Log in to Personal Banking Skip to content
  1. Home
  2. What to do when someone dies

What to do when someone dies

There are a few key steps in settling an estate after someone passes away: the first being to obtain the death certificate and register the death.

Once you’ve completed these steps you can then notify the bank.

  1. Obtain a death certificate

    You will be given a death certificate to confirm the death from a GP or hospital doctor/administrator.

    You can also order a copy of the certificate through gov.uk.

  2. Register the death

    Once you have obtained a death certificate, you will have five working days to register the death. However, in some cases, the coroner may report the death on your behalf.

    • If the individual passed away in Scotland, then you will have eight working days to complete the registration.
    • If the customer died outside the UK, then you will need to contact the British Consulate within the country that they died. Their death will then be registered within that country.

    How to register the death

    You can register a death online. If you want more information before you begin this process, you can learn about who can register the death or what documents you’ll need on the government website.

What to do next

Notify the bank

You should notify the deceased’s bank to inform them of the customer’s death. This will prevent any payments, like direct debits and standing orders, from leaving the account.

Learn more about notifying the bank

Contact us

If you'd like more help & information, you can:

Chat to us via live chat