Dealing with a loved one’s accounts is one of the more immediate practical tasks after a death. Nationwide, as the UK’s largest building society, holds current accounts, savings accounts, ISAs, and mortgages – and each is handled slightly differently when someone dies. This guide covers how to notify Nationwide step by step: the right phone number, which documents you’ll need, what happens to each account type, and when probate is likely to be required.
Quick reference:
- Phone: 0800 464 3018 (Monday–Friday 9am–5pm, Saturday 9am–12pm)
- Online: nationwide.co.uk/help/challenging-times/bereavement
- Post: Bereavement Services, Specialist Customer Support, Nationwide Building Society, Swindon, SN38 3FN
- Probate required if: sole account balances total more than £50,000
How to notify Nationwide of a death
You can notify Nationwide in four ways – choose whichever feels manageable.
By phone – Call 0800 464 3018, Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, Saturday 9am to 12pm. Nationwide’s bereavement team is trained to handle these calls with care. You do not need the death certificate to hand before you call – Nationwide can take the initial notification and explain what to send next. If you prefer, Nationwide can try to verify the death through the government database without a certificate in the first instance.
Online – You can start the notification process at nationwide.co.uk/help/challenging-times/bereavement. Once you have submitted the initial notification, you will receive instructions on how to upload a copy of the death certificate securely.
In branch – Any Nationwide branch can take the initial notification. If you bring the original death certificate, branch staff can take a photocopy and return the original to you immediately. This avoids the need to post original documents.
By post – Write to: Bereavement Services, Specialist Customer Support, Nationwide Building Society, Swindon, SN38 3FN. You can send a certified copy of the death certificate rather than the original.
Death Notification Service – If the person held accounts at several banks or building societies, the Death Notification Service (deathnotificationservice.co.uk) lets you notify all participating institutions – including Nationwide – through a single free online form. This is particularly useful in the early days when managing multiple notifications feels overwhelming.
What to have ready when you notify
For the initial notification, Nationwide will need:
- The deceased’s full name, date of birth, address, and date of death
- Your name, address, telephone number, and relationship to the deceased
- At least one account number or sort code (helpful but not essential at first contact)
You do not need every document sorted before you call. Nationwide will send you a letter within 10 working days setting out the account balances and what documents are needed to proceed.
What documents you’ll need
After the initial notification, Nationwide will write to you confirming which documents are required. The core document is the death certificate – everything else depends on the type of account and the size of the estate.
| Document | When required | How to submit |
|---|---|---|
| Death certificate (original or certified copy) | Always | In branch (photocopy taken), posted, or uploaded online |
| Grant of Representation / Letters of Administration | Sole accounts over £50,000 | Post or in branch |
| Bereavement Request to close accounts form | To close sole accounts | Nationwide sends this to you |
| Funeral invoice (headed paper, itemised) | If requesting funeral payment | In branch or by post |
How to submit the death certificate:
- In branch – bring the original; staff will photocopy and return it on the spot.
- Online – upload a photo or scan through Nationwide’s secure online service after the initial notification.
- Post – send a certified copy (not the original) to the Swindon address above.
If the death certificate is in a language other than English, a certified translation will also be required.
What happens to the accounts
Current accounts and savings (sole)
Once Nationwide receives notification, any sole current or savings account remains open but is treated as part of the estate. Cards and chequebooks are cancelled – you do not need to return them. No further transactions can be made. Nationwide will send you a letter within 10 working days setting out the balances held.
The account stays open until you provide the documents needed to close it. For sole accounts with a balance under £50,000, you complete Nationwide’s Bereavement Request form – no probate needed. For balances over £50,000, a Grant of Representation is required before closure (see the probate section below).
Current accounts and savings (joint)
When the account is in joint names, Nationwide transfers it to the surviving account holder on receipt of the death certificate. The account continues to operate normally. Any direct debits or standing orders in both names will continue under the surviving holder’s name.
ISAs
If the deceased held a Nationwide ISA, it remains open and retains its tax-free status throughout estate administration. This is important: the ISA does not lose its tax-free wrapper simply because the holder has died – it continues to shelter interest until the account is formally closed or the estate is complete, whichever comes first.
If the ISA is not closed within three years, Nationwide moves the balance into a taxable savings account, where it waits until the personal representative requests release of the funds.
The surviving spouse or civil partner may also be entitled to an Additional Permitted Subscription (APS) – an inherited ISA allowance equal to the value of the deceased’s ISA at the date of death. This can be used to shelter assets in their own ISA even if they don’t inherit the ISA funds directly. Ask Nationwide about this specifically if it applies.
Mortgages (sole)
If the deceased held a Nationwide mortgage in their sole name, the mortgage is frozen for 12 months as standard – this period cannot be shortened. During that 12-month window, the personal representative can make voluntary payments by standing order or bank transfer if they wish. After 12 months, the mortgage balance will need to be repaid – typically from the proceeds of a property sale or refinancing.
Mortgages (joint)
For a joint mortgage, the account is moved into the surviving holder’s name on receipt of the death certificate. Nationwide recalculates the payments over the remaining mortgage term, taking account of any balance changes. The surviving holder continues to make regular payments; the mortgage does not need to be refinanced immediately.
Direct debits and standing orders
Any direct debits or standing orders on a sole account are cancelled when the account is frozen. If the deceased was paying utilities, subscriptions, or other bills from a sole account, contact those providers to make alternative arrangements – Nationwide will not notify them on your behalf.
Paying funeral costs from the account
Nationwide can release funds from a sole account to pay funeral costs before the estate is fully settled – you do not need to wait for account closure to cover these expenses.
To request a funeral payment, you need to bring a copy of the funeral invoice to a Nationwide branch. The invoice must be:
- On the funeral company’s headed paper
- Itemised (individual costs listed separately)
- In pounds sterling
Nationwide can release up to £8,000 from the account this way, paid by cheque directly to the funeral directors. This covers funeral director fees, burial or cremation costs, and related services included on the invoice.
If the funeral costs exceed £8,000, or you need payment made differently, discuss this with the bereavement team on 0800 464 3018.
Probate and when it’s required
Probate (known as a Grant of Representation in England and Wales, or a Certificate of Confirmation in Scotland) gives you the legal authority to administer someone’s estate. Whether Nationwide requires it depends on the total balance held in sole accounts.
Nationwide’s threshold is £50,000 for sole accounts (as confirmed in Nationwide’s published bereavement guidance, verified March 2026):
- Under £50,000 – you can close the account using Nationwide’s Bereavement Request form alone. No Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration is required, as long as you are not applying for one.
- £50,000 or more – Nationwide requires a Grant of Representation and a closure form signed by the Personal Representative before releasing funds.
Joint accounts are not affected by the probate threshold – they transfer to the surviving holder automatically on receipt of the death certificate, regardless of the balance.
If probate is required and you do not yet have a grant, you can apply through the HMCTS probate service (gov.uk/applying-for-probate). The current application fee is £300 for estates over £5,000 (as of 2026, per gov.uk). It typically takes several weeks to obtain; complex estates may take longer.
If inheritance tax is due to HMRC, Nationwide can make payment directly from the account using the IHT423 form – useful when the estate needs to pay IHT before probate is granted.
How long it takes
There is no single timeline – it depends on the complexity of the estate and whether probate is needed.
| Stage | Typical timeframe |
|---|---|
| Cards and chequebooks cancelled | Immediately on notification |
| Nationwide’s letter with account summary | Within 10 working days |
| Funeral payment (branch visit with invoice) | Same day or next working day |
| Joint account transferred to surviving holder | Within days of receiving death certificate |
| Sole account closure (under £50,000, no probate) | Weeks once all documents received |
| Sole account closure (over £50,000, probate required) | Months – depends on probate timeline |
| ISA closure (if not resolved) | Moved to taxable account after 3 years |
The most common source of delay is waiting for the Grant of Representation, particularly if the estate includes property or HMRC needs to confirm inheritance tax. Nationwide’s own process – once they have all the documents – is typically completed within a few weeks.
Things to watch out for
Don’t post original documents. Nationwide can photocopy your death certificate at any branch and return the original on the spot. Sending originals by post is a risk you do not need to take – use the branch, upload online, or post a certified copy.
Request the inherited ISA allowance early. If the deceased’s spouse or civil partner is entitled to an Additional Permitted Subscription, they need to claim it. Ask Nationwide about this specifically – it is not raised automatically and there is a time limit.
The mortgage freeze is fixed at 12 months. For sole mortgages, the 12-month freeze period cannot be shortened or cancelled. If the property needs to be sold to repay the mortgage, start the process early to avoid running out of time.
ISA three-year limit. If the estate takes a long time to resolve, note that an unwrapped ISA will automatically move to a taxable savings account after three years. This is not necessarily a problem, but it is worth flagging to the personal representative.
Nationwide is not a bank. Unlike the high-street banks, Nationwide is a building society – it is owned by its members, not shareholders. This does not affect the bereavement process, but it does mean Nationwide accounts may not appear in some online “what bank did they use?” lookup tools. Check for Nationwide specifically if you are unsure whether the deceased held an account there.
Consider notifying multiple providers at once. If the deceased held accounts or policies elsewhere – other banks, pension providers, insurers – the Death Notification Service can notify all participating institutions simultaneously, saving you multiple separate phone calls.
Summary
To notify Nationwide of a death, call 0800 464 3018 (Monday–Friday 9am–5pm, Saturday 9am–12pm) or use the online service at nationwide.co.uk/help/challenging-times/bereavement. Have the deceased’s name, date of birth, and date of death ready – you don’t need the death certificate before you call.
Nationwide will write to you within 10 working days with a summary of accounts held and what to do next. For sole accounts under £50,000, no probate is needed – just a completed form. For accounts over £50,000, a Grant of Representation is required. Joint accounts transfer to the surviving holder automatically.
If you also need to notify other building societies or banks, see our guides to notifying Yorkshire Building Society, notifying Barclays, and notifying NatWest.
Sources: Nationwide bereavement support (nationwide.co.uk, verified March 2026); Nationwide deceased customers guidance for lawyers (nationwide.co.uk, verified March 2026); Nationwide bereavement support PDF guide (nationwide.co.uk, verified March 2026); Death Notification Service (deathnotificationservice.co.uk); Tell Us Once (gov.uk); Probate application (gov.uk); IHT423 form (gov.uk).