Bereavement Support

We want to make things as straightforward as possible for you at this difficult time. Our practical online guide is here to help you through some of the important steps you need to take when a loved one dies.

Please note that we can't offer any advice about dealing with tax liabilities of the estate. If you're the administrator/representative of the estate, you may want to seek independent advice.

Dealing with a Leeds Permanent Building Society account? You need to contact Halifax to register a bereavement

The Death Notification Service

The Death Notification Service is an external online service that allows you to notify us when someone dies.

By using this free service, you can let us know about any accounts held with us – as well as those with any other banks or building societies. So you can do everything in one place.

It’s quick and easy. You don’t need a death certificate to notify us, but you may need one at a later date. When you’re ready, so are we.

UK Finance has informed us there's an increase in scams that target estate executors and grieving family members. These involve asking for fake invoices and bills to be paid. Please make sure you check the validity of any payment you are asked to make when administering the estate. Follow this guidance to learn how you can protect yourself against potential scams.

Helpful information

How soon do you need to register the death?

There are different rules around registering a death depending on where you live. If you're in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, you need to register a death within five days. If you live in Scotland, you have eight days.

How do you register a death?

To register a death, you need to contact your local Registration Office. This government website has information on how to do that and which documents you'll need.

Requesting a death certificate

Once you've registered the death, it may take a few days for the death certificate to arrive. You'll usually receive one death certificate for free but it's handy to have extras for other organisations you may need to notify.

You can either pay for extra copies at the registration office or make your own copies.

To help as much as we can, we'll accept electronic copies wherever possible. You can send copies to customercarecontactcentre@leedsbuildingsociety.co.uk

To avoid extra waiting time, please notify us of a death using our online service instead of over the phone. If you need to speak to someone, then call or visit us in branch.

If you need to pay inheritance tax, probate fees or any funeral expenses from their accounts, we can arrange this for you.

Finding a will

It's important to find the last known Will of the person who’s died as soon as possible. This is because it should name the people who are responsible for carrying out their final wishes. These people are called ‘executors’. The executors take care of the belongings of the deceased according to the instructions in their Will. That could be property, money or possessions and is referred to as the deceased’s ‘estate’.

What if there isn't a Will?

If there's no Will, then this is what’s known as ‘intestacy’. If you're the next of kin, you may need to apply for a grant of representation to sort out the estate. Should this be the case, please contact us for guidance.
You can find out what you need to do according to the value of the Will in the next step of this guide, ‘Once the death is registered’

Need help locating a Will?

If you're unable to find a Will, then there's a government website that allows you to search the records for any Will which might have been registered.

Once you've registered the death with us, we’ll let you know what your next steps are and send the necessary forms. If you want to see what the forms look like before we send them to you – or need an extra copy – you'll find links in the table below.

As you can see, the table explains which forms you need according to the value of the estate and whether or not there's a Will.

If you already know the account information needed to complete the necessary forms (including balances of the accounts) please feel free to print them off and fill them in.

Total balance held with us
With a Will
Without a Will
Value of the estate

Between £0.01 and £49,999.99

With a Will

You'll need to complete an Account Closure Form and return with an original or certified copy of the will and ID for the first named Personal Representative.

Without a Will

You'll need to complete an Account Closure Form and return with ID for the first named Personal Representative.

Value of the estate

Over £50,000

With a Will

You'll need to complete an Account Closure Form and return with an original or certified copy of Probate and ID for each Executor.

Without a Will

You'll need to complete an Account Closure Form and return with an original or certified copy of Probate and ID for each Executor.

Contact us

You can contact us by phone or in branch but you can speed up the process by using the external online The Death Notification Service.

  • 03452 682 642
  • Visit your local branch

    If you would like to speak to someone please make an appointment in your local branch. Find your local branch.

Useful links