HELP WITH BEREAVEMENT

If you are the Next of Kin or Personal Representative of the deceased’s Estate, we will need proof of identity from you. This is so that we know who we are writing to and that you are entitled to account details. If you have an account with us, we will only need your account number.

Proof of Identity

• Valid passport
• EU National Identity Card (photographic)
• Valid UK Photo card Full/Provisional Driving Licence
• Electoral ID Card (NI only)
• Translink Smart and Senior Smart cards for customers over 60 (NI only)

Proof of address

• Utility Bill, other than a mobile phone bill, dated within the last 6 months
• Bank/Building Society/Credit Union/Credit Card/Post Office Accounts Statement dated within the last 6 months
• Local Authority correspondence
• Valid UK Photo card Full/Provisional Driving Licence (may only be used for either proof of identity or proof of address, not both)

We will need a certified copy of the Death Certificate, a certified extract of the Will (if available) naming the Executors and we may need a copy of the Grant of Probate. If there is no valid Will or Executors have not been named in the Will, we will need a certified copy of the Letters of Administration.

We don’t need you to send us your original documents. Certified copies of your original documents can be obtained from one of the following*:

• Bank or Building Society official
• FCA registered broker/introducer
• Justice of the Peace or Commissioner of Oaths / Notary Public
• Accountant, Solicitor or Barrister

You might be charged a fee depending on who you ask to certify your documents.

*There may be circumstances where we request additional documentation.

Here are some checklists for what we need from you:

Releasing funds to pay the Funeral Director

• A certified copy of the Death Certificate
• Proof of the Executor, Administrator or Next of Kin’s identity (where required)
• The Funeral Director’s invoice
• Our ‘Payment Authorisation’ form signed by the Executor(s), Administrator(s) or Next of Kin

Releasing funds for other expenses relating to the funeral

You can also pay for other funeral expenses like, refreshments, flowers or memorial cards, from the account of the person who has died.

We need the following documents from the Executor(s) or Next of Kin:

• A certified copy of the Death Certificate
• A certified extract of the Will naming the Executor(s) or, if there is no Will, a letter naming the Next of Kin
• Proof of the Executor, Administrator or Next of Kin’s identity (where required)
• Our ‘Indemnity form for other funeral related invoices’, signed by the Executor(s) (if there is a valid Will) or by Next of Kin (if there is no Will).

Settlement of accounts if the total value of accounts is less than £30,000

• A certified copy of the Death Certificate
• A certified extract of the Will naming the Executor(s) or, if there is no will, a letter naming the Next of Kin
• Proof of the Executor, Administrator or Next of Kin’s identity (where required)
• Our ‘Indemnity on payment of monies from deceased customer’s account’ form, signed by the Executor(s) (if there is a valid Will) or by Next of Kin (if there is no Will)
• Our ‘Payment Authorisation’ form signed by the Executor(s) (if there is a valid Will) or by Next of Kin (if there is no Will).

Settlement of accounts if the total value of accounts is more than £30,000

• A certified copy of the Death Certificate
• Proof of the Executor, Administrator or Next of Kin’s identity (where required)
• A certified copy of the Grant of Probate (if there is a valid Will) or Letters of Administration (if there is no Will)
• Our ‘Payment Authorisation’ form signed by the Executor(s) (if there is a valid Will) or by the Administrator(s) (if there is no Will).

There may be circumstances where we request additional documentation. 

We've put together these useful links to help you find the support you need when dealing with bereavement:

General Register Office for England and Wales

Probate & Matrimonial Office

National Association of Funeral Directors

Citizens Advice Bureau

Money Advice Service

StepChange Debt Charity

National Debtline

Debt Advice Foundation

Department Of Work and Pensions

HM Revenue & Customs

Citizens Advice
England or Wales go to www.citizensadvice.org.uk
Telephone 0344 411 1444 (England)
Telephone 0344 477 2020 (Wales)

National network of advice centres offering free, confidential, independent advice, face to face or by telephone.

Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre
www.gov.uk/guidance/joint-casualty-and-compassionate-centre-jccc
Telephone 01452 519951

For registration and adminstration of Military casualities, including estate support.

Land registry
www.gov.uk/government/organsiations/land-registry

Registers the ownership of land and property in England and Wales and has a search function for owners of properly or land.

Law Society
http://solicitors.lawsociety.org.uk/
Telephone 020 7320 5650

For details of solicitors in your area.

National Will Register (Certainty)
www.nationalwillregister.co.uk/default.aspx
Telephone 0330 100 3660

Register of wills

Probate and Inheritance Tax Helpline
www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-revenue-customs/contact/probate-and-inheritance-tax-enquries
Telephone 0300 123 1072

Helpline that can answer questions on applying for probate and payment of Inheritance Tax and to order the relevant forms.

Probate Registry
www.gov.uk/find-persons-will
Telephone 020 7421 8500 or 020 7421 8509

Public Trustee
www.gov.uk/pubic-trustee-executor-will
Telephone 020 3681 2759

Government official who can be an executor if there is no-one suitable to appoint.

Solicitors for the Elderly
www.sfe.legal/
Telephone 0844 567 6173

To find a solicitor specialising in wills and probate.

Treasury Solicitor
www.gov.uk/government/organisations/bona-vacantia
Telephone 020 7210 4700

For information on bona vacantia estates.

Administrator - A person(s) appointed by the Probate Office of the High Court to handle the Estate of a person who has died intestate.

Beneficiary - A person named in the Will  to receive  property or other assets gifted by the deceased person.

Certificate of Balance - A list of accounts including account balances the deceased person had.

Certified Copy - Certified copies are copies of original documents (like Passports or Death Certificates) which have been branded “original sighted” and signed by an authorised official. 

Death Certificate - An official document issued by a medical practitioner certifying the death of a person.  The document states the date, place and cause of death.

Deceased Estate - The property and assets belonging to a person who has died is called their Estate.

Executor - A person(s) named in a Will instructed to carry out the wishes of the deceased.

Grant of Probate - This confirms that the Will is valid and confirms the Executor as the representative of the person’s Estate. It is applied for through the Probate Office of the High Court.

Inheritance Tax - Inheritance Tax is a duty imposed on the assets inherited from a deceased person where the Estate is valued at more than £325,000.  You can find out more at gov.uk/inheritance-tax

Intestate - A person dies ‘Intestate’ if they do not leave a valid Will. In this case, an application needs to be made to the Probate Office of the High Court for Letters of Administration.

Letters of Administration - An official Order issued from the Probate Office of the High Court appointing an Administrator of a deceased person’s Estate where no valid Will exists.

Next of Kin - A person’s closest living relative or relatives.

Personal Representative - This is either an Administrator or Executor.

Will - A Will is a legal document setting out how a person wants their Estate to be distributed after their death. It names the person or people they want as Executor(s) to carry out their wishes.