Help & Support
Savings: What to do
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Register the death.
You’ll need to register the death at any local registry office (within 5 days in England and Wales and 8 days in Scotland). Once you’ve registered the death you will be given a death certificate.
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Provide us with relevant documents.
We will need:
• A copy of the death certificate.
•Proof of identity. Please click here to see acceptable forms of identity and if ID is required.
• Supporting documentation may be required depending on the account balance (click here for more info).After receiving the death certificate and ID, we will provide you with the final balance, an Authority to Close form and request any additional ID/documentation.
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Return requested Closure Form and any further supporting documents required.
Forms need to be signed by all Personal Representatives/Executors. Documents can be returned to the address on the right, or by calling into a branch. Find your nearest branch.
We will then send you a cheque or transfer funds to the nominated account(s) as requested and close the account.
Talk to us
Online
If you’d like to notify us of a bereavement online we can help you get started and send you some guidance on what to do next. You’ll need to have details of the person who has passed away to hand, including their account information.
Call us
If you would like to talk with a member of our dedicated Bereavement Team, you can call us between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday.
0345 166 9229
Write to us at the Address below:
Bereavement Team
Customer Service Centre
Yorkshire Building Society
Yorkshire House
Yorkshire Drive
Bradford
BD5 8LJ
Closing the account: Documents you will need
There are some additional documents we’ll need to close an account. These depend on how much money is held in the name of the person who has passed away. Please select an option below to see what is needed and where it can be obtained:
Please take care to ensure that the closure forms are signed by all Personal Representatives/Executors and that relevant documentation is correct.
- £0.01 to £30,000.00
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Documentation Required Where obtained Comments 1. 'Following Bereavement Authority to Close' Declaration & Indeminity form.
2. Identification for all executors (see above).The Authority to close form can be obtained from our Bereavement Team or downloaded here (123 KB) . This form should be completed by the next of kin or the executors if the deceased left a will. - £30,000.01 and above
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Documentation Required Where obtained Comments 1. The original Grant of Representation Document ( Grant of Probate/Letters of Administration
2. Identification for all executors (click here for acceptable forms of Identification)The Authority to Close Form can be obtained from our Bereavement Team or downloaded here (115 KB) . Grant of Representation Document can be obtained from The Probate Registry. The next of kin can apply to the Probate Registry to obtain the grant. If you need any help obtaining a Grant of Representation (Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration) then you can contact the Probate Registry on 0300 123 1072. Alternatively you can pay a legal advisor to do this for you.
As soon as we have the correct documents we will then send you a cheque or transfer funds to the nominated account(s) as requested and close the account.
Type of account
If you are a joint account holder or have a bond you may not wish to close the account. Please click the relevant type below for more information:
- Joint Account
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When we’re notified of the passing of a joint account holder, the account is transferred into the sole name of the other account holder. Regular payments (such as Direct Debits and standing orders) will not be changed unless the other account holder asks us to. You may wish to review these and check whether they need to continue.
- Sole accounts
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Sole accounts held by the person who has died will be frozen (excluding any interest earned) until the balance can be settled. This means that money cannot be paid into or taken out of the account, other than limited withdrawals for urgent expenses. Our Bereavement Team will be able to give you further information on this so call them on 01242 874 901.
Regular payments such as Direct Debits and standing orders will be cancelled. You may need to contact the relevant organisations to arrange payments.
- ISA Accounts
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Where the date of death is:
- On or before 5 April 2018, interest arising after that date will become taxable in the hands of the estate.
- On or after 6 April 2018, any ISA held will be designated a 'continuing account of a deceased investor'.
An account will remain a continuing account of a deceased investor until the earlier of:
- The completion of the administration of the deceased's estate
- The closure of the account
- The third anniversary of the death of the ISA account holder
If you’re the spouse or civil partner of the account holder
Spouses including civil partners can inherit their loved one’s ISA allowance due to the launch of Additional Permitted Subscription (APS1) by the HMRC on 6 April 2015 providing the deceased investor and the surviving spouse were living together as at the date of death.
If your spouse/civil partner had an ISA and passed away between 3 December 2014 and 5 April 2018, you can increase your ISA allowance under the APS scheme. The size of this extra allowance is equal to what your partner had in their ISA when they died. Even if your spouse/civil partner left the funds in their ISA to someone else, you will still inherit the ISA allowance they have built up over the years. This will transfer to you as an APS allowance and could help your money go further by increasing the amount of interest you can earn tax free.
Your allowance (APS1) will be the value of your spouse/civil partners ISA’s when they passed away, which includes any interest earned up to the date of death.
In addition, from 6 April 2018, where the ISA investor dies on or after the 6 April 2018, any ISA(s) held can remain tax-free in a continuing account of a deceased investor (APS2).
The ‘continuing account of a deceased investor’ will cease on whichever is the earliest of the following:-
- Administration of the deceased’s estate is complete
- The ISA is closed
- 3 years after the date of death
The APS 2 allowance is
- the higher of the value of the ISA(s) at the date of death
- or the value of the ISA(s) at the date the ISA(s) cease(s)to be a continuing account of a deceased investor
Please read the leaflet Obtaining additional ISA allowances following the death of your spouse or civil partner or view our Additional Permitted Subscriptions (APS) FAQ's for more information. If you would like to discuss any aspects of the APS allowance with a member of the Society you can contact our Bereavement team on 0345 166 9229 Monday – Friday 9am – 5pm.
- Bonds
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You have the option to keep them open until their first maturity after the date of death. If you don't want to do this we will close the bond without any loss of interest. Please let us know what you’d like to do by contacting the Bereavement Team, or discussing it with your local branch.
The Estate
Dealing with the estate
The person responsible for handling the deceased’s estate is normally named in the will (and is called an Executor). They’ll need to sort out the estate and ensure that the deceased’s wishes are followed. If there’s no will an Administrator will be appointed instead.
It’s normally a very daunting task at the most difficult of times and we aim to make this as simple as possible for you, by providing the instructions for specific accounts/scenarios in the section above. You can also call our Bereavement Team on 0345 166 9229.
Payments from the estate
Funds held in the estate will be frozen (excluding any interest earned) however certain payments can be made from the customer’s account including:
Please note, payments issued will be made payable to the appropriate third party such as a funeral director. For inheritance tax, please confirm the Inheritance Tax number (which will be given to you by HM Revenue & Customs) so that we can make sure it is quoted on the payment.
Frequently asked Questions
For definitions, please refer to ourBereavement Glossary of Terms
- Will I need to talk to several different people?
- Our Bereavement Team is your first point of contact and they are able to assist you with any questions you have. For some queries relating to mortgage payments or insurance they may put you in touch with a specialist in those areas, however the Bereavement Team will still be your dedicated support.
- Is it going to take a long time to make the necessary arrangements for the finances?
- As soon as you contact us we will get the process started however the exact timescales will vary depending on the circumstances. The Bereavement Team will keep you updated on the process.
- Can I leave it and do all the paperwork in a few months’ time?
- It’s really important that you contact the Bereavement Team and send the Death Certificate straight away so we can update our records and get the process started.
- Can someone call on my behalf?
- Someone can call on your behalf to obtain general advice on the next steps. We can however only give account specific information to the Personal Representative/Executor.
- How do I pay for the funeral from the Estate?
- Certain funeral expenses can be paid from the estate – please contact the Bereavement Team for further information. We’ll need an original or a copy of the receipts for the expenses.
- Will interest still be earned on the savings account(s)?
- Yes, interest will continue to be earned until the account is closed. This is in line with the account terms and conditions.
- What happens if the funds are held in a fixed rate bond or notice account?
- All withdrawals or account closures after the death of an account holder can be made without providing notice and with no loss of interest, regardless of the type of account. Our fixed rate bond products can be left open until they mature – just let the Bereavement Team know if you’d like to do this.
- What happens on Trust accounts?
- If the deceased was a trustee it may be necessary to appoint a new trustee to the account. If the account is to be closed the cheque will be made payable to the beneficial owner.
- What happens if a Power of Attorney/Court of Protection Order was registered on the account?
- If a Power of Attorney/Court of Protection Order has been registered on an account this is no longer valid on the death of the account holder. This means that the person who held the authority isn’t able to operate or access the deceased’s account(s) anymore.
Additional Permitted Subscriptions (APS) FAQs
- Am I eligible for the APS allowance?
- Anyone whose spouse/civil partner died on or after the 3 December 2014 and at the date of death was:
- Married or in a civil partnership
- Not legally separated or likely to become legally separated (if your spouse was in a care home this would not generally be considered as legally separated): and
- 16 years of ager or over.
- How much will my APS allowance be?
- If your partner died on or before April 5 2018 your APS allowance will be the value of your late spouse/civil partners ISA(s) at the date of death (APS1).
If your partner died on or after April 6 2018 at the time of applying you have 2 options:- Inherit an ISA allowance that is the value of your spouse/civil partner ISA(s) at the date of death (APS1) or
- If your spouse/civil partner’s ISA(s) remains open and continues to earn interest, you can inherit an ISA allowance that is the value of your spouse/civil partner’s ISA(s) at account closure. Your spouse/civil partner’s ISA(s) can remain open up to three years after the date of death OR until the administration of the deceased estate is complete. (APS2)
- How do I use my allowance with Yorkshire Building Society?
- To use your allowance with Yorkshire Building Society you need to complete an APS enquiry form. This can be requested after you have dealt with the closure of your late spouse/civil partner’s ISA accounts. Upon receipt of the APS enquiry form, you will be sent a valuation letter confirming the value of all ISA accounts held by your late spouse/civil partner and relevant forms to enable you to invest into your own ISA account under the APS scheme.
- Does my APS allowance form part of my current ISA allowance?
- No – the APS allowance sits alongside your own annual ISA allowance, which is £20,000.00 in the tax year 2021/2022. You can invest your own ISA annual allowance in any of our ISA accounts subject to the terms and conditions and provided you have not used your ISA allowance with another ISA provider.
- Do I need to invest the whole APS allowance in one go?
- No you can invest your APS allowance in installments or wholly, but this allowance has to be subscribed by the third anniversary of the death of the spouse/civil partner or 180 days after the finalisation of the estate of the deceased.
- What if the estate of the deceased is left to someone other than the spouse/civil partner?
- You are still entitled to the APS allowance, as this is the value of all ISA’s held by the late spouse/civil partner under either APS 1 or APS 2. The money does not have to come from your loved one’s ISA account, money can be used from other sources for the APS allowance.
- Can I transfer the APS Allowance to Yorkshire Building Society?
- If your spouse/civil partner held an ISA account with another ISA institution you can transfer the value of the deceased ISA to the Yorkshire Building Society as long as this has not already been taken up with that ISA provider and you hold a valid ISA account with us that is accepting funds. You will need to contact us to request the relevant forms
- Can I transfer the APS allowance to another ISA provider?
- As long as you have not already used the APS allowance with Yorkshire Building Society, you can transfer out the APS allowance. You will need to contact the other ISA provider first, to see if they accept APS allowances, if they do you will need to complete the relevant forms with them and they will then be in touch with us to proceed with the request. Please note it is only the APS allowance figure that is transferred to the other ISA provider not the actual ISA account funds from the late holder’s estate.