Loss of a loved one
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 really quick and easy and you don’t need a death certificate. 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 and get them certified.
Due to COVID-19, we understand it might be difficult to get hold of additional copies of the death certificate. To help as much as we can, we'll accept electronic copies wherever possible.
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.
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.
Below £1,500.00
Please complete the Will Indemnity Form and return it to us with a copy of the Will.
Please complete the Intestacy Indemnity Form and return it to us.
Between £1,500 and £39,999.99
Please complete the Will Indemnity Form with a solicitor who will help and be required to sign the form and return it to us with a copy of the will.
Please complete the Intestacy Indemnity Form with a solicitor who will help and be required to sign the form and return it to us.
Over £40,000
You need Probate or Letters of Administration. If you need help with this, please call us or visit us in branch. You can also talk to your solicitor about it.
You need Probate or Letters of Administration. If you need help with this, please call us or visit us in branch. You can also talk to your solicitor about it.
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.
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03450 50 50 75 -
Visit your local branchIf you would like to speak to someone please make an appointment in your local branch. Find your local branch.