If someone who died held a Britannia savings account, mortgage, or ISA, you may be wondering who to contact – Britannia hasn’t existed as a separate bank for some time. This guide explains what happened to Britannia, who now handles Britannia accounts, and exactly how to notify them of a death: the phone number to call, which documents you need, and what happens to the money.
Quick reference:
- Phone (current accounts and savings): 03457 212 212 (Mon–Fri 8am–6pm, Sat–Sun 9am–5pm)
- Phone (mortgages): 08000 288 288 (Mon–Fri 9am–5pm)
- Documents for Britannia accounts specifically: email to Britanniabereavementdocuments@co-operativebank.co.uk
- Post: The Co-operative Bank Bereavement Team, PO Box 4931, Swindon, SN4 4PL
- Probate required if: total sole account balances exceed £50,000
Britannia and The Co-operative Bank: what happened
Britannia Building Society was founded in Leek, Staffordshire, in 1856 and grew to become the UK’s second-largest building society. In 2009, Britannia merged with The Co-operative Banking Group. Britannia Building Society was legally dissolved as a separate organisation on 1 August 2009, and its accounts, mortgages, and savings products moved under Co-operative Banking Group ownership.
For several years afterwards, Britannia continued to operate as a trading name, with its own branches and some of its own savings products sitting alongside Co-operative Bank’s range. That arrangement has since ended. The Co-operative Bank’s own customer notice on the transition states plainly: “We’ve simplified our range of savings accounts by bringing all of our Britannia and Co-operative Bank accounts together under the single brand of The Co-operative Bank, and we’ll no longer be offering Britannia accounts.” (Source: The Co-operative Bank – Britannia Simplifying Savings.)
In practice, this means:
- Britannia is no longer an active brand. No new Britannia accounts are opened, and existing Britannia savings products have been migrated to equivalent Co-operative Bank accounts.
- The underlying money was never at risk. Account balances were carried across into the replacement Co-operative Bank product, with any interest due preserved.
- If a family member still held an old Britannia account, mortgage, or passbook that was never migrated or accessed, The Co-operative Bank retains the records. As the bank puts it: “if you have money in a lost or forgotten account, it will always be yours – no matter how old it is.”
If the person who died also banked separately with the standard Co-operative Bank brand (not a legacy Britannia product), see our full guide to Co-op Bank bereavement notification – the process is broadly the same, and this page focuses on what’s different for a Britannia-branded account or a case where you aren’t sure which brand the account sits under.
How to notify them of a death
Because Britannia accounts are now serviced entirely by The Co-operative Bank, you notify the death through the same bereavement team and the same channels as any other Co-operative Bank customer.
By phone is usually the quickest way to start. Call 03457 212 212 for current accounts and savings. Lines are open Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm, and Saturday and Sunday 9am to 5pm. If the deceased held a mortgage that originated with Britannia, use the mortgages line: 08000 288 288, Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm. Note that The Co-operative Bank has transferred servicing of some mortgage books to third-party administrators – if 08000 288 288 tells you the mortgage has moved, you’ll be redirected to Aspiro Mortgages (residential, 0371 472 2020) or Rosinca Mortgages (Buy to Let, 0370 707 1151). The 08000 288 288 line remains correct for any closed mortgage account query and as the first point of contact.
When you call, have the following ready:
- The deceased’s full name, address, date of birth, and date of death
- Any account details you have – sort code, account number, or an old Britannia passbook number if that’s all you can find
- Your own name and relationship to the deceased
You don’t need every document ready before you call. The bereavement team will take the initial details and confirm what to send in afterwards.
Documents for a Britannia-held account – this is the one part of the process that differs from a standard Co-operative Bank account. The Co-operative Bank operates a distinct email address specifically for bereavement documents relating to Britannia-branded accounts: Britanniabereavementdocuments@co-operativebank.co.uk. If the deceased held accounts with both Britannia and the standard Co-operative Bank brand, or if you aren’t sure which brand the account was opened under, send everything to this Britannia address rather than the general Co-operative Bank one – the bank’s own scanning guidance confirms this is the correct route in cases of doubt. (Source: The Co-operative Bank – bereavement document scanning guidance.)
By post – download and complete the Bereavement Instruction Form from co-operativebank.co.uk and send it, with your documents, to:
The Co-operative Bank Bereavement Team PO Box 4931 Swindon SN4 4PL
In branch – you can book an appointment at a Co-operative Bank branch for face-to-face support. Britannia no longer operates separate branches.
| Method | Details |
|---|---|
| Phone (accounts/savings) | 03457 212 212, Mon–Fri 8am–6pm, Sat–Sun 9am–5pm |
| Phone (mortgages) | 08000 288 288, Mon–Fri 9am–5pm |
| Documents for Britannia accounts | Britanniabereavementdocuments@co-operativebank.co.uk |
| Documents for standard Co-op Bank accounts | mail.services@co-operativebank.co.uk |
| Post | PO Box 4931, Swindon, SN4 4PL |
| In branch | By appointment, at any Co-operative Bank branch |
The Co-operative Bank also participates in the Death Notification Service (deathnotificationservice.co.uk), a free service that notifies multiple banks from a single form. This is worth using if the deceased held accounts at more than one bank – you will still need to deal with The Co-operative Bank directly afterwards to close accounts and release funds.
What documents you will need
The Co-operative Bank requires different documents depending on the value of the accounts.
Always required:
- Death certificate – an original or certified copy. Certified copies from the register office cost £12.50 each in England and Wales (source: gov.uk – order a copy of a birth, death or marriage certificate)
- Completed Bereavement Instruction Form – downloadable from co-operativebank.co.uk
- Your identity documents – photo ID (passport or driving licence) plus proof of address
If total account balances are £50,000 or under:
- A copy of the will (if there is one), in place of formal probate documents
If total account balances exceed £50,000:
- Grant of probate (if there is a will), or
- Letters of administration (if there is no will), or
- In Scotland, a certificate of confirmation
If a mortgage originated with Britannia:
- The mortgage account number
- Probate or letters of administration documents (for a sole mortgage)
If you’re sending documents by scan or email rather than post, the bank’s guidance asks that certified documents show the certification stamp or wording clearly, and that the word “bereavement” appears in the email subject line to route it to the right team quickly.
What happens to the accounts
What happens next depends on whether the accounts were held solely by the person who died or jointly with a partner or family member. For a broader overview, see what happens to a bank account when someone dies.
Sole accounts
Once the bereavement team receives notification and the completed Bereavement Instruction Form, they will:
- Freeze the account – no further transactions in or out
- Cancel direct debits and standing orders
- Cancel any cards associated with the account
- Stop interest charges and fees from the date of death
If direct debits from the account were paying household bills – utilities, council tax, insurance – those payments will stop and need to be set up again with each provider directly.
Any outstanding overdraft or loan balance is recovered from the account before the remaining funds are released to the estate. Beneficiaries don’t inherit personal debt, but debts are settled from estate assets before distribution.
Releasing funds early for funeral costs – funds can be released from a frozen account to cover funeral costs and estate administration expenses before the estate is formally settled, on production of the funeral invoice or receipts. Worth asking about early if cash flow is tight.
Joint accounts
If the account was held jointly with a surviving partner or family member, it’s transferred into the surviving holder’s name rather than frozen. The surviving holder becomes sole owner of the funds automatically – no probate is required for this step.
Direct debits and standing orders on joint accounts continue as normal. If any payments were specifically in the deceased’s name, the surviving holder should contact each provider separately to update them.
Probate and the £50,000 threshold
Probate is the legal process that grants an executor authority to administer an estate. The threshold that applies to former Britannia accounts is the same as for any Co-operative Bank account, because they now sit on the same systems.
If total sole account balances exceed £50,000, you’ll need:
- A grant of probate (if there is a will), or
- Letters of administration (if there is no will), or
- In Scotland, a certificate of confirmation
Source: The Co-operative Bank – Bereavement Instruction Form, which states this £50,000 threshold applies to balances held with The Co-operative Bank, and that joint accounts are not included in the valuation.
If total sole account balances are £50,000 or under, the bereavement team may be able to release funds using a copy of the will instead of full probate, where one exists.
If you do need probate, you can apply through the government’s service at gov.uk/applying-for-probate. For realistic timelines, see our guide to how long probate takes.
How long it takes
The timeline depends mainly on whether probate is needed.
Without probate (sole accounts under £50,000, or joint accounts only): straightforward cases are typically resolved in two to four weeks once the bereavement team has all required documents. Joint accounts are often updated to the surviving holder’s name within a few days.
With probate: the probate process itself typically takes 16 weeks or more in England and Wales, depending on whether HMRC needs to assess inheritance tax (source: gov.uk/applying-for-probate). Once the bereavement team receives the grant, account closure and fund release usually follows within two to four weeks.
The most common cause of delay for a legacy Britannia account is uncertainty over which brand an old account was opened under. Sending documents to the Britannia-specific email address when in doubt avoids the document being logged against the wrong queue.
Things to watch out for
An old Britannia passbook or account number can still be valid. If a family member kept an old Britannia savings passbook, don’t assume the account no longer exists. Britannia accounts were migrated to Co-operative Bank equivalents, and any balance – however small or however long dormant – is still owed to the estate. Quote whatever reference number you have when you call.
Send bereavement documents to the Britannia-specific email if there’s any doubt. If the deceased held both Britannia and standard Co-operative Bank accounts, or you’re not sure which, the bank’s own guidance is to send everything to Britanniabereavementdocuments@co-operativebank.co.uk rather than the general Co-operative Bank address – this avoids delays while paperwork gets redirected internally.
The £50,000 threshold applies across all accounts combined, including any migrated Britannia balances added together with standard Co-operative Bank accounts – not each account individually.
You can release funds for funeral costs without waiting for probate. This is a standard facility on presentation of invoices or receipts – ask about it early if you’re covering funeral costs out of pocket.
Tell Us Once doesn’t cover the bank. The government’s Tell Us Once service notifies government agencies (HMRC, DVLA, DWP, and others) of a death in one step, but it doesn’t notify banks or building societies. The Co-operative Bank must be contacted directly, or via the Death Notification Service for the initial notification.
Summary
Britannia Building Society no longer exists as an independent bank – it merged into The Co-operative Banking Group in 2009 and its accounts have since been fully migrated onto The Co-operative Bank’s own systems. To notify them of a death, call 03457 212 212 (current accounts and savings) or 08000 288 288 (mortgages), Monday to Friday. If you’re sending documents relating to a Britannia-branded account, email them to Britanniabereavementdocuments@co-operativebank.co.uk rather than the general address.
Have the death certificate, a completed Bereavement Instruction Form, and your own photo ID ready. Probate is required if total sole account balances exceed £50,000; for smaller estates, a copy of the will is often enough. Funds can be released early to cover funeral costs – ask about this when you first get in touch.
For broader guidance on what to do in the days and weeks after a death, see our what to do after someone dies hub, or our guide to notifying Co-op Bank if the accounts in question aren’t Britannia-branded.
If the person who died was your spouse or civil partner, you may also be entitled to Bereavement Support Payment – a tax-free government benefit worth up to £9,800. Claims must be made within three months to receive the full amount.