After a bereavement dealing with the finances of a relative or friend can be confusing. At Darlington Building Society we have people to help.
Our members are our priority and we are here for them every step of the way to make the process as straightforward as possible.
The death of a loved one is a very difficult and emotional time.
Sorting out the deceased person’s finances can often be confusing and difficult to understand.
We have put together this guide to take you through the steps you will need to follow following a bereavement, who to tell about the death, along with our contact details for when you need to get in touch.
We are here to help every step of the way.
You must register the death within 5 days (8 days in Scotland) at a local register office.
You can contact any register office, but it will be quicker if you use the one in the area where the person died. All of the details you need will be available from the local Council, including how to book an appointment.
Almost all register offices run a “Tell us once” service, which means you can report the death to many government organisations at once, including: HM Revenue & Customs, Department for Work and Pensions, DVLA, Passport Office and the local Council. To find out more information, visit www.gov.uk/after-a-death/organisations-you-need-to-contact-and-tell-us-once .
When you register the death you will receive one copy of the death certificate through the post. You can buy extra copies at the register office or make your own copies and have them certified.
The copies can be certified by a professional person or someone well respected in the community. For example a solicitor, doctor, teacher, etc.
The funeral can usually only take place after the death is registered. Most people use a funeral director, though you can arrange a funeral yourself.
You can register the death with the us with or without the death certificate by either:
Contacting your local branch to make an appointment.
Contacting Head Office by calling 01325 366366 or sending a letter, including:
To: Darlington Building Society, Sentinel House, Morton Road, Darlington, DL1 4PT.
When notified us of a death we will:
Options for mortgage payments will be discussed with the person who notified us of the death.
Any savings accounts will be frozen and the amount of money held in each one confirmed. The Society will need the death certificate before the money can be released.
We will write back to the person who registered the death to confirm the above arrangements, and any next steps.
It is important to find the deceased’s last known will as soon as possible. It will help you work out what to do next.
The will might name an executor, this is the person who is responsible for dealing with the deceased’s estate (everything the person owned), including the closure of any of our accounts.
If there is no will, and you are the next of kin you may need to apply for a Grant of Probate. This is the right to deal with the deceased’s estate.
If you need help to find a will or to understand if you need a grant of probate visit the Government website – www.gov.uk.
The process for taking control of the deceased’s Darlington Building Society account(s) depends on the total amount of money held in the account(s).
These are the four documents needed to close any of our accounts.
1. Proof of identity for all executors/next of kin.
2. Death certificate (original or certified copy).
3. The deceased’s will (if available).
4. The deceased’s Society passbook(s).
If there is a will you complete and sign the Indemnity Closure form and return documents 1, 2, 3 and 4 from the above list to our Head Office.
If there is no will you complete and sign the Intestacy Indemnity Closure form and return documents 1, 2, and 4 from the above list to our Head Office.
If there is a will you complete and sign the Indemnity Closure form with the help of a solicitor and return documents 1, 2, 3 and 4 from the above list to our Head Office.
If there is no will you complete and sign the Intestacy Indemnity Closure form with the help of a solicitor and return documents 1, 2, and 4 from the above list to our Head Office.
If there is a will a Grant of Probate (or letters of Administration) will be needed. Talk to a solicitor about this or visit: www.gov.uk/applying-for-probate.
If there is no will a Grant of Probate (or letters of Administration) will be needed. Talk to a solicitor about this or visit: www.gov.uk/applying-for-probate.
Once all of the appropriate documents (Step 7) have been completed and sent to us:
Accounts in a single name will be closed and the money released. There are no restrictions or penalties for releasing money once a death has been registered.
Accounts in joint names will have the deceased name removed from the account, leaving the account in the sole name of the surviving person who will be able to continue to access the account(s).
If the next of kin, executor or beneficiary require the balance at the date of death for a joint account the remaining account holder will need to give us permission to share this information.
Accounts in trust will need a new trustee appointed to the account once we are in receipt of all of the appropriate documents (Step 7). A ‘Deed of Appointment of a Trustee’, which is available from us, will be needed to complete the appointment.
You can apply for a mortgage payment deferral for a two month period while you arrange the Grant of Probate by contacting our mortgage specialists on 01325 741043.
During this time no mortgage payments will be taken or charges made, but interest will continue to be charged and added to the mortgage balance.
If the Grant of Probate does not arrive within the two months please contact us to discuss further options.
Once you have the Grant of Probate please contact the Society’s mortgage specialists once again to discuss the mortgage. The mortgage payments will need to be paid until the full mortgage balance is repaid by the executor(s) or administrator(s).
The deceased’s name will be removed from the mortgage.
You can apply for a mortgage payment deferral for a two month period by contacting our mortgage specialists on 01325 741043. During this time no mortgage payments will be taken or charges made, but interest will continue to be charged and added to the mortgage balance.
The mortgage payments will need to restart after the two month deferral period until the full mortgage balance is repaid.
If you need to discuss your future monthly mortgage repayments or if you have any other question about your mortgage, simply go back to our mortgage specialists.
If there is an assigned (linked) endowment policy to the mortgage we will submit a claim on behalf of the deceased.
When the claim is settled the mortgage balance will be reduced by the amount received and confirmation of the remaining balance, if any, placed in writing to the executor.
If there is a separate policy not linked to the mortgage you will need to contact the provider directly.
Home Insurance
You should tell the home insurance provider that the deceased has passed away as soon as you can, as this can affect the insurance cover.
Download our bereavement guide and the relevant Account Closure form below
Bereavement Guide Indemnity Closure Form Intestacy Indemnity Closure form
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