Frequently Asked Bereavement Questions

Bereavement FAQs

How can I notify you of a death (bereavement)?

The easiest way of letting us know about a bereavement is by using our online form Opens an overlay [Will show a security message first]. This will go to our Bereavement Support Team who can help you during this time.

You can also let us know by calling the Bereavement Support Team:

from UK: 0113 276 6669
from the Channel Islands, Isle of Man and abroad: +44 113 234 5678.

They’re available 8am-8pm Monday to Friday, 8am-7pm Saturday and Sunday.

You can also use the Death Notification Service Opens an overlay [Will show a security message first]. This free service allows you to inform multiple financial organisations with one notification.

What is your bereavement process?

As soon as we’re notified of a bereavement we’ll freeze the account while we wait for the death certificate, will or any other documents (eg grant of probate).

Once we’ve finished all our internal checks we’ll send our closure form to you, so you can tell us where to pay any funds.

What documentation do I need to close the account?

To close the account, the personal representative/executor will need to send us a death certificate, an interim death certificate or a fact of death. We’ll then need the executor to fill out a closure form, as well as some supporting documents, we will tell you what we need.

Can I continue with the bereavement notification process if I don't have the death certificate yet or if I have an interim one?

Yes, you can notify us of a death even if you don’t have a death certificate yet. We can still complete the steps to protect the account while we wait for you or the personal representative to send it.

If you have an interim death certificate you can share that with us.

Please note: we’ll need confirmation of a death before we can discuss the accounts with the personal representative and start the closure process.

What do I do if there’s no will?

Do I need probate to manage the accounts of someone who’s passed away?

How long does it take to process the death notification?

How do I change my joint account into a sole account after the joint party passes away?

We’ll need a death certificate to confirm they’ve passed away then we can convert your account into your sole name.

If there are any sole accounts in their name only, we’ll need to speak to the person dealing with the estate – they are usually referred to as the Personal Representative or executor.

I’m a personal representative – what identification do you need?

Our Bereavement Support Team can talk you through exactly what we’ll need from you. As a guide, we usually ask for 1 form of ID and 1 proof of address, if you don’t bank with us. If you do bank with us, we should have all the identification we need.

Read more about what identification you might need on our bereavement support page.

When I notify you of a bereavement, will you notify other financial institutions?

As first direct are a division of HSBC UK Bank plc, we’ll share the notification with HSBC if any accounts are held with them.

We don’t notify any other financial institutions of a bereavement. However, you can use the Death Notification Service Opens an overlay [Will show a security message first], which is a free service that allows you to inform multiple financial organisations with one notification.

Can I add someone to my account or open a new joint account to manage an estate?

Do first direct offer executor accounts?

Can you release funds to help pay for the funeral?

What happens to any borrowing products when someone passes away?

Once we’ve received the Death Certificate and verified the Personal Representative or Executor, we’ll discuss the accounts and balances held.

Rest assured that you won’t need to repay any debit balances from your own money. However, as the Personal Representative / Executor, you need to make sure the estate settles them before paying anyone else.

If there’s money available in other accounts held solely in the name of the person who’s passed away, this can be used to reduce or repay the amount owed.

If there’s not enough money held in other accounts to cover the amount owed, it’ll need to be paid from the estate.

If the account has an overall debit balance and the debt needs to be repaid from the estate, our bereavement partner Phillips & Cohen Associates will contact you.

Who are Phillips & Cohen Associates?

If the account of the person who’s passed away has an overall debit balance, and the debt needs to be repaid from the estate, Phillips & Cohen Associates will contact you.

Phillips & Cohen Associates are our specialist bereavement partners. They provide help and support to Personal Representatives / Executors in managing the full estate and repaying outstanding balances owed.

Glossary - understanding our terminology

Administrator

The person who administers an estate where there's no valid will, or where the executor is either unable or unwilling to act. The administrator can also be referred to as the deceased's personal representative. This person is normally a family member or close friend of the deceased.

Beneficiary

Certificate of Registration of Death

Codicil

Death Certificate

Estate

Executor

Grant of Letters of Administration

This document grants the same powers as a grant of probate and is issued to the administrator when a person dies without making a will. It can be used to show the person(s) named has the right to access funds, sort out finances, and collect and share the deceased person's assets as set out in the laws of intestacy. This document isn't always required from organisations holding the assets, so check if they need to see one – and find general information – on the Government's Probate Service Opens an overlay [Will show a security message first] website.

Grant of Probate

This is an official document confirming that the will is valid and names the executors who are legally entitled to administer the estate. It can be used to show the person(s) named has the right to access funds, sort out finances, and collect and share the deceased's assets as set out in the will. This document isn't always needed, so check if they need to see one – and find general information – on the Government's Probate Service Opens an overlay [Will show a security message first] website.

Grant of Representation

Inheritance Tax

Intestacy

Intestate

Legacy

Next of kin

Personal representative

Probate

Probate is an official document stating that the will is genuine. It authorises the executor to distribute the funds as specified in the will. It's applied for at the Probate Registry and is usually arranged through a solicitor. If the executor wants to apply for Probate without using a solicitor, they can get details from the Probate Registry. There's no fixed timescale for receipt of Probate, as it depends on the amount of assets in the deceased's estate. An original or HSBC certified copy must be sent to first direct.

Probate registry

Probate loan

Residue

Will

A legally binding document signed by a person, which states what they’d like to happen to their estate when they die. This may also contain wishes about their funeral or who they want to look after any young children they may leave behind.

Bereavement FAQs and useful documents

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