Dealing with someone’s insurance policies is one of the more practical tasks that falls to family members and executors after a death – and it is easy to overlook while other arrangements are being made. esure is one of the UK’s major insurers, selling car and home insurance to millions of customers. If the person you’ve lost held a policy with esure or its sister brand Sheilas’ Wheels, this guide explains what to do, what you’ll need, and what happens to each policy.
There is no single dedicated bereavement phone line at esure – instead, you contact the relevant product team (car or home), and they handle the notification from there. You can reach them by phone, email, or via their online help page.
If you are dealing with several insurers or organisations at the same time, our guide to notifying companies after a death sets out the full picture, including banks, utilities, and government departments.
How to notify esure of a death
esure does not operate a combined bereavement team for all products. Contact the relevant team directly based on the policy held.
Car insurance Call 0345 609 8971. Lines are open Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm, Saturday and Sunday 9am to 5pm.
Home insurance Call 0345 045 8000. Lines are open Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm, Saturday and Sunday 9am to 5pm.
Email For both car and home insurance: customer.service@esure.com
Online You can also start the notification process via esure’s help page at esure.com/need-further-help. A 24/7 chatbot is available, with transfer to a live specialist during business hours.
Text relay If you have a hearing or speech impairment, add the prefix 18001 to any esure phone number to connect via the Text Relay service.
When you call, have the following ready if you can:
| Information | Notes |
|---|---|
| Full name, date of birth and usual address of the deceased | For account identification |
| Date of death | Required for all policies |
| Policy number(s) | On renewal notices, welcome letters, or bank statements |
| Your name, relationship to the deceased, and contact details | Executor, next of kin, or other representative |
You do not need to have everything to hand before making contact. esure’s team will tell you what else they need and explain the next steps for each policy.
Source: esure – contact us, verified May 2026.
Sheilas’ Wheels: a separate contact
Sheilas’ Wheels is owned by esure Group. Although they operate under the same parent company, they are a distinct brand with their own contact numbers and their own customer records. If the deceased held a Sheilas’ Wheels policy, you will need to contact Sheilas’ Wheels separately – calling esure will not trigger any action on a Sheilas’ Wheels policy.
Sheilas’ Wheels car insurance: 0345 045 2000 (Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm, Saturday and Sunday 9am to 5pm)
Sheilas’ Wheels home insurance: 0345 045 9000 (Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm, Saturday and Sunday 9am to 5pm)
If you are not certain which brand the policy is under, check the renewal documents or bank statements. The brand name – esure or Sheilas’ Wheels – will be clearly shown on any correspondence or direct debit entries.
Source: Sheilas’ Wheels – contact us, verified May 2026.
What documents you’ll need
The core document is the death certificate, issued by the register office once the death is formally registered. It is worth ordering several certified copies when registering the death – most organisations require either an original or a certified copy, and having several available prevents delays when dealing with multiple insurers and other companies simultaneously.
| Document | When needed |
|---|---|
| Death certificate (original or certified copy) | Required – a scan or photograph may be accepted for the initial call |
| Policy number(s) | For each esure or Sheilas’ Wheels policy |
| Vehicle registration number | Car insurance policies |
| Property address | Home insurance policies |
| Your proof of identity | If acting as executor or administrator |
esure accepts a scan or photograph of the death certificate for the initial notification, so you can begin the process before the original arrives. You may be asked to provide a certified copy for formal processing.
If you cannot find the policy number, check bank statements for “esure” or “Sheilas’ Wheels” direct debits. If you still cannot find it, esure can search their records using the deceased’s name, date of birth, and address.
What happens to the policy
Car insurance
When the policyholder dies, the car insurance policy does not automatically transfer to anyone else. The cover was issued in the deceased’s name and is linked to them as the named insured. Once you notify esure, they will begin the cancellation process.
The car must not be driven before cover is confirmed. This is the most important practical point, and it catches a lot of families out. Even if a family member was a named driver on the original policy, that arrangement was set up in relation to the deceased policyholder. Once the policyholder has died, the policy’s status is uncertain until you have spoken to esure and confirmed what cover – if any – remains in place. Driving an uninsured vehicle is a criminal offence under the Road Traffic Act 1988, regardless of the circumstances.
If someone needs to move the car before a new policy can be arranged – to clear a driveway, for instance – short-term insurance from specialist providers such as Cuvva or Tempcover can be arranged in minutes and covers periods from one hour upwards.
Transferring cover or arranging a new policy. If a family member or executor intends to keep and drive the vehicle, they will need their own policy. esure can advise on whether the existing policy can be transferred or whether a new policy is needed. Once the vehicle passes to a beneficiary through the estate, the beneficiary will need to register their own insurance before driving.
Refund of unused premium. Once the policy is cancelled, esure will calculate a pro-rata refund for the unused portion of the annual premium from the date of death. Ask whether the cancellation fee is waived – esure’s customer services team should be able to confirm their position.
Joint policies. If both the deceased and a surviving partner are named on the policy, contact esure to confirm whether the surviving driver’s cover continues and to update the policy into the surviving policyholder’s name alone.
Home insurance
Home insurance – buildings and contents – needs prompt attention after a death, particularly if the property will be empty during estate administration.
The unoccupied property threshold. esure’s standard home insurance policy covers an unoccupied property for up to 30 consecutive days. After that, cover is significantly restricted and many claims will not be paid. This is shorter than the 60-day window offered by some other insurers, and it is a common point of difficulty in bereavement situations. Probate in England and Wales takes an average of 16 weeks for straightforward estates and considerably longer for complex ones (gov.uk/applying-for-probate). If the property is going to remain unoccupied during probate, the 30-day window will almost certainly be exceeded.
Contact esure as soon as possible to discuss what options are available. If they cannot extend the unoccupied cover, you will need to arrange specialist unoccupied property insurance or probate house insurance before the threshold is reached. Specialist providers include Homeprotect, UKinsuranceNET, and Intelligent Insurance. Do not leave this until the last minute – standard insurers sometimes need several days to arrange specialist cover.
Source: Based on esure home insurance policy documentation. Verify your specific policy terms with esure directly.
Joint policies. If the home insurance is held jointly and a surviving partner remains in the property, contact esure to update the policy into the surviving policyholder’s name. The premium may be recalculated.
Refund of unused premium. If the policy is cancelled rather than transferred, esure will refund the unused portion of the annual premium on a pro-rata basis.
For a full guide to what happens to home insurance after a death – including executor responsibilities and how to find specialist cover during probate – see our guide to home insurance after a death.
For the full picture on car insurance, DVLA registration, vehicle tax, and what to do with the vehicle itself, see our guide to car insurance after a death.
How long it takes
| Task | Typical timeline |
|---|---|
| Policy cancellation confirmed | A few working days after notification |
| Pro-rata premium refund | 2–4 weeks after documentation received |
| Written confirmation of cancellation | Sent by post or email after processing |
| Car driven or sold | Only after cover is confirmed or new insurance arranged |
The main cause of delay is missing documentation – particularly the policy number or the death certificate. If esure has what they need at the first contact, the process moves quickly. Calling during mid-morning on a weekday typically avoids the longest wait times.
Tips and things to watch out for
The 30-day unoccupied window is shorter than you might expect. Many families assume standard home insurance covers an empty property for at least 60 days. esure’s threshold is 30 consecutive days. If the estate is going through probate and the property is sitting empty, this limit will be reached before probate is complete. Contact esure immediately after the death to discuss your options – do not wait until the window is nearly up.
Don’t cancel the direct debit before the policy is formally closed. If premiums are paid by direct debit, contact esure before cancelling it at the bank. Cancelling the direct debit first can cause a lapse in cover while the cancellation is still being processed, which complicates the refund and may affect any claims that are in progress.
esure and Sheilas’ Wheels are separate: two calls if needed. If the deceased held policies with both brands, you will need to contact each one separately. There is no shared bereavement notification process between them, even though esure Group owns both.
esure is not a member of the Death Notification Service. The Death Notification Service (DNS) allows families to notify multiple banks and financial institutions in a single submission. esure is not a participating organisation – DNS membership is currently limited to banks, building societies, and a small number of financial services providers. You will need to contact esure and Sheilas’ Wheels directly.
Check for auto-renewal. If the death occurs close to a policy renewal date, notify esure before the renewal is processed. If a new annual premium is charged and debited before the cancellation is registered, reclaiming it adds unnecessary complexity.
Probate is not required to begin the process. You do not need a grant of probate to notify esure of a death or to start the cancellation process. Notifying an insurer is an administrative step that any authorised representative – an executor, next of kin, or someone with lasting power of attorney – can begin immediately.
Summary
For esure car insurance, call 0345 609 8971 (Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm, Saturday and Sunday 9am to 5pm). For esure home insurance, call 0345 045 8000 (same hours). For both, you can email customer.service@esure.com or start the process via esure.com/need-further-help.
If the deceased held a Sheilas’ Wheels policy, contact Sheilas’ Wheels separately: car on 0345 045 2000, home on 0345 045 9000.
Have the death certificate, the policy number if you have it, and the deceased’s name, date of birth, and address ready. If you cannot find the policy number, esure can search their records.
The most time-sensitive issue for home insurance is the 30-day unoccupied property limit. If the property will be empty during probate, contact esure immediately to discuss options or arrange specialist unoccupied property cover before the threshold is reached.
If the deceased held a Sheilas’ Wheels policy, see our Sheilas’ Wheels bereavement guide – a separate contact is required even if you have already notified esure.
For other insurers, see our guides to notifying Admiral, notifying Direct Line, and notifying Churchill. For a full list of companies to notify after a death, see our complete notification guide.
Sources: esure – contact us, verified May 2026; Sheilas’ Wheels – contact us, verified May 2026; Life Ledger – esure car insurance bereavement, verified May 2026; Life Ledger – esure home insurance bereavement, verified May 2026; probatecarsolutions.co.uk – insurance when someone dies, verified May 2026.