Bereavement

You need to do this at the registry office nearest to where the death happened. The registry office will give you the death certificate.

Make sure that you get the most up to date version of the will. It's important because it'll have the wishes of the person who died in it. It'll also tell you the names of executors. They are responsible for carrying out the wishes.

If there isn't a will, the estate is organised by intestacy rules. These rules will tell you how the estate should be shared.

We know that it could be difficult to pay for the funeral. If the person who died has money in their accounts, we can release it to help pay for the funeral.

To be able to release funds we need two things: an invoice from the funeral director and/or florist, and a copy of the death certificate.

It can take up to 3 days to get the death certificate once you've asked for a copy.

You need to send these 2 documents to our Bereavement Centre:

Cater Allen Bereavement Centre
Cater Allen Operations
Sunderland
SR43 4FB

Once we get the documents, we'll send a cheque to the funeral director and/or florist. We can also send money directly to their bank account. If you want us to do that, you need to tell us in writing, just make sure we have their bank details. This is usually on the invoice. Please remember that any money we release has to be used to pay for funeral related costs, and nothing else.

You'll need to let companies know about your loss, too. Banks, building societies, and the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) are places to start. You'll also need to find some legal documents and return them. Things like passports, benefit books, and driving licences. They'll tell you if they need any documents.

It's helpful to have an account number or reference number, before you call them.

If the deceased had accounts in many banks, you might want to use the Death Notification Service. This will tell multiple organisations at once. You can find more information in our bereavement guide (pdf).

It's important to check whether the person had any recurring card payments or future dated payments. Money will still be taken out to pay for them unless they're cancelled. You need to contact the providers themselves to make other arrangements or cancel.

If the person was a Cater Allen customer, let us know as soon as possible. Call our dedicated bereavement team on 0800 028 4112, or write to us at:

Cater Allen Bereavement Centre
Cater Allen Operations
Sunderland
SR43 4FB

We'll need some paperwork from you so that we can close or transfer accounts.

What we need:

• a death certificate (original or a certified copy)
• proof of your ID (e.g., a valid passport or driving licence)
• if the total value of all accounts held with us in the sole name of the deceased is greater than £50,000 you'll need a bereavement instruction form and a grant of representation.

This is referring to the right to manage the affairs of the deceased. We'll need to see a grant of probate or confirmation if the person had money in their accounts over £50,000.

You'll also need a grant of probate if there's a will. This is applies in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

• If there's no will, you'll need to apply for a 'grant of letters of administration'.
• In Scotland, the documents above are called a 'certificate of confirmation’.
• We refer to these as the 'grant of representation', which covers all the above.

Our specialist bereavement team is available to help you with anything here. You can call them on 0800 028 4112.

After someone dies, their estate will be split according to the instructions given in the will. If there isn't will, intestacy rules must be followed.

If you're the personal representative, you can decide whether you want to deal with the estate yourself or appoint someone else. This could be a solicitor, bank, or specialist probate service to do some or all of the work. You'll be the personal representative if your name is on the executor list in the will. If there's no will, you'll be the personal representative if your name is on the next of kin. 

If the estate is small and probate isn't needed, the time it takes to deal with everything could be a few weeks, if you're the personal representative. But if probate is required, or if the deceased person owned a property, the process may take longer.

Some people might experience financial difficulties after the death of a loved one. To understand how we can help with these worries, visit our Help with managing your money page.

For information on ISA & Inheritance ISA, take a look in our bereavement guide (pdf).