At this difficult time, we can give you practical support and guidance on what you need to do.
We've also created a step-by-step bereavement guide which you can access via the link below.
Bereavement support
Losing someone close to you can be very distressing. Getting their finances in order can be stressful too. That’s why our dedicated branch team is here to help.
Here for you
The first step
If you haven’t already, register the death at www.gov.uk/register-a-death Opens in a new window. You can also contact nearly all government organisations (like HMRC, the Department for Work and Pensions and Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) in one go using their Tell Us Once Opens in a new window service.
Ideally, you should visit the deceased person’s local registry office with the medical certificate from the hospital, GP or coroner. The office will then give you with a death certificate. It’s often useful to ask for several copies of this, as you may need to tell multiple organisations about the customer’s death.
Telling us about a death
Please let us know about the death of our customer as soon as possible. We’ll need to collect and process some information about you. Our privacy notice tells you more about the personal information we collect and how we use it (together with a summary of your data protection rights). We’ll also send you a letter to provide more information.
You can do this in one of three ways:
Contact the branch
Please contact the branch where the customer held their account. You can also visit the branch if you’d prefer to speak to someone in person.
The team there will talk you through the next steps.
If you’re not sure which branch to contact, try the branch closest to the customer’s home.
Call our Customer Connect team
If you’re still unsure which branch to contact, or if you want to contact us outside opening hours, call our Customer Connect team. They’re available 24 hours a day.
They’ll collect a few details from you, find out which branch you need to speak to and transfer your call.
We know talking about a death can be upsetting, so they’ll also tell the branch why you’re calling so you don’t have to.
If you call the team outside of branch opening hours, they’ll ask the branch to call you the next working day. Please call:
From the UK: Outside the UK:
0800 470 8000 +44 20 7578 8247
Complete online form
You can also contact us directly using the below form:
What happens when you tell us of a customer’s death?
We will:
- Block any sole accounts the customer held. This includes cancelling any Direct Debits, standing orders, all cards, online banking access, overdrafts and open credit facilities
- Cancel any cheque books and return any pending cheques
- Remove any previous third party authority / power of attorney mandates from the account. These expire when a customer dies.
- Hold all statements and other correspondence until we know who the personal representatives are. We’ll then forward everything to them.
If the customer had a joint account, the account balance automatically passes to the remaining account holder(s). We’ll work with the remaining account holder(s) to make sure:
- Any standing orders, Direct Debits and cheques no longer needed are cancelled (these will continue until this is agreed).
- All relevant mandates are updated.
- All statements and other correspondence are sent to the remaining account holder, in their name only. This includes new cheque books and paying-in books.
We'll also review all other products they had.
You can contact the customer’s branch if you have any questions or want to make some specific arrangements.
What else should you do?
Provide us with documents
We’ll ask you for an original, certified or official copy of the death certificate.
If there’s a will, you may be asked to provide a copy of that too.
We’ll also need to know who will deal with the deceased’s estate. They’ll need to give us proof of identity and address - the branch can confirm exactly what’s needed.
We may ask for other documents - again, the branch will let you know if so.
Consider applying to be a personal representative / for Grant of Probate.
The customer’s will, if they left one, may appoint an executor to deal with their estate. If it doesn’t, or if there is no will, someone will need to apply to become a personal representative. This could be you, another family member or a legal representative. Probate will be required if the customer’s Handelsbanken account contained £20,000 or more.
The Government’s guide for applying for probate is at www.gov.uk/applying-for-probate Opens in a new window.
You can also check to see if someone else has already done this at www.gov.uk/search-will-probate Opens in a new window.
Arrange the funeral
Appoint a funeral director to start making funeral arrangements. You can also contact the Cemeteries and Crematorium Department of the local council.
We understand that paying for funeral costs can be stressful.
Remember to check if the customer had any insurance to cover the cost. If they didn’t, we can release some money from the customer’s account to make the payment.
We’ll just need a copy of the funeral invoice to arrange the payment. However, there needs to be enough in their account for us to do this.
Further assistance
Please contact us if you have any questions or need any help
We understand how difficult it can be when you have lost a loved one. If you have any questions or need anything, please contact the branch where the account was held and we will do our utmost to support you.
Our bereavement guide (pdf 3.3 MB) Opens in a new window also contains lots of useful information as well as a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section.
Also, please tell us about anything that we need to be aware of, or consider, to enable us to better support you. This may include something that could impact your ability to communicate with us, provide information or understand our communications.
Look after yourself
If you’re struggling to recover from the loss of your loved one, these organisations may help:
The NHS Opens in a new window provides practical help on coping with bereavement.
CRUSE Bereavement Support Opens in a new window - the largest national charity for bereaved people. They can help you understand and cope with your grief through several channels and support programs.
Samaritans Opens in a new window listen and offer support to anyone struggling to cope without judgement, day or night.
If you’re having financial difficulties
Some customers may find it hard to manage or maintain their payments following the death of a loved one. This is understandable, especially if the overall household income has reduced.
If there's any money owed to us by the person who died, such as a credit card balance, a loan or an overdraft, this will need repaid. But we offer repayment options, and we’ll work with the personal representative to try to find the most suitable one.
MoneyHelper Opens in a new window provide free, clear and unbiased advice on money issues. Their dedicated website contains several guides to help with financial issues following a bereavement.