Closing accounts after death, the UK guide

Sole vs joint accounts, why the order matters

The most important distinction in closing accounts is whether the deceased held them in their sole name or jointly with someone else. Sole accounts are frozen the moment the bank is notified, so anything paid from that account direct debits for energy, council tax, broadband, mortgage will start to bounce. Joint accounts almost always transfer to the surviving holder automatically and keep running. Knowing which is which before you call the bank lets you reroute essential payments first instead of scrambling after a missed bill.

The other thing worth knowing up front: most UK banks won't ask you to cancel anything. They'll transfer or pause direct debits as part of their bereavement process, and Tell Us Once handles State Pension and benefits automatically. So the work isn't "cancel everything", it's "tell each organisation, in the right order, and let them do the paperwork".

Start with the Death Notification Service

The Death Notification Service (DNS) is a free UK service that lets you inform many banks and building societies in a single submission. If the person banked with any of these, Lloyds, Halifax, Bank of Scotland, NatWest, RBS, Ulster Bank, Coutts, Santander, Barclays, Nationwide, HSBC, First Direct, M&S Bank and others, this saves you weeks of phoning round.

For banks not in DNS, and for pensions, utilities, insurers and subscriptions, you'll need to contact each directly. Our provider directory has the official bereavement contact for hundreds of UK companies.

What you'll usually need

• •The original death certificate, or a certified copy (most banks accept either)
• •The account number, policy number or customer reference
• •ID for the person notifying (driving licence or passport)
• •If applicable, the Grant of Probate, Letters of Administration, or Confirmation

What happens to each type of account

Sole bank accounts

Frozen as soon as the bank is notified. Direct debits and standing orders are usually paused. Funds are released to the executor once the bank has the death certificate and, if the balance is above their small-estate threshold (typically £15,000–£50,000), the grant of probate.

Joint bank accounts

Usually transfer to the surviving account holder automatically. You'll still want to tell the bank, they'll remove the deceased's name and update the mandate.

Mortgages

Tell the lender, but don't cancel anything. If there's mortgage protection insurance, the policy may pay off the mortgage. Joint mortgages usually transfer to the survivor.

Utilities (gas, electricity, water, broadband)

Inform the supplier and keep the supply running until the property is sold or transferred, never cancel utilities on an occupied home insurance policy. Most suppliers transfer the account into the executor's name.

Pensions

Many workplace pensions pay outside the estate, so beneficiaries get the money quickly without waiting for probate. State Pension is handled by Tell Us Once.

Insurance

Life insurance pays out to the named beneficiary. Home and car insurance need to be kept running (with insurer notified), cancelling them can void cover.

Subscriptions and credit cards

Cancel subscriptions (Netflix, Spotify, gym, magazines) to stop charges. For credit cards, the balance becomes a debt of the estate, don't pay it from personal funds.

Common UK banks, bereavement guidance

Quick links to our bereavement guidance for the most common UK banks:

• Lloyds Bank
• Halifax
• Bank of Scotland
• NatWest
• Royal Bank of Scotland
• Barclays
• HSBC UK
• Santander UK
• TSB
• Co-operative Bank
• Nationwide Building Society
• Virgin Money
• Monzo
• Starling Bank
• Yorkshire Building Society
• Coventry Building Society
• NS&I

See all UK organisations →