if the Personal Representative is not a direct relative of the deceased customer, they will need to have a Statutory Declaration administered by a solicitor, commissioner of Oaths or Licensed Conveyancer. Please refer to the 'Terms explained' section of the Bereavement Guide [PDF] for the definition of 'direct relative'.

Account Closure up to £5,000 form [PDF]

Balance over £5,000 and below £50,000

If the balance is over £5,000 and below £50,000, we’ll accept the 'Account Closure (over £5,000 and below £50,000)' form. This form provides specific instructions for completion and includes a Statutory Declaration that needs to be administered by a solicitor, commissioner of Oaths or Licensed Conveyancer. This is only valid if the beneficiaries are the sole people entitled to the funds held with us.

Account Closure over £5,000 and below £50,000 form [PDF]

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.

If your loved one was in charge of a trust account, the type of trust will dictate what information we can provide to the Personal Representative. So we can help you in the best way, please provide us with any documentation you hold regarding the trust.

If you're the beneficiary, you can’t transfer accounts into your name, but in some circumstances, you may be able to close the accounts and transfer the money into a new account of your choosing. Membership rights of the person who’s died will not transfer to you – you’d become a Skipton member in your own right.

If the person who’s died had a cash ISA, the funds will remain in the ISA and will continue to earn tax-free interest until the first of the following occurs:

  • administration of the estate is complete

  • the ISA is closed

  • three years after the date of death.

If you’re the spouse or civil partner of the person who’s died, you can inherit the ISA allowance left behind by them. This is called an Additional Permitted Subscription (APS) scheme. You can find out more on our Addition Permitted Subscriptions page.

If the person who’s died had a Fixed Rate Bond account in their 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 the account open, it has to be left in their 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 settling inheritance tax, funeral or probate costs.

If the account is held in joint names, it automatically passes to the other account holder and it will stay in the bond until it reaches the end of its fixed term.

What happens to mortgages accounts?

It is important that the monthly payments are paid by the estate until the balance is repaid in full. This is to make sure the account does not fall into arrears.

If you have any concerns about making the monthly payments, please get in touch by:

• calling 0345 850 1766

• live web chat.

We understand you might be feeling worried at the thought of contacting us, but we are here to help you find a solution. We will always listen to you, treat you fairly and support you as much as we can.

If the mortgage was only in the name of the deceased, they are classified as the ‘sole borrower’. This means the mortgage is a debt of their estate and must be repaid in full, and we will not be able to make any changes to the mortgage.

Instead, the mortgage must be paid off in full by:

  • money from a life insurance policy
  • money from the estate or alternate funds with a verifiable source
  • selling the property
  • a new mortgage taken out in the name of a beneficiary*.

*If a beneficiary wants to take out a mortgage with us, they need to apply through our standard process and meet our lending requirements. Other mortgage providers have their own requirements, so the beneficiary may want to talk to an independent mortgage broker.

We cannot give you full information about the mortgage until we have seen a Grant of Representation. However, we can tell the personal representative the balance and monthly payment amount so they can arrange for the deceased person's estate to continue making the payments towards the mortgage while the application for the Grant of Representation is in progress.

If the mortgage is not repaid in full within twelve months, unless you have been in contact with us and are taking steps to repay the balance, we may be required to take further action to recover the money owed.

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 property owners with the Land Registry: joint beneficial tenants and tenants in common.

Skipton also offers a specific type of joint mortgage called Joint Borrower Sole Proprietor, or Income Booster. Not all of the borrowers will be registered with HM Land Registry as owners of the property so, if your loved one had a Joint Borrower Sole Proprietor mortgage, you will need to check who is registered as the owner with HM Land Registry.

If the property was shared with another person, but you are unsure of each person's share of the property, please get in touch to let us know. We will check the Land Registry for you and write  to you once the death is formally registered with us.

The share of the property owned by the deceased will normally go to the other joint tenant. If they were bankrupt, their share doesn’t pass to the other borrower - it will go to the trustee in bankruptcy. In either scenario, the deceased’s name will be removed from the mortgage.

You don’t need a Grant of Representation for this to happen – just the death certificate, which you should also register at the Land Registry to remove them from the property register.

We cannot update the Land Registry for you, so you may need help from a solicitor, licensed conveyancer or a legal executive. If you do not update the Land Registry, it could cause problems if you need to remortgage or sell the property.

The share of the property owned by the deceased will not automatically go to the other joint borrower(s). It will go according to the instructions they left in their Will. If there is no Will, the deceased's share of the property will be passed on according to the rules of intestacy.

You will need a Grant of Representation.

The deceased’s name will not be removed from the mortgage account, but we will instead change our records to state: ‘Personal Representatives (Name)’. The personal representatives of the estate may need to seek independent legal advice about updating the title document at the Land Registry.

Once this has been amended, we can consider removing the deceased’s name from the mortgage account.

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 either a Grant of Representation (if there was a Will), Letters of Administration (if there wasn't a Will) or Certificate of Confirmation (Scotland). We’ll then use the proceeds to reduce or repay the mortgage account.

It is very important to keep the property protected until the mortgage is paid off.

If the insurance policy is only in the name of the person who died, you need to change it to the names of the person(s) handling the estate to make sure the cover continues. You need to contact the insurance company directly to do this.

Remember, if the property is empty for more than 30 days, most buildings insurance will stop. You might need a Solicitor or a specialist broker to help you get insurance for empty properties.

Useful websites

Here are some useful websites which can offer support and services in relation to a bereavement.

The General Registry Office

Register a death in the UK. Visit gov.uk/register-a-death

0300 123 1837

Tell us once service

Report a death to most government organisations in one go. Visit gov.uk/after-a-death/organisations-you-need-to-contact-and-tell-us-once

0800 085 7308

The Bereavement Register

Stop unwanted direct mail to the deceased, by registering a death with the bereavement register. Visit thebereavementregister.org.uk

0207 089 6403

Cruse Bereavement Care

Help with understanding and coping with grief following the death of someone close. Visit cruse.org.uk

0808 808 1677

The Samaritans

A completely confidential service offering support for any type of emotional distress. Visit samaritans.org

116 123

Child Bereavement UK

Information, training and specialised support for when a child dies or a child is bereaved. Visit childbereavementuk.org

0800 028 8840

Age UK

Free help and advice from the UK’s largest charity dedicated to helping people make the most of later life. Visit ageuk.org.uk

0800 055 6205

National Association of Funeral Directors

Help with finding a registered funeral director in your area. Visit nafd.org.uk

0121 711 1343

The British Humanist Association

Help with arranging non-religious funerals and ceremonies. Visit humanism.org.uk/ceremonies

0207 324 3060

The Natural Death Centre

A charity offering support and guidance when planning a funeral.

01962 712 690

Government Probate Support

Guidance for applying for probate. Visit gov.uk/applying-for-probate

0300 303 0648

Scottish Courts Service

Principal Registry of Scotland. Visit scotcourts.gov.uk

0131 444 3300

Citizens Advice Bureau

Free legal advice and support. Visit citizensadvice.org.uk

Adviceline (England): 0800 144 8848
Advicelink (Wales): 0800 702 2020

NI Direct Government Services

Apply for Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration. Visit nidirect.gov.uk/articles/applying-probate

0300 123 1072

The Law Society

Find a solicitor. Visit lawsociety.org.uk/for-the-public/using-a-solicitor/find-a-solicitor

0207 242 1222

Credit Industry Fraud Avoidance System

UK’s leading fraud prevention service. Visit cifas.org.uk

0330 460 9601

Important Information

Skipton Estate & Trust Administration Service is provided by Skipton Trustees Limited, registered office: The Bailey, Skipton, North Yorkshire, BD23 1DN, registered in England no. 6258324, and administered by abrdn Financial Planning and Advice Ltd. abrdn Financial Planning and Advice Ltd is registered in England (01447544) at Bow Bells House, 1 Bread Street. London, EC4M 9HH and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. © 2021 abrdn, All rights reserved. Please note that Estate & Trust Administration is not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.