Practical emotional support
Here is some guidance to help you through the first weeks and months following a bereavement. We also include information about free services that can help you through this time.
Any debt on an account of a deceased person will be written off unless it was previously transferred to another debt collection agency. In these instances, the debt collection agency will need to be contacted separately.
If the account is for a limited company or charity that is dissolved or shut down, any debt will be written off. If the account is transferred to another director, the debt will remain on the account until the balance is repaid.
For more information on Inheritance Tax, please visit the Government website. Please note, we currently do not offer payment of Inheritance Tax directly from the balance of the account.
Funds in a Zempler Bank account belonging to a deceased person can be used for urgent expenses like a funeral on a case-by-case basis. If you are the executor or next of kin, please contact our team about this.
In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, if there’s a will and you are listed as an executor, you may need to apply for a ‘grant of probate’.
If there’s no will, or the named executors are unable and/or unwilling to act, we’ll send an indemnity letter, which needs to be filled out, witnessed and counter signed.
If you’re in Scotland, both of the above are more commonly referred to as ‘certificate of confirmation’.
More information about applying for a probate is on the Government website.
Citizens Advice also provides some information on this topic.
Cruse Bereavement service offer emotional support and advice to anyone affected by bereavement.
Website: http://www.cruse.org.uk/
Phone: 0808 808 1677 (Freephone)
Email: [email protected]Website: https://www.samaritans.org/
Phone: 116 123 (UK) - For anyone at any time for any reason
Website: https://www.childbereavementuk.org/
Phone: 0800 02 88840 - Helpline (9 - 5pm)
More information on bereavement
If you need further information on what to do after a death, this step by step guide from GOV.UK may be useful.
These agencies/pages can also provide assistance:
- Bereavement Register helps stop unwanted direct mail to the person who has died.
- Bereavement Advice Centre provides support and advice on what to do after a death.
- Bereavement financial support details how to get help with costs and funeral expenses after someone has died, including Universal Credit.
- Citizens Advice Bureau provide free and independent advice on your rights and responsibilities.
- The General Register Office for England holds records of deaths in England and Wales.
- The General Register Office for Scotland hold records of deaths in Scotland.
- Department of Work and Pensions can be contacted if you need to cancel the person’s benefits and entitlements, including their State Pension.
- Probate Service has government guidance on how to apply for probate.
- Royal Mail has guidance on how to get mail redirected.
- Tell us Once allows you to report a death to most government organisations in one go.
FAQs
A beneficiary is a person who inherits part or all of the estate.
A certificate of confirmation is a document giving the authority to administer an estate in Scotland.
A customer representative is the generic term for someone who is administering the estate.
A death certificate is the legal document issued by the registry office after a death has been registered.
An estate is all assets belonging to the deceased.
An executor is a person appointed by a will to administer the estate.
Grant letters of administration is a document giving the authority to administer an estate where there is no will.
A grant of probate is a document giving the authority to administer an estate in accordance with the will.
A grant of representation is a collective term for both the grant of probate and the grant of letters of administration.
Inheritance tax is a tax paid to HMRC on the estate of the deceased.
Intestacy rules are the rules dictating how the deceased’s estate is to be shared when there is no will.