Hastings Direct is one of the UK’s largest direct insurers, covering millions of car, home, van, and bike policyholders. If the person you’ve lost had a Hastings Direct policy, the process is straightforward – but there are a few things you need to know immediately, particularly about what happens to car insurance in the days after a death.
This guide covers how to notify Hastings Direct, what to have ready when you call, and what happens to each type of policy. The most time-sensitive question – whether the car is still insured – is answered below.
If you are dealing with several organisations at once, our guide to notifying companies after a death covers banks, utilities, government departments, and other insurers.
Quick reference
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Phone | 0333 321 9801 |
| Bereavement support page | hastingsdirect.com/additional-support/bereavement-support |
| Hours (bereavement team) | Monday–Friday, 9am–5:30pm |
| Documents needed | Death certificate, policy number(s), deceased’s name, DOB and address |
| Response time | Within 3 business working days |
How to notify Hastings Direct of a death
Call 0333 321 9801 to reach Hastings Direct’s customer services team. The bereavement team is available Monday to Friday, 9am to 5:30pm.
Hastings Direct does not appear to offer a dedicated online bereavement form – the notification needs to be done by phone. Their bereavement support page provides an overview and the option to message them 24/7 via their mobile app, but phone is the most reliable route for formal policy notification.
When you call, have the following ready:
| 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) | Check any insurance documents, renewal notices, or bank statements |
| Death certificate or interim death certificate | A scan or photograph is usually accepted initially |
| Your name, relationship to the deceased, and contact details | Executor, next of kin, or other representative |
You do not need to have all of this ready before you call. Hastings Direct will guide you through what they need and confirm the next steps for each policy. Once notified, they aim to respond and begin the closure or transfer process within 3 business working days.
If you would prefer not to call yourself, services such as Settld and LifeLedger can notify Hastings Direct and other organisations on your behalf – Settld is free to use, while LifeLedger charges a fee.
Source: Hastings Direct – bereavement support, verified May 2026; Settld – Hastings Direct, verified May 2026.
What documents you’ll need
The core document for all Hastings Direct policies is a death certificate. This is issued by the register office after a death is formally registered in England, Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland. It is worth ordering several certified copies when you register – the fee varies by country (currently £12.50 in England and Wales), and having multiple copies avoids delays with multiple organisations.
| Document | When needed |
|---|---|
| Death certificate (original or certified copy) | Required for all policies |
| Policy number(s) | For each Hastings Direct policy – helpful but not essential for the initial call |
| Vehicle registration number | Car and van insurance policies |
| Property address | Home insurance policies |
| Your proof of identity | If acting as executor or administrator |
If you cannot find the policy number, check the deceased’s bank statements for “Hastings Direct” direct debits. Hastings Direct can search their records using the deceased’s name, date of birth, and address.
Source: LifeLedger – Hastings Direct car insurance bereavement, verified May 2026.
Car insurance: the most urgent question
When a car insurance policyholder dies, the cover does not automatically continue. This is the most pressing issue for families in the days after a bereavement, particularly if the car is needed for practical reasons – collecting belongings, returning to the home, or making funeral arrangements.
Do not drive the car before confirming cover. Before anyone moves or drives the deceased’s vehicle, check with Hastings Direct that some form of cover is still in place. Even if a family member was a named driver on the original policy, that cover was linked to the deceased policyholder – it may not extend automatically once the policyholder has died. Driving an uninsured vehicle is a criminal offence under Section 143 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, and carries a fixed penalty of £300, six penalty points, and the possibility of a vehicle seizure.
If someone needs to move the car urgently before you have had a chance to confirm cover, short-term insurance is available from specialist providers from as little as one hour.
What happens to the policy. Once you notify Hastings Direct, the car insurance will be cancelled from the date of death. Any unused premium will be refunded on a pro-rata basis. Most insurers waive the standard cancellation fee for bereavement – ask Hastings Direct to confirm their position when you call.
If someone else wants to keep the car insured. A surviving spouse or the executor may need to arrange a new policy in their own name to cover the vehicle while the estate is being settled. The deceased’s policy cannot simply be transferred to another person – a new application is required. The previous policyholder’s no-claims history was personal to them and cannot formally be transferred to another policy, though it is worth asking Hastings Direct about their position in bereavement circumstances.
Joint policies. If both the deceased and a surviving partner are named on the policy, the death of one policyholder does not automatically void cover for the surviving named driver. Contact Hastings Direct promptly to update the policy into the surviving driver’s name. The premium may be recalculated.
For a full guide to car insurance, DVLA registration, vehicle tax, and what to do with the car itself, see what happens to car insurance when someone dies.
Home insurance
Home insurance – buildings and contents – needs prompt attention after a death, particularly if the property is going to stand empty for any period during estate administration.
Once you notify Hastings Direct, they will confirm the current status of the home insurance policy and discuss what happens next. Ask directly: “Is the property currently insured, and until when?”
The unoccupied property risk. Standard home insurance policies typically restrict cover significantly once a property has been empty for a consecutive period. Many insurers set this threshold at 30 to 60 consecutive days. After that point, cover for theft, vandalism, escape of water, and similar risks is severely limited or removed entirely. Probate in England and Wales takes an average of several months for straightforward estates (see gov.uk/applying-for-probate), which commonly exceeds an insurer’s unoccupancy limit.
When you contact Hastings Direct, ask them specifically: what is the unoccupied property limit on the home insurance, and what cover remains after that limit is reached? If the property will be empty beyond their threshold, you will need to arrange specialist unoccupied property insurance or probate house insurance before the deadline passes. This is available from specialist providers including Homeprotect, UKinsuranceNET, and Intelligent Insurance.
Keeping buildings cover in place during probate. Even if the contents are not at risk, buildings cover matters for the estate. If a burst pipe, a fire, or structural damage occurs to an uninsured or underinsured property during probate, the cost falls on the estate – reducing what beneficiaries ultimately receive. This is one of the areas where executor negligence can result in personal liability.
Joint policies. If the home insurance was held jointly – the surviving partner’s name is also on the policy – and the surviving partner remains in the property, the policy can usually continue in the surviving partner’s name alone. Contact Hastings Direct to update the details.
Refund of unused premium. If the policy is cancelled rather than transferred, Hastings Direct will refund any unused premium on a pro-rata basis from the date of cancellation.
For the full picture on home insurance after a death – including executor responsibilities and how to arrange specialist cover during probate – see what happens to home insurance when someone dies.
Van and bike insurance
Hastings Direct also sells van and bike insurance. The process for notifying them of a death involving a van or bike policy is the same as for car insurance – call 0333 321 9801 and they will handle all active policies at once.
The same principle applies: do not drive a van or ride a bike before confirming whether cover remains in place following the policyholder’s death.
Refunds and the estate
If any unused premium is owed when a policy is cancelled, this forms part of the deceased’s estate. Hastings Direct will typically refund this:
- By cheque sent to the last known address, or
- By bank transfer to an account you specify
If the estate has not yet been administered and probate is not yet granted, a refund of a small insurance premium generally does not require probate – insurers can release small sums directly. Hastings Direct will advise on the practical process when you call.
There is no probate threshold specific to insurance policies in the way that banks may have thresholds above which they require a grant before releasing funds. Insurance refunds go to the estate and are administered as part of the normal estate process.
How long does it take?
| Task | Typical timeline |
|---|---|
| Initial response from Hastings Direct | Within 3 business working days of notification |
| Policy cancellation confirmed | On acknowledgement |
| Pro-rata premium refund | Typically 3–8 weeks after documentation received |
| Written confirmation | Sent by post or email after notification |
The main causes of delay are incomplete documentation and difficulty locating policy numbers. If Hastings Direct has everything they need at first contact, the process usually moves quickly.
Source: Settld – Hastings Direct, verified May 2026.
Tips and things to watch out for
Don’t cancel the direct debit before cancelling with Hastings Direct. If premiums are paid by direct debit, notify Hastings Direct before cancelling the direct debit with the bank. Cancelling the bank direct debit first may trigger a lapse in cover before the cancellation is formally processed, which complicates the refund and could affect any active claims.
Auto-renewal. Most Hastings Direct policies auto-renew annually. If the death occurs close to a renewal date, make sure Hastings Direct is aware before the renewal is processed – otherwise a new annual premium may be charged for a policy that should have been cancelled.
Check bank statements for all policies. People don’t always keep track of every policy they hold. Search the deceased’s bank statements for “Hastings Direct” direct debits. If the deceased had car, home, van, and bike cover, each would appear as a separate direct debit.
Probate is not required to begin the process. You do not need a grant of probate to contact Hastings Direct and start the cancellation process. Notifying an insurer of a death is an administrative step that does not require legal authority over the estate. Probate may become relevant later – for example, if there is an outstanding claim to pursue as part of the estate – but it is not required for the initial call.
Hastings Direct is not a member of the Death Notification Service. The Death Notification Service (DNS) allows a single notification to cover multiple banks and financial institutions. No insurance companies participate in the DNS – insurers must be contacted directly. If you are using Tell Us Once (the government service for notifying multiple government departments at once), Hastings Direct is not covered by that either, as it only covers government agencies. You need to contact Hastings Direct separately.
If there is an active claim. If the deceased was in the middle of an insurance claim at the time of death – for example, a car accident or an ongoing home insurance repair – the estate can continue to pursue it. Claims do not automatically lapse when a policyholder dies. Notify Hastings Direct of the death and ask specifically about any active claims. They will advise on the documentation needed to transfer or continue the claim.
The unoccupied property clock starts immediately. Many executors focus on financial accounts first and leave the home insurance until later. This is understandable but risky – the clock on unoccupied property cover starts from the date the property becomes empty. If the deceased lived alone, that is potentially the date of death itself.
Summary
For all Hastings Direct insurance policies – car, home, van, and bike – call 0333 321 9801, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5:30pm. Have the death certificate, policy number(s) if available, and the deceased’s date of birth and address ready. If you cannot find policy numbers, Hastings Direct can locate records from personal details.
The most urgent action is confirming car insurance: before anyone drives the deceased’s vehicle, contact Hastings Direct to confirm cover. A family member who was a named driver should not assume cover continues without checking.
For home insurance, ask Hastings Direct about the unoccupied property limit before the property is left empty for an extended period. If probate will take several months, you may need specialist cover before the insurer’s standard limit is reached.
Hastings Direct will respond within 3 business working days of notification and will guide you through policy cancellation, refunds, and any outstanding claims.
For a broader overview of all financial and legal tasks after a death, see our complete guide to notifying companies and organisations. For other insurers, see our guides to notifying Admiral, notifying Direct Line, and notifying Churchill.
Sources: Hastings Direct – bereavement support, verified May 2026; Settld – Hastings Direct, verified May 2026; LifeLedger – Hastings Direct car insurance, verified May 2026; LifeLedger – Hastings Direct home insurance, verified May 2026; Legacy Trail – Death Notification Service, verified May 2026.