Support with Bereavement

Coping with the loss of a loved one can be overwhelming and exhausting. We want to make things as easy as possible for you through this difficult time.

What you need to do.

  1. Register the death at a registration office. There are registration offices in towns and cities across the UK. Deaths need to be registered within eight days. You will be given a death certificate - it may be worth getting a few certified copies as various institutions will need copies while you sort out the deceased’s affairs.

The registrar will also explain the free Tell Us Once service that the Government offer.

For more information visit the Government website:  What to do when someone dies: step by step

  1. Let us know as soon as possible so that we can take appropriate action with the accounts the deceased had with us.

Our Savings and Mortgage Member Services are here to help you. You can contact us by phone on 01535 650 770 or email us at:

  1. When you contact us, we will ask for the details of the personal representative, executor, administrator and/or solicitor who is dealing with the death. We will need:
  • their name
  • their address
  • their contact details
  • what capacity they are dealing with the deceased’s estate
  • two pieces of identification (Please refer to the identification section below).

If a solicitor is acting for the estate, we will also ask for:

  • the company they work for
  • their job title
  • their address and contact details.
  1. The documents that we will need are:

Documents for the personal representative, executor or administrator:

The easiest way to prove identification is by allowing us to run an electronic identity search.  You can give us permission using this form.

Alternatively, you can send two forms of identification. The documents that we accept are listed here: Savings accounts ID requirements

Documents relating to the deceased:

    • A death certificate or an original Coroner’s interim certificate
    • If it is for a savings account one of the following, depending on the deceased’s personal circumstances:
  • Combined savings balances held with Ecology are above £15,000
      • Grant of representation
      • Grant of Probate (UK
      • Certificate of confirmation (Scotland)
      • A letter of administration
  • Combined savings balances held with Ecology are under £15,000
      • We will provide a statutory declaration to be completed by a solicitor

If you prefer you can supply solicitor certified copies of any of the above documents.

  1. You may need some or all of the money that is saved at Ecology for the funeral expenses or to pay Inheritance Tax. If you do, we will need an invoice from the funeral directors and we will pay the money directly to them. If the money is needed for an inheritance tax bill we will need a completed HMRC form IHT423.
  2. Depending on the type of account(s) the deceased had with us, the following will happen:

Accounts that are in single names:

Once we have received the death certificate the account will be frozen with no further payments in or out. We will then send the personal representative, executor or administrator the information and forms for closing the account. The forms will need to be signed by all the executors.

Accounts that are in joint names:

Control will automatically pass to the other account holder once we have received the death certificate.

If you decide you want to close the account you can do this once it is in your name.

Mortgage accounts: A mortgage is classed as a debt of the estate and you must continue to make the monthly payments on the account so that it doesn’t fall into arrears. If this is going to be difficult please call our Mortgage Member Services Team on 01535 650 770 or email them at [email protected]  and they will look at possible options for you.

For further information about specific savings accounts (including ISAs) there are further FAQs at the bottom of this page.  If you still have unanswered questions or are unsure about something, please contact our Member Services Team and they will help you.

Jargon buster

Dealing with a death can be complicated, particularly as there are so many different terms that are used. To help you navigate this jargon, we have put together some definitions to help you:

  • Administrator – A person responsible for handling the estate of someone who died without a will. This is usually the main beneficiary and is determined by legal rules.
  • Beneficiary – Someone who receives an inheritance. If there’s a will, the beneficiaries are chosen by the deceased. Without a will, the rules of intestacy decide.
  • Estate – Everything a person owned when they died, such as property, money, savings, investments, vehicles, and personal belongings.
  • Estate Administration – The process of managing a deceased person’s estate. This includes valuing the estate, paying debts and taxes, closing accounts, and distributing assets to beneficiaries.
  • Executor – A person named in a will to manage the deceased’s estate. They go through probate and handle estate administration. Executors can choose to step down.
  • Grant of Letters of Administration – A legal document that allows an administrator to manage the estate when there is no will.
  • Grant of Probate – A legal document that allows an executor to manage the estate when there is a will.
  • Grant of Representation – A term covering both the Grant of Probate and the Grant of Letters of Administration.
  • Intestate – When someone dies without a valid will, their estate is distributed according to the Rules of Intestacy.
  • Personal representative – A term for both executors and administrators.
  • Probate – A legal process to get permission to manage a deceased person’s Estate. Executors or Administrators apply for this, depending on whether there’s a Will. It’s not always needed and depends on the Estate’s value and assets.
  • Probate Registry – A court service that processes applications for a Grant of Representation.
  • Renunciation – When an executor formally steps down from their role.
  • Rules of Intestacy – Laws that determine who inherits when someone dies without a will, prioritising next of kin.
  • Small Estate – An estate valued below the probate threshold. In this case, probate might not be needed.

FAQs on Savings Accounts of Deceased Members

What if I’m not ready to speak to someone yet?

Losing someone close to you is very difficult and there is a lot to do to sort out their affairs. It is important to do things only when you are ready and not feel pressurised to get everything done immediately. 

If you have recently lost someone close to you and they had accounts with us, but you don’t feel ready to speak to anyone yet, please use this form to let us know the details. We can then put a stop on any letters, email or texts and put a freeze on the account.  

To fill out the form: 

  • You must be the next of kin, executor or administrator of the estate  
  • You must know the account details of the person who has died 

Once you are ready to formally notify us of the members death, please send the customer’s death certificate with our permission for us to run an electronic identity search.  You can give us permission using this form.

Alternatively, you can send two forms of identification. The documents that we accept are listed here: Savings accounts ID requirements  

We will then be in touch with the next steps 

What if I find an account after the estate has been sorted out?

Let us know and we will advise what documentation we need. You can then advise who you want the funds to be paid to.

What happens once I’ve told Ecology about the death?

We will make the process as easy as possible for you. Once you have told us of the death, we will freeze the account. This means there will be no payments in or withdrawals out of the account (although interest will still be earnt). We’ll let you know what documents we need and aim to sort everything out as quickly as possible. We will tell you how long we expect the process to take, what to expect and when, and what you will need for the next steps.

What is a Spousal ISA (Additional Permitted Subscription)?

If the deceased is your spouse or civil partner you can inherit an additional ISA allowance under the Additional Permitted Subscription (APS) allowance. The APS doesn’t count towards any current year ISA subscriptions that you have.

The APS has to be done within three years of the date of the death or 180 days after the administration of the estate is complete (if this is later). Please note, we currently cannot accept Additional Permitted Subscriptions into an Ecology ISA account.

What happens if the deceased had an ISA?

An ISA stays tax free until:

• The deceased’s estate is completed
• The account is closed
• The third anniversary of the account holder’s death

What if I need the money from the savings account for the funeral expenses?

We can withdraw money from the account to pay for funeral expenses and Inheritance Tax. We will need an invoice from the funeral directors to pay for the funeral costs. The payment will be made directly to them.
If you need to pay an Inheritance Tax bill, we will need a completed HMRC form IHT423.

How long will the process take?

Once we have received all the required documents, it usually takes 14 days to get all the paperwork completed to close the account. We would aim to release the payment for the funds to a UK bank account within 14 days.

What is a statutory declaration?

A statutory declaration must be signed in front of a solicitor and confirms that you are entitled to the funds. It usually costs in the region of £10 – £20. Any solicitor can complete this for you.

Does it matter how much money the deceased had saved with Ecology Building Society?

If the combined savings balances held with Ecology are above £15,000, we will also need either:

• The original grant of probate, or solicitor certified copy;

or

• The original letters of administration, or a solicitor certified copy

If the combined balances are below £15,000, then you need to follow the standard process for closing an account. We will provide you with a statutory declaration to sign.

 

Can I keep a joint account open if the other holder is deceased?

Joint Accounts

If the account is in joint names with you, you can still use the account but need to send us a copy of the original or certified death certificate.

Once we have the death certificate we will update our records and remove the deceased’s name from the account.

Once the account is in your name only, you can close it if you want to.