Bereavement Guide
Helping you through
a difficult time
What to do if your
loved one dies
We realise the amount of things to
sort out can feel overwhelming when
someone close to you dies. So we
have a specialist team to support you
through this difficult time.
Our Bereavement team
is here for you
Based at our head office in Skipton,
the Bereavement team are on hand to
guide you through what you need to
do and will deal with things quickly.
The first person you speak to in our
Bereavement team will become your
personal contact, so you’ll only need
to go through the details once.
If our Bereavement team can help
you, please call 0345 266 1209.
They’ll need to ask a few security
questions when you call, but will
make it as easy as possible for you.
Call in
branch
Talk to us today
How to register a death with us
If you need to let us know that your
loved one has passed away, just
show us one of the following:
• The original death certificate or
an official copy (from your local
Register Office)
• A death certificate verification form
(from your solicitor)
• A coroner’s interim certificate
(if the cause of death hasn’t
been determined)
You can either take it into your local
branch or send to: The Bereavement
Team, Customer Delivery, Skipton
Building Society, The Bailey, Skipton,
North Yorkshire, BD23 1DN.
0345 266 1209
Visit
skipton.co.uk
Getting information
about your loved
one’s accounts
Because of data protection laws, we
might need to do a few identity checks
before we’re allowed to give you
account information.
Saving Accounts
If you’re named as an executor in the
will, or you’re the legal next of kin, we
can tell you the account balance(s) and
interest due up to the date of death.
You’ll just need to show us the last will
or prove you’re the legal next of kin first.
If you can’t do this, you might need to
appoint a professional representative
such as a solicitor to help you. If you’re
unsure, please get in touch and we’ll go
through everything with you.
Things you need to know
Once we’ve been told about a death,
even if it’s not yet officially registered
with us, payments out of a savings
account are frozen.
Once the death is registered with us,
and we’ve done the necessary checks
to make sure we’re dealing with the right
people, we’ll send all correspondence
to the personal representative or people
dealing with the administration of the
estate on their behalf.
If an account’s held in joint names,
it automatically passes to the other
account holder (in accordance with
our Investment Account Terms and
Conditions). If you’re not the other
account holder, you’ll just need to let us
know why you need information about
the account. Then we can check what
information we’re able to give you, if any.
If your loved one was a trustee on an
account, we’re not able to release
information about it because trust
accounts don’t form part of their estate.
If there are other trustees, we’ll get in
touch with them.
If your loved one had an ISA, under
HMRC rules it will be credited with gross
interest (without tax deducted) up to the
Call in
branch
Talk to us today
date of death. The account will then be
transferred to an Estate Management
account and interest earned will be
taxable at the relevant rate.
Under the Additional Permitted
Subscription (APS) scheme you can
transfer your spouse or civil partner’s
ISA allowance to you if they pass away.
If you’d like to know more about this,
just call us on 0345 266 1209.
Bonds
You can close a fixed rate bond early
and be paid the accrued interest. Or if
you prefer, you can leave it open until it
matures.
You can also close Guaranteed Double
Asset Bonds (GDAB) or Growth Bonds
early or leave them until they mature.
But if you close a GDAB or Growth
Bond before the maturity date, you’ll
only get the money back that was
originally paid in.
If you decide to keep a bond open, the
account has to be left in your loved
one’s name and you won’t be able
to withdraw any money from it until it
matures. If you’d like to check the terms
and conditions of the bond, just let
us know.
0345 266 1209
Visit
skipton.co.uk
Withdrawing money
from a savings account
If you think you’re entitled to money
held in Skipton savings accounts,
but don’t have a grant of probate
(a legal document obtained by
personal representatives), we may
still be able to help. As long as
the total saved in the account or
accounts is less than £15,000.
We just need certain documents from
you (please see the table opposite for
details). Then we can assess whether
you’re able to withdraw the money
without a grant of probate.
If you’re at all unsure, please call us
on 0345 266 1209 or visit your local
branch – we’re always happy to help.
Total Balance of
Skipton Account(s):
What we need
If you’re the spouse, partner, child or parent:
£1,000 or less
• Our Letter Of Indemnity form for estates totalling £1,000 or less.
If you’re someone else:
• Our Statutory Declaration form witnessed by a solicitor or
commissioner for oaths.
£1,000 - £5,000
• Our Statutory Declaration form witnessed by a solicitor or
commissioner for oaths.
If you’re the spouse, partner, child or parent:
£5,001 - £15,000
• Our Statutory Declaration form witnessed by a solicitor or
commissioner for oaths.
• Our Letter Of Indemnity form for estates totalling £5,000 - £15,000.
If you’re someone else, ONE of the following, as appropriate:
• The grant of probate.
• Letters of administration.
• Certificate of confirmation (in Scotland).
ONE of the following, as appropriate:
Above £15,000
• The grant of probate.
• Letters of administration.
• Certificate of confirmation (in Scotland).
And our registrations – closure or transfer form.
Withdrawal before probate
(Available only for funeral
costs, probate fees or
inheritance tax)
• Our Withdrawal Before Probate form.
• Original invoice or formal calculation.
Please note, if you have a grant of
probate or letters of administration
(or you need to apply for one), we
need to see it, regardless of the
amount you’d like to withdraw.
Unless you’re an existing customer,
you’ll need to provide suitable
Call in
branch
Talk to us today
identification before we can release
any funds.
If you need any of the documents
mentioned in the table above or
you’re unsure what you need to do
next, please call us on 0345 266 1209
or visit your local branch.
0345 266 1209
Visit
skipton.co.uk
What happens
with mortgages
If your loved one had a mortgage,
it’s really important to carry on
making the monthly repayments,
if possible, so the account doesn’t
fall into arrears.
If making payments is difficult, please
contact our Credit Management team
on 0345 850 1766 to talk through the
options open to you.
You also need to make sure any
buildings insurance is kept in place.
Once we’ve registered the death, we
can help you with the next steps.
Sole borrowers
If the mortgage was only in your
loved one’s name, they’re known
as a 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 or the estate, or from selling
the property.
Before we can give you full
information about the mortgage,
we need to see the original grant of
probate, letters of administration or
certificate of confirmation
(in Scotland).
We can, however, let you know the
mortgage balance and monthly
payment amount so you can seek
a grant of probate and 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,
a coroner’s interim certificate or a
death certificate verification form
from your solicitor. You may also
need to provide some identification
before we can release any of
this information.
We can’t transfer the mortgage to
anyone else, unfortunately. If it’s
appropriate, you or someone else
can apply for a new mortgage for
the property, but we’re unable to
guarantee that we can accept the
application. You, or any other new
borrower, would need to go through
a full application process so we
can check that we’re able to offer
a mortgage.
Joint borrowers
If the mortgage was in your loved
one’s name and one or more other
people, they are known as a joint
borrower. There are two types of joint
borrowers, and what happens to the
property differs for each.
Here’s what you need to know:
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 can register at the
land registry.
Tenants in common
Their share of the property won’t be
transferred to other joint borrowers.
What happens to it will follow the
instructions in their will or the rules
of intestacy. If this is the case,
you’ll need a grant to deal with
the property.
If you’re unsure what type of joint
mortgage your loved one had, just
ask. We’ll explain everything to you.
Life assurance
If your loved one had life assurance
policies, you’ll need to get in touch
with the policy provider to make
a claim. If the policy is linked to a
Skipton mortgage, we’ll deal with
Call in
branch
Talk to us today
the claim once you have a grant of
probate. We’ll then use the
proceeds to reduce or repay the
mortgage account.
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, we’ll let you
know what the next steps are.
Buildings insurance
It’s really important you make sure
the property’s protected until the
mortgage is repaid. If the policy is
in your loved one’s 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.
0345 266 1209
Visit
skipton.co.uk
Frequently
asked
questions
Can I transfer their
accounts into my name if
I’m a beneficiary?
No, this isn’t possible and their
membership rights don’t transfer.
But you can close the accounts
and transfer the money into a new
account that you choose. You’ll then
become a member in your own right
when your new account opens.
Is it possible to leave a bond
until it matures?
Yes, you can. You won’t be able to
add or withdraw money, though,
and you must leave it in your loved
one’s name.
My loved one was a taxpayer.
Why haven’t you deducted
any tax from the interest on
their savings?
On 6 April 2016, the Government
introduced the Personal Savings
Allowance. This means we now
pay all savings interest gross. This
doesn’t mean no tax is payable,
however; any tax due depends on
individual circumstances.
There is inheritance tax and/
or a funeral bill to pay. Do you
release funds for this?
Yes. It’s called withdrawal before
probate. We’ll allow the personal
representative, or a solicitor or trust
company acting on their behalf, to
withdraw funds to pay for funeral
bills, inheritance tax and/or
probate fees.
We’ll just need to see the following
before we can release the funds:
We realise it’s not always
straightforward and want to make
the process as easy as possible
for you. So please get in touch with
our Bereavement team on 0345 266
1209 or call into your local branch.
We’ll be more than happy to talk
everything through with you. Here’s
a list of useful contacts, which you
may also find useful:
HMRC:
0300 200 3300
www.hmrc.gov.uk
1.The inheritance tax calculation
and/or funeral bill and/or probate
fee calculation.
www.citizensadvice.org.uk
2. A withdrawal before probate form.
You can get one by calling our
Bereavement team or from your
local branch.
www.gov.uk/after-a-death/
organisations-you-need-to-contactand-tell-us-once
3.The original death certificate or a
death certificate verification form
(from a solicitor).
We can only make cheques out
to HM Revenue and Customs
and/or the funeral directors and/or
HM Paymaster General.
Citizens Advice Bureau:
Tell Us Once Service:
Cruse Bereavement Care:
0800 731 4044
www.crusebereavementcare.org.uk
Bereavement Advice Centre:
0800 634 9494
www.bereavementadvice.org
Direct Gov:
www.gov.uk
Call in
branch
Talk to us today
0345 266 1209
Visit
skipton.co.uk
For today.
For tomorrow.
For life ahead.
Call in
branch
Talk to us today
0345 266 1209
Visit
skipton.co.uk
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. Stock Code: 11-0322_307784_10/06/16