We understand that making financial arrangements on behalf of a loved one who has died can feel overwhelming. We are here to support you and make everything as simple and straightforward as possible.
For something as important as handling the financial affairs and estate of another person, there is a comprehensive legal process to make sure it is done correctly. This means there are legal forms and processes that may need to be completed before you can organise the deceased’s affairs.
Let us know what’s happened
If you are a family member or friend of a GB Bank account holder who has passed away, please contact our customer services team on 0808 164 2111.
We will ask you to give us some information to help us find their account. This could include:
- The person’s name
- The email address connected to their account
- Their phone number
- Their address
Once we’ve identified the account, we will ask you for an official copy of the death certificate. You can post this to us at:
PO Box 147
Innovation House Coniston Court
Blyth Riverside Business Park
Blyth
NE24 9FX
Closing the account
We’ll then help you close their account and transfer any money to the intended recipient. If the funds need to be sent to another account, such as to a solicitor’s bank account, we can also help with that.
If their account balance is below £25,000, we’ll need you (the next of kin) to show us a form of ID, and complete our indemnity form where you give us details of the bank account you’d like us to return the outstanding money to.
If their account balance is more than £25,000, we’ll need a copy of a grant of probate before we can release the money. We can help you understand how to get the right probate documents if you’re not sure how.
Once we have a death certificate, a completed indemnity form and any additional documents we may require, we can transfer any money left in the account to the account details given by the next of kin.
Anyone can notify us of a bereavement, but we can only return the money following instructions from the executor of probate, next of kin or from solicitors on behalf of executor or next of kin.
If you are relying on using the money in the account to pay towards funeral costs or settle an invoice, we can work with next of kin to be able to transfer money directly to the funeral directors. For this we will need a copy of the funeral service invoice from the funeral director.
Further support
There are many organisations on hand to support you. This includes groups that can help you understand and complete legal documents, as well as helping to cope with different stages of bereavement. The Citizens Advice Bureau has a clear and helpful website with lots of useful scenarios and information. You can also find full details of the different types of legal documents, when they are needed, and how to apply for them at gov.uk . If you have any specific questions, the HMRC Probate and Inheritance Tax helpline is also very helpful – you can reach them on 0300 123 1072.
There is also lots of advice and support available through: