How to notify a bank after someone dies in the UK: documents, process and timescales

After a death, the bank needs to be notified before direct debits can be cancelled, accounts frozen and balances released. The process is similar across UK banks but the small-estates threshold, document requirements and turnaround times vary.

This guide sets out exactly how to notify a UK bank or building society of a death: what documents you need, how each major bank handles the process, what happens after notification, and what to do if things take longer than expected. It is a companion to our broader guide on what happens to a bank account when someone dies, which covers what changes inside the account once the bank knows. This guide focuses on the practical step of getting the bank told.

Before you contact the bank

Two things make the process smoother. Both happen before you pick up the phone or open a form.

Wait until you have the death certificate. Banks will usually accept the interim Certificate of the Fact of Death from the coroner if there is no full certificate yet, but the full certificate is the document most processes require. Before the certificate arrives, you can let the bank know a death has occurred but you cannot start the closure process.

Identify all the deceased's banks first. It saves work to make every bank notification in the same week, or even the same afternoon. Going piecemeal as you discover accounts means doing the same paperwork three times. Bank statements (paper or online), debit cards, building society passbooks and any standing instructions on file should give you the full list.

If you suspect there are dormant accounts you cannot find, the Dormant Bank Accounts Scheme operated through My Lost Account can search across major UK banks and building societies. The Pension Tracing Service does the same for old workplace and personal pensions.

What documents you need

Most UK banks ask for the same core documents:

• A certified copy of the death certificate. The bank may keep this on file or return it by post once the case is opened. Each certified copy costs £12.50 in England and Wales (£10 in Scotland, £8 in Northern Ireland), so order more than you expect to need at the time of registration.

• Identification for you (the executor or next of kin). Photo ID such as a passport or driving licence, plus a recent utility bill or bank statement showing your address. Some banks accept the proof of address through online verification.

• Proof of your authority to act. This is either the will (showing you are named as executor), Letters of Administration (if there is no will and you are administering the estate), or a Grant of Probate once it has been issued.

• Any documents the deceased had with the bank. Cards, cheque book, passbook, any statements you have to hand. These help the bank match the deceased to the accounts they hold.

For estates above the bank's small estates threshold, you will need a Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration before the bank can release the funds. The threshold varies by bank (see below). Below the threshold, the bank can usually release funds on production of a small estates form (sometimes called an Indemnity Form) signed by the executor.

How to notify each major UK bank

Every UK bank has a dedicated bereavement team, separate from general customer service. The bereavement team will be quicker, more knowledgeable about the documents you need and more empathetic. We have step-by-step guides for each major bank that link through to the bank's own bereavement page with the current contact details and document requirements.

Barclays

See our guide on how to notify Barclays of a bereavement. Barclays publishes its current small estates threshold on its own bereavement page, which determines when probate is required.

Lloyds Banking Group (Lloyds, Halifax, Bank of Scotland)

Each brand has its own page: Lloyds Bank, Halifax and Bank of Scotland. The underlying process is the same across the group, and the group will check across all three brands if you mention more than one.

NatWest Group (NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland)

See our guides on NatWest and RBS. NatWest can open an executor account for handling estate funds during administration, with a Grant of Representation.

HSBC UK and First Direct

See HSBC UK and First Direct. Joint accounts pass to the survivor on production of a death certificate.

Santander UK

See how to notify Santander. Santander, like most major banks, will pay funeral invoices directly from the deceased's account on production of a funeral director's invoice.

Nationwide Building Society

See how to notify Nationwide. The bereavement team will confirm next steps and document requirements within five working days.

Other banks and building societies

Most other UK banks operate the same broad model: a dedicated bereavement team, online notification form or phone line, and a small estates threshold typically between £15,000 and £30,000. We have guides for TSB, Metro Bank, the Co-operative Bank, Skipton, Leeds Building Society and others.

App-based banks (such as Monzo, Starling, Revolut and Chase) handle bereavement through their app or website. The processes are usually faster but require the executor to verify identity through the app or by uploading documents.

Using the Death Notification Service

Rather than contact each bank individually, you can use the Death Notification Service (DNS) to notify multiple member banks in one form. The DNS is free and operated by Equiniti in collaboration with UK Finance. As of April 2026, more than 40 financial firms are signed up, including most of the major high-street banks listed above.

The DNS does not close the accounts itself. It is a notification gateway. Once you submit the form, each member institution will contact you separately within 10 working days with their bereavement process and document requirements.

Our companion guide on the Death Notification Service explains exactly who is signed up, how the process works, and what the service does not cover. If most of the deceased's accounts are with DNS members, the service can save several hours of repeat conversations.

If some of the deceased's accounts are with non-DNS banks, you will need to contact those directly. There is no harm in doing both: use the DNS for the institutions it covers, and contact the others through their bereavement teams.

What happens after notification

Once the bank's bereavement team has confirmed the death:

Day one or two. The account is frozen. Direct debits and standing orders are cancelled. The debit card is deactivated. Online and mobile banking access is closed for everyone, including any third parties who had been using the account.

Within a week. The bank will write to you (or contact you through the agreed channel) confirming receipt of the notification and listing the documents they need. They will tell you the small estates threshold and whether probate will be required.

Within two to four weeks. If the estate is below the threshold and you have submitted the required documents and the small estates indemnity form, the bank will release the balance. Funds are usually transferred to the executor's nominated account.

Within four to twelve weeks. If probate is required, the bank waits until you submit the Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration before releasing funds. The Probate Service currently takes around 8-16 weeks to issue the grant in straightforward cases.

Joint accounts move faster. The surviving holder usually retains access throughout, and the bank simply removes the deceased's name on production of a death certificate.

What to ask the bank during notification

A few practical questions are worth asking on the first call. They save follow-ups and clarify the timeline:

• What is your small estates threshold? This determines whether probate is needed.

• Will you pay the funeral director directly from the account? Most banks will, on production of a funeral invoice. This is useful when the family cannot fund the funeral up front.

• Will you pay HMRC directly for inheritance tax? Most banks will, on production of HMRC's reference. This avoids the executor having to fund inheritance tax personally.

• Can you provide a final statement at the date of death? This is needed for the inheritance tax return, even if the estate is below the threshold.

• What is the position on direct debits taken in the last 30 days? Some can be reclaimed under the Direct Debit Guarantee.

• Do you have any other accounts in this name? The bank can check across all their products and may find dormant savings or investment accounts you did not know about.

Special situations

Joint accounts

The surviving joint holder retains access. The bank removes the deceased's name on production of a death certificate. No probate is needed for the account itself, even if probate is needed elsewhere in the estate.

If the joint account was held as "tenants in common" rather than the standard "joint tenants" arrangement, the deceased's share forms part of their estate rather than passing automatically to the survivor. This is rare for current accounts but slightly more common for some savings and investment accounts.

Accounts held by power of attorney

A Lasting Power of Attorney ends when the person dies. The attorney can no longer operate the account. The same documentation applies: death certificate, executor authority, and either a small estates form or probate.

Accounts held in trust

Trust accounts are dealt with according to the trust deed, not the will. The trustees take responsibility, not the executor. Provide the bank with a copy of the trust deed and the death certificate.

Business accounts and sole traders

If the deceased was a sole trader, their business account is part of their estate and is dealt with the same way as a personal account, though there may be additional steps for outstanding invoices, VAT and PAYE.

If the deceased was a director or shareholder of a limited company, the company itself is unaffected by the personal death (the company is a separate legal entity), but the deceased's shareholding forms part of the estate. The company's bank account is not affected.

Estate insolvent

If debts exceed assets, the estate is insolvent. The executor should not pay any individual creditor in full while there are unpaid debts to others. There is a strict order of priority for paying an insolvent estate, and the executor can become personally liable for distributing incorrectly. Take advice from a solicitor if you suspect insolvency.

Foreign accounts

UK probate does not cover accounts held overseas. Each country has its own process. Some countries require their own grant of probate (called by various names: a "grant of resealing" in Australia, a "succession" in France, "Apostille" certification in many EU countries). This is one of the longer parts of estate administration.

Common questions

Do I need a death certificate to notify the bank? Yes, in most cases. Some banks will accept the interim Certificate of the Fact of Death from the coroner as a temporary substitute, particularly for the initial notification. The full death certificate is needed for closure or transfer.

Can I take money out of the account before notifying the bank? No. Using a deceased person's bank card or withdrawing money from their account after the date of death is illegal regardless of intent.

How long can I keep the account open? Until the estate is fully administered. Most banks accept that this can take six to twelve months. Some will open an "executor account" for handling estate funds during administration.

Will the bank tell me if there are debts on the account? The bank will tell you the balance and any overdraft position. They will not tell you about debts to other lenders unless those debts are with the same bank.

Does notifying the bank trigger probate? No. Probate is a separate process you apply for through the Probate Service at gov.uk. The bank's small estates threshold determines whether probate is needed for that specific account.

What happens to direct debits after the bank is notified? They are cancelled. Any direct debit taken in the days before notification can usually be reclaimed under the Direct Debit Guarantee. Our guide on what happens to direct debits and standing orders when someone dies covers this in more detail.

Will the bank notify other organisations? No. Each bank only handles its own products. Insurers, utilities, mobile providers and other organisations need to be notified separately.

What about the deceased's pension account or investment account? These are usually separate from the current account, even if held with the same bank. Contact the relevant team for each product. Investment accounts in particular can take longer because they involve a custodian and the underlying funds.

How Legacy Trail can help

Notifying banks is one of the most repetitive parts of bereavement administration. We handle bank, insurer, utility, pension, mobile and subscription notifications in one place, using the Death Notification Service for member institutions and contacting non-members directly.

If you want to handle the rest of it without contacting every organisation individually, Legacy Trail can do the private sector work in one place. We find the accounts, notify the providers, and confirm closures back to you. The visible part of bereavement admin is hard enough. The hidden part does not have to be.

legacytrail.co.uk