Dealing with bereavement

The death of someone close is always a difficult time. Dealing with practical matters and making important financial decisions can seem overwhelming when you’re experiencing grief. We’re here to support you through the steps and decisions you will have to make.

There are a few things that need to be done as soon as possible after someone has died. By the time you contact us, you may have done some of them already. If not, you will find below guidance on the steps that need to be taken, starting by formally registering the death.

1. Register the death
2. Gather documents
3. Tell organisations that need to know

Registering the death

After someone passes away their death must be registered. In England and Wales you need to register the death within five days. In Scotland you have eight days to register. You can do this at any register office, but if you use the one in the area where the person died, you will be given the documents you need on the same day.

You can find your nearest register office at: www.gov.uk/register-a-death

You may need to make an appointment.

Important information

• When registering, you'll need the doctor's certificate and possibly supporting information, such as a birth or marriage certificate. If in doubt, check with your local register office before attending.
• The register office will give you a Death Certificate. Most organisations, including Al Rayan Bank, will need to see original documents, so you may want to ask for extra copies. (The register office will require payment for this).

Gather documents

If the deceased had a will, then it may contain details about the type of funeral they wanted and any arrangements they have made to pay for it. It may be with a solicitor, or family members may know where it is kept.

You may need documents to confirm the deceased’s details when registering the death and cancelling accounts and services, so If possible, also collect the person’s:

• birth certificate
• NHS medical card or number
• marriage or civil partnership certificate
• driving licence
• proof of their address.

Tell organisations that need to know

It is important that you notify all organisations the deceased had a relationship with. This includes government bodies, financial companies and utility providers.

Letting us know about a bereavement

Call us or write to us at:

Account Services team
Al Rayan Bank PLC
PO Box 12461
Birmingham
B16 6AQ

Once you've notified us, we'll then be able to confirm the next steps, including what documents we need to see and any forms that need to be completed.

Information we will need

Any joint accounts will convert to the name of the remaining account holder once the death has been confirmed with a death certificate.

For sole accounts, we need the following documents:

In all cases we’ll need:

• formal confirmation of the death, such as an original or certified copy of the Death Certificate.
• one form of identification and one form of address verification if a personal representative does not already bank with Al Rayan Bank. 
• A letter signed by the executor(s) requesting account closure

In some cases, we may also need to see:

• an original or certified copy of the Grant of Probate/Letters of Administration 
• an original or certified copy of the will 

All documents must be originals, or copies certified to Al Rayan Bank document certification standards

We reserve the right to ask for any further documents if required.

Letting other organisations know

When someone dies you must let certain organisations know as soon as possible.

• local services such as libraries, electoral services and council tax services
• the tax office
• the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)
• the UK Passport Agency
• HMRC for tax purposes. 

The Tell Us Once service can be used to report a death to several government departments in one go. The service is offered by most local authorities. You can arrange for an appointment to take place when you register the death, or you can access the Tell Us Once service online or over the phone.

If you need to let other banks and building societies know, you may be able to use the

UK Death Notification Service. This free service helps you notify several financial organisations of a death at the same time.

Find out which financial institutions are members of the UK Death Notification Service.

It is also a good idea to redirect any post using a special circumstances form from Royal Mail. You can also notify the bereavement register, which removes the deceased from mailing lists and stops most advertising mail.