Dealing with a loved one’s bank accounts is one of the more pressing practical tasks after a death. Other organisations often need to know the bank has been told, and household bills may still be going out. This guide explains how to notify Halifax step by step: the right phone number, what documents to have ready, what happens to the accounts – including ISAs, savings, and mortgages – and when you might need probate.
Quick reference:
- Phone: 0800 015 0012 (8am–6pm, 7 days a week)
- Executor/lending queries: 0800 028 1057 (8am–8pm, 7 days a week)
- Investment accounts: 0800 876 6847 (Monday–Friday, 8am–5pm)
- Estate administration (if Halifax is named executor): 0800 056 0171 (Monday–Friday, 9am–5pm)
- Online notification: halifax.co.uk/helpcentre/bereavement
- Part of Lloyds Banking Group – notifying Halifax can also update Lloyds, Bank of Scotland, and others
How to notify Halifax of a death
Halifax recommends using their online form as the quickest way to register a death. You can access it via the Halifax bereavement notification form. The form guides you through the process at your own pace and can be completed without having all documents ready.
If you prefer to speak to someone, call the Halifax Bereavement Service on 0800 015 0012. Lines are open 8am to 6pm, seven days a week. For queries about executor accounts or lending, there is a separate number: 0800 028 1057 (8am to 8pm, seven days a week). For investment accounts (Halifax Share Dealing, stocks and shares ISAs, investment portfolios), call 0800 876 6847 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm) – these are handled on a separate process, covered in the Halifax Share Dealing and investments section below. If Halifax is named as executor in the will, the Estate Administration Service handles this separately on 0800 056 0171 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm).
You can also visit any Halifax branch in person. If you are an existing Halifax customer, bring your debit card. If you are not a customer, bring two forms of identification.
| Method | Details |
|---|---|
| Online form | Halifax bereavement notification form – Halifax says this is the quickest option |
| Phone | 0800 015 0012, 8am–6pm, 7 days/week |
| In branch | Any Halifax branch; take ID with you |
| Death Notification Service | deathnotificationservice.co.uk – free service that notifies multiple banks at once |
The Death Notification Service is worth using if the deceased held accounts at more than one bank. It lets you notify multiple participating institutions through a single free form. You will still need to deal with Halifax directly to settle accounts and release funds, but the DNS handles the initial notification across all participating banks simultaneously.
Tell Us Once and Halifax: what you need to know
Tell Us Once does not notify Halifax. This is one of the most common misunderstandings in bereavement administration and worth being explicit about.
Tell Us Once is a government service that notifies government departments when someone dies: HMRC, the Department for Work and Pensions, the local council, the Passport Office, the DVLA, and public-sector pension schemes. It does not cover banks, building societies, insurers, or any other private organisation. Halifax is not a Tell Us Once partner.
The Death Notification Service (DNS) is the equivalent scheme for the private sector. It is run by the banking industry and lets you notify multiple participating banks and financial institutions through a single free form at deathnotificationservice.co.uk. Halifax is a member of the DNS.
In practice:
- Use Tell Us Once for government departments (HMRC, DWP, DVLA, local council, passport)
- Use the Death Notification Service to send the initial notification to Halifax and other banks simultaneously
- Then deal with Halifax directly to close accounts, release funds, and administer the estate
The DNS only sends the notification. You will still need to contact Halifax directly to submit documents, progress the administration, and release funds.
Source: gov.uk/after-a-death/organisations-you-need-to-contact-and-tell-us-once.
What to tell Halifax when you get in touch
For the initial contact, Halifax will ask for:
- The deceased’s full name, address, and date of death
- Account details (sort code, account number, or card number if available)
- Your name and contact details
- Your relationship to the deceased
You do not need all documents in hand before you start. Halifax can log the notification and follow up on documents separately.
What documents you’ll need
Halifax requires two things to begin reviewing accounts: proof of death and proof of your identity.
Proof of death – one of the following:
- Original death certificate from the register office
- Interim death certificate issued by a coroner
- Coroner’s certificate (if the full certificate is delayed)
Proof of your identity:
- In branch: your Halifax debit card (if you’re a customer) or two forms of ID (if not)
- By phone: Halifax uses security questions to verify your identity
- Online: you will be asked to provide personal details for verification
If you are dealing with multiple organisations at the same time, it is worth ordering several certified copies of the death certificate from the register office. In England and Wales, each copy costs £11 – see gov.uk/order-copy-birth-death-marriage-certificate. Keep originals safe and send certified copies where possible.
If the estate requires probate, Halifax will ask for the grant of probate (if there is a will) or letters of administration (if there is no will). In Scotland, this is called a certificate of confirmation. For guidance on whether probate is needed and how to apply, see gov.uk/applying-for-probate.
What happens to the accounts
Sole accounts
When Halifax is notified of a death, any accounts held solely in the deceased’s name are frozen. This means:
- All cards are cancelled
- Direct debits and standing orders are stopped
- Interest charges and fees are halted
- The balance is held until the estate is settled
The freezing happens quickly – plan ahead for any bills that were being paid from the deceased’s sole accounts. If a direct debit was covering a shared household expense such as council tax, utilities, or insurance, you will need to contact those providers separately and make alternative payment arrangements.
Any outstanding overdraft or loan on the deceased’s account is not written off. It becomes a debt of the estate and must be repaid from estate funds before any remaining balance is released to beneficiaries. The bereavement team will discuss the options with you; personal representatives are not personally liable for the debt.
Joint accounts
Joint accounts work differently. When one account holder dies, the surviving account holder automatically becomes the sole owner of the account and the money in it. Halifax updates the account to the surviving holder’s name only.
Direct debits and standing orders on joint accounts are not automatically cancelled – they continue as before. If any of those payments need to change following the death, the surviving account holder should contact each organisation separately.
Halifax Reward Current Account
If the deceased held a Halifax Reward Current Account, the monthly reward payment is personal to the account holder and ceases when the account is notified as deceased. The reward is not an estate asset. The account balance is released to the estate in the usual way.
Halifax savings accounts
Halifax offers several savings products, and what happens to each depends on how they were held.
Instant Saver and easy-access accounts: Frozen on notification. The balance forms part of the estate and is released following the small estates process (under £50,000) or on receipt of probate (over £50,000).
Fixed Rate Saver: On death, Halifax typically breaks the fixed term without applying the early withdrawal penalty. The balance is added to the estate. The bereavement team can confirm the specific terms for the account in question.
Cash ISA: The ISA continues as a “continuing ISA” and keeps its tax-free status until the executor closes it, or until three years and one day after the date of death, whichever comes first. No new money can be paid in, but interest continues to accrue tax-free during this period. The continuing ISA rules mean the estate does not lose the ISA wrapper simply because the account holder has died. Source: HMRC ISA guidance.
Halifax ISA and the Additional Permitted Subscription (APS)
This is one of the most valuable and least understood benefits available to bereaved spouses and civil partners, and Halifax is a major ISA provider.
When a spouse or civil partner dies holding an ISA, the surviving partner inherits the ISA wrapper benefit in the form of an Additional Permitted Subscription (APS). This is an extra ISA allowance – on top of the standard £20,000 annual limit – equal to the value of the deceased’s ISA.
How the APS amount is calculated:
- If the deceased died before 6 April 2018: the APS equals the ISA value at the date of death
- If the deceased died on or after 6 April 2018: the APS equals the higher of the value at death or the value when the continuing ISA closes (up to three years after death)
This matters in practice. If the deceased’s ISA was worth £45,000 and the continuing ISA grows to £48,000 before the executor closes it, the surviving partner’s APS is £48,000 – not £45,000.
Deadline to use the APS: The surviving spouse or civil partner has three years from the date of death, or 180 days after estate administration completes, whichever is later. Missing this deadline means the APS lapses permanently.
Where to use the APS:
- For cash contributions: you can use the APS with any ISA provider that accepts APS transfers, not just Halifax
- For transferring the actual investments: these can only move to an ISA with the same provider where the deceased held them
What to do: When notifying Halifax of the death, mention to the bereavement team that you want to discuss the APS entitlement. Halifax will connect you to their ISA team to handle this separately from the general account administration. The APS is distinct from probate – you do not need a grant of probate to start the APS claim process, though you will need it to close the main estate.
Source: HMRC, gov.uk/individual-savings-accounts; verified June 2026.
Halifax Share Dealing and investments
If the deceased held a Halifax Share Dealing account, a stocks and shares ISA, or a self-select investment account, these are handled by a separate Halifax team on a different process from everyday current and savings accounts – and it is easy to miss, because the general bereavement team does not close investment accounts for you. This section is the piece most other Halifax bereavement guides leave out.
How to notify Halifax Share Dealing
Investment accounts are not covered by the main bereavement notification. You notify the Share Dealing team separately:
- By email: send a copy of the death certificate to stockbrokingbereavement@lloydsbanking.com
- By post: Legal Department, Halifax Share Dealing, 12 Wellington Place, Leeds, LS1 4AP
- By phone: 0800 876 6847 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm), or +44 (0)113 270 1154 from abroad
Once Halifax has the death certificate, the accounts in the deceased’s name are restricted, and Halifax writes to you with the value of the Share Dealing account and the correct form to complete.
Which form you need
The form depends on the value of the investment holding, using the same thresholds as the rest of Halifax:
| Value of Share Dealing holding | Form required |
|---|---|
| Up to £50,000 (£36,000 in Scotland) | Small Estates & Indemnity Instruction Form |
| Over £50,000 | Executor Authority Form (grant of probate or confirmation usually needed) |
You will not be able to sell shares, transfer stock, or withdraw funds until identity and verification checks are complete. Halifax attempts these electronically first; if that fails, you send one proof-of-identity document and one proof-of-address document.
How investments are valued and how long it takes
For probate and inheritance tax, shares are valued as at the date of death, not the date you notify Halifax or the date they are eventually sold. This is the figure that goes on the estate valuation, so keep the letter Halifax sends you.
Once you have instructed Halifax what to do with the holding:
- Selling the investments: Halifax aims to sell within 72 hours of your instruction. The cash proceeds then form part of the estate.
- Transferring stock to another Halifax Share Dealing account (for example, a beneficiary’s own account): usually up to 10 working days.
Stocks and shares ISA – the APS still applies
A stocks and shares ISA carries the same Additional Permitted Subscription (APS) benefit as a cash ISA. A surviving spouse or civil partner gets an extra ISA allowance equal to the value of the deceased’s investment ISA – on top of their own £20,000 annual allowance. The APS from an investment ISA can be satisfied in cash, or the actual investments can be transferred “in specie” to the survivor’s ISA where the provider allows it. The same three-year deadline applies. See the APS section above for how the amount is calculated and where it can be used.
Source: Halifax Share Dealing bereavement guidance, halifax.co.uk/investing/help-and-guidance/existing-customer/bereavement-support.html; verified July 2026.
Halifax mortgages
Dealing with a mortgage after a death depends on whether the mortgage was held in joint or sole names. Contact the Halifax mortgage bereavement line on 0800 015 0012 as soon as possible to discuss the options.
Joint mortgage
When one borrower on a joint mortgage dies, the surviving borrower continues to be responsible for the mortgage payments. The mortgage typically transfers into the surviving borrower’s sole name. Halifax will update the account once they receive the death certificate. Mortgage payments continue as normal during this process.
The property’s ownership is a separate matter from the mortgage. Whether the property passes automatically to the survivor or through the estate depends on whether it was held as joint tenants (automatic survivorship) or tenants in common (passes via the will or intestacy rules). These are different legal positions – check the title deeds at HM Land Registry if you are unsure.
Sole mortgage
For a sole mortgage, Halifax will not expect mortgage payments for up to 18 months from the date of death while the estate is being administered. This grace period is there to allow time for probate and estate administration without the estate falling into arrears. If the executor wishes to continue making payments during this period, that can be arranged – contact the mortgage team.
Once probate has been granted, the executor can either sell the property and repay the mortgage from the proceeds, or transfer the mortgage to a beneficiary (subject to Halifax’s standard lending criteria).
Early repayment charges are waived when a sole or joint mortgage is redeemed following the death of a borrower. You will not face an exit penalty for repaying the mortgage early as part of the estate administration.
Mortgage protection insurance: If the deceased had a life insurance policy linked to the mortgage, the policy should pay out to clear or reduce the outstanding balance. Contact the insurer separately – Halifax’s bereavement team can advise on any policies held through Halifax Insurance.
Buildings insurance gap: When a property is empty pending estate administration, some buildings insurance policies become void or have reduced cover after 30–60 days of vacancy. Check the policy terms early and notify the insurer that the property is unoccupied. Many insurers will extend cover on request.
Halifax’s part in Lloyds Banking Group
Halifax is part of Lloyds Banking Group, and this matters practically. When you notify Halifax of a death, they will also pass the information to other group companies – including Lloyds Bank, Bank of Scotland, Scottish Widows, Clerical Medical, MBNA, and Birmingham Midshires – provided the deceased held accounts or products with them.
This means a single notification to Halifax may cover multiple accounts across the group. However, passing the notification is not the same as closing or settling each account. Even where Halifax has notified a group company, you will typically need to deal with each brand’s own bereavement team to complete the administration – provide documentation, receive valuations, and authorise releases.
Always confirm with the Halifax bereavement team exactly which group companies have been notified, and ask whether any require you to follow up directly.
MBNA credit cards
MBNA is part of Lloyds Banking Group and issues credit cards. If the deceased held an MBNA card, Halifax’s notification should reach MBNA. However, any outstanding MBNA credit card balance does not disappear on death – it is a liability of the estate. The executor must ensure the debt is repaid from estate funds before distributing to beneficiaries. Personal representatives are not personally liable for the deceased’s debts.
For guidance on dealing with credit card debt in an estate, see our page on credit card debt after death.
If the deceased held accounts with Bank of Scotland specifically, see our guide to notifying Bank of Scotland – it covers the separate Scottish confirmation procedure and Bank of Scotland’s own bereavement contact details.
Probate: when it’s needed
Probate (or confirmation in Scotland) is the legal authority that allows an executor or administrator to deal with an estate. Halifax – as part of Lloyds Banking Group – applies a probate threshold of £50,000. If the total value held with Halifax in the deceased’s sole name is below that figure, Halifax can typically release funds without a grant of probate through their small estates process. For estates above the threshold, probate will be required before funds are released.
If Halifax determines that probate is needed, they will ask for:
- A grant of probate (if there is a will), or
- Letters of administration (if there is no will), or
- A certificate of confirmation (in Scotland)
For guidance on whether probate applies to a particular estate and how to obtain it, Halifax directs customers to gov.uk/applying-for-probate or the Probate Service helpline on 0300 303 0648. You can also consult a solicitor if the estate is complex.
Small estates: If the total held with Halifax in the deceased’s sole name is under £50,000 and the estate is straightforward, Halifax can release funds without probate using their small estates process. The bereavement team will confirm whether this applies during your initial contact. Source: Lloyds Banking Group bereavement guidance, verified June 2026.
How Halifax compares to other major banks:
| Bank | Probate threshold (sole accounts) | Death Notification Service | IHT423 Direct Payment Scheme |
|---|---|---|---|
| Halifax | £50,000 | Yes | Yes |
| Lloyds | £50,000 | Yes | Yes |
| Barclays | £50,000 | Yes | Yes |
| HSBC | £50,000 | Yes | Yes |
| NatWest | £50,000 | Yes | Yes |
| Santander | £50,000 | Yes | Yes |
| Nationwide | £50,000 | Yes | Yes |
Sources: individual bank bereavement guides and HMRC IHT423 guidance, verified June 2026.
Halifax Executor Account
If you are administering an estate, Halifax offers an Executor Account – a bank account specifically designed for collecting and managing estate funds before and during distribution. It allows you to hold money from multiple sources in one place while you work through the administration process. Ask the bereavement team about this during your initial call.
Funeral payments
Halifax can make a direct payment from the deceased’s account to a funeral director to cover funeral costs. This is available before the account is formally closed and does not require probate to have been granted first.
To arrange this, contact Halifax’s bereavement team with the funeral director’s details and the invoice amount. This is one of the more useful features of Halifax’s bereavement service and worth knowing about early – it can ease pressure on family members who might otherwise need to fund the funeral themselves while waiting for the estate to settle.
The IHT423 Direct Payment Scheme – paying inheritance tax from Halifax accounts
If the estate owes inheritance tax and the deceased held savings with Halifax, the executor can use the IHT423 Direct Payment Scheme to instruct Halifax to pay HMRC directly from the account – without needing probate first.
This resolves a practical problem that catches many executors off guard: inheritance tax is typically due within six months of death, but probate is required to access the funds to pay it. The IHT423 breaks this deadlock.
How it works:
- Complete form IHT423 (available at gov.uk/government/publications/inheritance-tax-direct-payment-scheme-bank-or-building-society-account-iht423)
- Send the completed form directly to Halifax – not to HMRC
- Include a certified copy of the death certificate
- Halifax transfers the agreed amount directly to HMRC
Fill in a separate IHT423 for each account you want to draw from. The IHT423 can only be used to pay inheritance tax owed to HMRC; it cannot be used to release funds to the executor for general purposes.
Halifax participates in the Direct Payment Scheme, as do most major UK high street banks including Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds, NatWest, and Santander.
Source: HMRC, gov.uk/government/publications/inheritance-tax-direct-payment-scheme-bank-or-building-society-account-iht423.
Dealing with a Halifax account in Scotland
In Scotland, the legal process for dealing with a deceased’s estate is called confirmation rather than probate. Instead of applying to a Probate Registry, an executor applies to the Sheriff Court in the deceased’s local area.
The C1 form
The main document is Form C1 (Confirmation Inventory), which lists all the deceased’s assets as at the date of death. You must complete this form and submit it to the local Sheriff Court – it cannot be submitted online and must be posted or delivered in person.
Once issued, a certificate of confirmation is the Scottish equivalent of a grant of probate. Halifax accepts a certificate of confirmation in place of English or Welsh probate documents.
Small estates in Scotland
For estates under £36,000, Scotland has a simplified small estates procedure. The Sheriff Clerk at the local court can assist with preparing Form C1 at no charge for this service (court fees still apply). This threshold is separate from Halifax’s own £50,000 probate threshold – if the total held with Halifax in the deceased’s sole name is under £50,000, Halifax may be able to release those funds without confirmation, regardless of the overall estate size.
What to provide Halifax
When dealing with a Halifax account in Scotland, provide:
- Certificate of confirmation (or a certified copy)
- Death certificate
- Your identification
Contact Halifax on 0800 015 0012 and let them know the estate is being administered in Scotland. The process and timelines are otherwise the same as for England and Wales.
Source: scotcourts.gov.uk – dealing with a deceased’s estate in Scotland.
Dealing with a Halifax account in Northern Ireland
In Northern Ireland, probate is called a grant of probate (where there is a will) or letters of administration (where there is no will), and is administered through the Probate Office in Belfast, which is part of the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service (NICTS).
When a grant is needed
A grant will usually be required if the estate is worth more than £10,000 and includes assets not held jointly. If all assets are held jointly with a surviving spouse or civil partner, a grant may not be needed. Halifax applies its standard £50,000 threshold for releasing funds from sole accounts – if the total held with Halifax in the deceased’s sole name is below £50,000, Halifax may be able to release those funds without a grant through their small estates process.
Applying for a grant in Northern Ireland
Applications are made to the Probate Office in Belfast. Since 2023, applications can be submitted online via the NICTS Probate Portal. Court fees apply: the application fee is £261 for estates over £10,000, with a personal application fee of £65 if you are applying without a solicitor. For estates under £10,000, no application fee applies.
What to provide Halifax
When dealing with a Halifax account in Northern Ireland, provide:
- A Northern Ireland grant of probate or letters of administration (or certified copies)
- Death certificate
- Your identification
Halifax accepts Northern Ireland grants in the same way as English and Welsh grants. Contact Halifax on 0800 015 0012 to confirm any specific requirements.
Source: nidirect.gov.uk/articles/probate; NICTS Probate Portal guidance.
How long does it take?
The timeline depends on the complexity of the estate.
| Situation | Typical timeline |
|---|---|
| Joint accounts only | Updated within a few days of notification |
| Sole accounts, no probate needed | Two to four weeks once documents are received |
| Sole accounts, probate required | Probate itself averages 8–16 weeks at Halifax after the grant is received; full estate administration often 9–12 months |
Source: Halifax bereavement service page, last verified June 2026.
The most common source of delay is incomplete documentation. Providing the death certificate and any required probate documents promptly reduces the time significantly. Once Halifax has everything it needs, the process moves through their internal teams without much further input required from you.
Things to watch out for
Direct debits stop on sole accounts immediately. If household bills were set up on the deceased’s account, they will stop the moment Halifax freezes it. Utilities, insurance, council tax, and subscriptions can all be affected. It is worth checking which bills came from which account before you call.
The APS deadline is three years from the date of death. If the deceased held a Halifax ISA and the surviving spouse or civil partner wants to use the Additional Permitted Subscription, they must act before the deadline – it cannot be extended. Raise this with the bereavement team at the time of notification, even if the APS won’t be used immediately.
The Lloyds Banking Group link is useful. One notification can cover multiple group accounts – but confirm with Halifax which companies have been updated, rather than assuming all group accounts have been captured.
Funeral payment is available before probate. Many families are surprised to learn that Halifax can pay the funeral director directly from the deceased’s account without waiting for probate. Raise this early if the funeral costs are a concern.
Overdrafts and loans are not forgiven. Outstanding debts on the deceased’s accounts are recovered from the estate before any money is distributed. Beneficiaries do not inherit personal liability for these debts, but they will reduce what the estate ultimately passes on.
The sole mortgage grace period is 18 months. Halifax will not chase mortgage payments on a sole mortgage for up to 18 months after death. This does not mean the debt disappears – it simply gives the estate time to be administered without arrears accruing.
You can use the Death Notification Service. If the deceased held accounts with multiple banks, the free DNS (deathnotificationservice.co.uk) can notify them all at once – saving you from making separate calls to each institution.
Summary
To notify Halifax after a death, use the Halifax bereavement notification form or call 0800 015 0012 (8am–6pm, seven days a week). Have the death certificate to hand, but you can begin the process before all documents are ready. Ask about direct funeral payments early – Halifax can pay the funeral director from the deceased’s account before the estate is settled.
If the total held in the deceased’s sole name with Halifax is under £50,000, probate may not be required. For estates above that threshold, you will need a grant of probate before funds can be released. See our guide to applying for probate for more detail.
If the deceased held a Halifax ISA and had a surviving spouse or civil partner, the APS allowance can be significant – worth raising with Halifax’s ISA team at the point of notification. For more detail on what happens to ISAs in an estate, see our guide to ISAs after death.
If the deceased held a Halifax mortgage, the 18-month sole mortgage payment grace period and the ERC waiver are both worth knowing about. For a full overview of mortgage options after a death, see our guide to what happens to a mortgage when someone dies.
If the deceased held accounts with other Lloyds Banking Group companies, one notification to Halifax may cover several of them – including Lloyds Bank.
For guides to other UK banks, see our pages on notifying Lloyds Bank, notifying Barclays, notifying HSBC, notifying NatWest, notifying Nationwide, and notifying TSB (note: TSB’s probate threshold is £25,000 – lower than Halifax’s £50,000).