AJ Bell is one of the UK’s leading investment platforms, offering stocks and shares ISAs, self-invested personal pensions (SIPPs), Lifetime ISAs (LISAs), and dealing accounts to around half a million UK clients. When someone who held an AJ Bell account dies, there is a formal bereavement process to notify them, freeze the accounts, and arrange for assets to pass to the estate or named beneficiaries.
Unlike notifying a bank, the process here varies significantly by account type. A SIPP sits outside the estate entirely, governed by trustee discretion. An ISA forms part of the estate but carries special rules for surviving spouses. A dealing account follows the standard probate route. This guide takes you through each account type clearly, so you know what to prepare and what to expect.
Quick reference:
- Bereavement phone: 0161 605 0326
- Bereavement email: dbt@ajbell.co.uk
- Postal address: AJ Bell, 4 Exchange Quay, Salford Quays, Manchester, M5 3EE
- Death Notification Service: AJ Bell does not participate – contact them directly
- Probate required: Yes, for all investment account assets
How to notify AJ Bell
AJ Bell has a dedicated Bereavement Team that handles all death notifications. You do not need to have all documents ready before making first contact – the team will log the death and explain exactly what they need next.
By phone
Call 0161 605 0326 to reach AJ Bell’s Bereavement Team directly. This is a dedicated bereavement line, separate from their general customer service number.
When you call, have the following to hand:
- The deceased’s full name, date of birth, address, and National Insurance number
- Their date of death
- Your own name, contact details, and relationship to the deceased
- Any AJ Bell account or reference numbers, if you have them – though the team can search from name and date of birth alone
If the deceased held more than one account type with AJ Bell (for example, both a SIPP and a stocks and shares ISA), mention this at the outset. Different account types follow different processes and may involve different teams.
AJ Bell does not participate in the Death Notification Service, which means you cannot register the death through that central service and expect it to reach AJ Bell. You must contact them directly.
By email
Send an initial notification to dbt@ajbell.co.uk. Include the deceased’s name, date of death, and your contact details. The Bereavement Team will reply with instructions on what to send next.
By post
If you prefer to correspond by post, write to:
AJ Bell
4 Exchange Quay
Salford Quays
Manchester
M5 3EE
Include a covering letter with your full name, address, and the return address where AJ Bell should send back the death certificate.
What happens immediately after notification
Once AJ Bell is notified, the accounts are frozen. No withdrawals, transfers, or new dealing instructions can be placed. Existing investments remain subject to market movements – their value may rise or fall – and any income (dividends, interest) continues to accrue within the account. The freeze does not liquidate holdings; it simply prevents any new activity until the estate process is concluded.
What documents you will need
The documents required depend on which accounts the deceased held. Use this table as a starting guide.
| Document | When required |
|---|---|
| Death certificate (original or certified copy) | Always – required for all account types |
| Covering letter with your name, address, and return address | Always – submitted with the death certificate |
| Deceased’s full name, date of birth, and National Insurance number | Always |
| Grant of probate or letters of administration | Required for ISAs, dealing accounts, and other investment assets |
| Expression of wishes or nomination form | For SIPP death benefits (if one was completed) |
| Your own photo ID and proof of address | Required to verify the executor’s or beneficiary’s identity |
AJ Bell accepts original death certificates or certified copies. A solicitor, accountant, or financial adviser can certify a copy for you. If you do not have access to a certifier, AJ Bell’s Bereavement Team can assist in finding one.
When you post documents, include a covering letter stating clearly where you want AJ Bell to return the death certificate. They will return it once the account is flagged.
Sources: AJ Bell – what should I do when someone has died?, verified May 2026.
What happens to AJ Bell accounts
Stocks and shares ISA and dealing accounts
ISAs and general dealing accounts form part of the deceased’s estate and follow the standard probate route. Once AJ Bell receives the death notification, the accounts are frozen pending the estate administration.
After the Grant of Probate (or Letters of Administration, if there is no Will) is granted, the executor or administrator can instruct AJ Bell to either transfer the investments in kind to a beneficiary’s own account or liquidate the holdings and distribute the proceeds as cash.
ISA continuing account
Under HMRC rules, an ISA does not immediately lose its tax-free status when the holder dies. It becomes a “continuing account of a deceased investor,” which retains income tax and capital gains tax protection for the investments held within it. This status lasts until the earliest of: account closure by the executor, the completion of estate administration, or three years and one day after the date of death.
No new subscriptions can be made to the continuing account, but the existing holdings remain sheltered during that period. Source: GOV.UK – individual savings accounts.
Additional Permitted Subscription (APS) for surviving spouses
A surviving spouse or civil partner who was living with the deceased at the time of death is entitled to an Additional Permitted Subscription (APS) allowance. This is an extra ISA allowance on top of the standard annual limit (£20,000 for 2025/26), equal to the value of the deceased’s ISA at the date of death or the date of account closure, whichever is higher.
The APS allows the surviving spouse to preserve the tax-free status of the inherited ISA by contributing an equivalent amount into their own ISA. The allowance must be used within three years of the date of death or within 180 days of the completion of estate administration, whichever is later. Missing this deadline permanently loses the extra allowance.
The APS does not have to be used with AJ Bell – the surviving spouse can take it to any ISA provider – but if they wish to transfer the investments in their current form (rather than selling and reinvesting as cash), both accounts must be with the same provider.
Source: GOV.UK – manage additional permitted subscriptions into an ISA, verified May 2026.
Lifetime ISA (LISA)
A Lifetime ISA held with AJ Bell forms part of the estate in the same way as a standard ISA. The 25% government withdrawal charge that normally applies when funds are withdrawn for non-qualifying purposes does not apply on death – the full value passes to the estate without penalty.
The account value is subject to inheritance tax as part of the estate, however, and should be included in the estate valuation for IHT purposes.
Source: AJ Bell – what happens to my Lifetime ISA if I die?, verified May 2026.
SIPP (self-invested personal pension)
The SIPP is the account type where AJ Bell’s process differs most significantly from standard estate administration. Crucially, the pension does not automatically form part of the estate. It sits in trust, and AJ Bell as scheme administrator has legal discretion over who receives the death benefits.
Expression of wishes
During their lifetime, the account holder could complete an Expression of Wishes (also called a nomination of beneficiaries form) to tell AJ Bell who they would like to receive the pension on their death. AJ Bell considers this document carefully, and in practice follows it in the vast majority of cases – but it is not legally binding in the way a Will is.
If no expression of wishes was completed, the trustees exercise full discretion. This can cause delays while AJ Bell investigates the most appropriate distribution. If the deceased had a SIPP with AJ Bell and you cannot find any evidence of a nomination, contact the Bereavement Team – they can confirm whether one is on record.
The pension does not require a Grant of Probate at any threshold. It is handled separately from the estate.
What beneficiaries can receive
Nominated beneficiaries can typically choose between:
- A lump sum payment
- An inherited drawdown pension, keeping the funds invested and allowing flexible withdrawals
Tax treatment by age at death
The tax position depends on the account holder’s age when they died.
| Age at death | Tax on death benefits |
|---|---|
| Under 75 | Normally tax-free (if designated within two years of death) |
| 75 or over | Taxed as income at the beneficiary’s marginal income tax rate |
Inheritance tax – current rules and the April 2027 change
Under the rules applying at the time of writing, pension assets held in trust are generally excluded from the estate for inheritance tax purposes. This makes SIPPs a widely used vehicle for passing wealth across generations.
However, HMRC announced in the Autumn Budget 2024 that from 6 April 2027, most unused pension pots and certain death benefits will be brought within the scope of inheritance tax. This change has not yet taken effect and will not apply retrospectively to estates of people who have already died, but it is a material consideration for ongoing estate planning.
Source: GOV.UK – Inheritance Tax on pensions: liability, reporting and payment, published 2024.
If the estate includes a significant pension, seek advice from a qualified financial adviser or solicitor who can review the rules that apply at the date of death.
Probate and thresholds
AJ Bell’s position on probate is strict compared with some other investment platforms. There is no published small estate threshold at which AJ Bell will waive the probate requirement for investment accounts.
For ISAs, dealing accounts, and other non-pension investments, you will need a Grant of Probate (or Letters of Administration if there is no valid Will) before AJ Bell will release or transfer the assets, regardless of the account value.
The only exception is discretionary: very small cash holdings of approximately £5,000 or under may be considered for release without probate, but this is not a published policy and is not guaranteed.
For SIPP assets, probate is never required at any value. The pension trustees handle the SIPP independently of the estate.
If you have not yet started the probate process, see our guide to how to apply for probate and how long probate takes for current timelines at the Probate Registry.
How long it takes
The overall timeline from notification to distribution typically runs four to eight weeks once all required documents have been received – but this assumes probate is already in hand or not required.
Phase 1 – initial notification (a few days)
AJ Bell logs the death, freezes the accounts, and confirms what documents they need. They return any original death certificate at this stage.
Phase 2 – document submission and review (2–4 weeks)
You submit the death certificate, probate (for non-pension assets), and any other required documents. For SIPP assets, AJ Bell’s trustees review the expression of wishes and determine distribution – this cannot be rushed and adds time.
Phase 3 – asset distribution (1–4 weeks)
Once AJ Bell confirms the paperwork is in order, they process any required trades and arrange the transfer of assets or cash to executors or beneficiaries.
If probate has not yet been granted when you first contact AJ Bell, the timeline is largely governed by how long the Probate Registry takes – which has ranged from four to twelve months in recent years depending on case complexity and Registry capacity.
Tips and things to watch out for
Contact AJ Bell early, even without documents. Freezing the accounts immediately protects the estate from any unauthorised dealing. There is no reason to wait.
AJ Bell does not participate in the Death Notification Service. Many banks and utility companies can be notified through the DNS in one step. AJ Bell cannot. You must contact their Bereavement Team directly, regardless of what other organisations you have notified through the DNS.
The expression of wishes does not appear in the Will. Pension solicitors frequently see cases where the Will says one thing and the pension goes to someone else – because the SIPP operates outside the estate and follows the expression of wishes instead. Check what is on record with AJ Bell before assuming you know who receives the pension.
ISA APS deadline is easily missed. The Additional Permitted Subscription allowance for a surviving spouse is a significant tax benefit, but it expires. Three years from the date of death is not as long as it sounds when combined with the demands of estate administration. Make a note of the deadline and act well before it.
Investments remain exposed to markets. Frozen accounts still hold live investments. Their value will fluctuate until they are sold or transferred. If the estate has a liability – an inheritance tax bill due before probate is granted, for example – seek advice on how to handle this.
The April 2027 pension IHT change. If the deceased deliberately left pension assets unspent as an inheritance vehicle, the beneficiaries should be aware this tax advantage is being wound down. The change does not apply to existing distributions, but it affects planning for the beneficiaries’ own pension arrangements going forward.
See also our guides on what happens to pensions when someone dies and what happens to ISAs when someone dies for further background on these account types.
Summary
To notify AJ Bell of a death, call the Bereavement Team on 0161 605 0326 or email dbt@ajbell.co.uk. Have the deceased’s name, date of birth, National Insurance number, and date of death ready. Post the original or certified death certificate to 4 Exchange Quay, Salford Quays, Manchester, M5 3EE, with a covering letter stating your return address.
Expect different processes for pension and non-pension accounts. SIPP assets are handled by trustees and do not require probate. ISAs, LISAs, and dealing accounts require a Grant of Probate before any assets can be released. The total timeline is typically four to eight weeks from receipt of all documents, assuming probate is already in hand.
For everything else involved in settling an estate, the what to do after a death hub covers each organisation and service you may need to notify.
If the deceased also held investments with Hargreaves Lansdown, see our guide to notifying Hargreaves Lansdown when someone dies. For Fidelity International clients, see notifying Fidelity International when someone dies. For Interactive Investor accounts, see notifying Interactive Investor when someone dies. For Vanguard accounts, see notifying Vanguard when someone dies.