When someone dies, Post Office is one of the less obvious organisations to think of – but depending on what the deceased held, it may cover several separate things: savings accounts and ISAs held through Post Office Money, a Post Office card account (the purple card used by some benefits recipients), and travel insurance. This guide walks through each one, with the right contact details and what to expect.
Quick reference:
- Post Office Money savings and ISAs: Call 0800 169 9515 (Monday–Friday 9am–7pm, Saturday 9am–2pm) or use the online bereavement form
- Post Office card account (purple card): Call 0345 722 3344
- Post Office travel insurance: Call 0345 073 1006
- Probate threshold (savings/ISAs): £50,000
Post Office Money: savings accounts and ISAs
Post Office Money savings products – including the Online Saver, Instant Saver, Online Bond, Growth Bond, and Online ISA – are provided by Bank of Ireland UK. When someone dies, the notification and account closure process is handled by Bank of Ireland UK’s bereavement team, not directly by Post Office branches.
How to notify
There are two ways to start the process:
By phone – Call 0800 169 9515, Monday to Friday 9am to 7pm, Saturday 9am to 2pm. This is a freephone number. You do not need to have all your documents ready before you call – the team can take the initial notification and explain what to send next.
Online – Complete the online bereavement form at Bank of Ireland UK’s bereavement portal. Once submitted, you will receive instructions on what to provide next.
By post – Write to: Bank of Ireland UK Bereavement Unit, PO Box 2298, Belfast, BT1 9AP.
When you make first contact, have ready:
- The deceased’s full name, date of birth, date of death, and last address
- Your name, address, and relationship to the deceased
- Any account numbers from statements or correspondence (helpful, but not essential)
What happens to the accounts
Once Post Office Money (Bank of Ireland UK) is notified, the accounts are frozen. No withdrawals can be made and no new transactions are authorised during this period. Direct debits linked to the account will stop.
The accounts remain frozen until the bereavement team has received all required documents and processed the claim. Funds are then released to the estate.
Probate threshold
Bank of Ireland UK’s probate threshold for Post Office savings accounts and ISAs is £50,000 across all accounts held with them combined.
- Below £50,000: You will need to complete a payment authorisation form (which Bank of Ireland UK sends you) and provide the death certificate. Probate is not required.
- Above £50,000: You must provide a grant of probate (if there is a valid will) or letters of administration (if there is no will) before funds can be released.
Source: Bank of Ireland UK – Bereavement (last verified April 2026)
ISAs
Post Office Online ISAs are handled in the same way as savings accounts – notify Bank of Ireland UK via the same phone number or online form, and the same probate threshold applies.
If the deceased held a Post Office ISA and was married or in a civil partnership, the surviving spouse or civil partner may be entitled to an Additional Permitted Subscription (APS) allowance. This is a one-off extra ISA allowance equal to the value the deceased held, which can be used to maintain the tax-free shelter on an equivalent amount. For full detail on how the APS works, see what happens to an ISA when someone dies.
What documents you’ll need
The documents required depend on the account balance. This table covers Post Office Money savings and ISA accounts.
| Document | When required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Death certificate | Always | Certified copy accepted; original returned if sent by post |
| Payment authorisation form | Always | Sent by Bank of Ireland UK after initial notification |
| Your photo ID | Always | Passport or driving licence |
| Your proof of address | Always | Utility bill, bank statement – dated within 3 months |
| Certified copy of the will | If there is a will and the balance is under £50,000 | Optional at lower levels but often requested |
| Grant of probate or letters of administration | Required if combined balance exceeds £50,000 | Grant of probate if there is a will; letters of administration if not |
For guidance on whether you need probate and how to apply, see do I need probate?
How long it takes
Once all documents are received, Bank of Ireland UK typically processes the bereavement claim within 2–4 weeks. The timeline can extend if:
- Documents need to be returned and resent
- The balance exceeds £50,000 and probate has not yet been obtained
- Multiple accounts are held and balances need to be aggregated
If probate is required, the overall timeline will be dominated by how long probate takes – which for a straightforward application in England and Wales is typically around 16 weeks, though complex estates take longer. For a realistic breakdown, see how long does probate take?
Post Office card account (purple card)
The Post Office card account is a basic account provided to certain state benefit recipients – particularly older people receiving their pension or Universal Credit through it. The card itself is purple, and it works only for receiving government payments.
To notify Post Office of a cardholder’s death, call 0345 722 3344. You will be asked for the deceased’s details and the card number if available. The account will be closed.
You should also notify the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) of the death – this stops benefit payments and prevents overpayments that would need to be returned. The fastest way to do this is through Tell Us Once, the government’s free service that notifies multiple departments simultaneously.
Tell Us Once does not cover Post Office Money savings accounts or ISAs – those must be notified separately through Bank of Ireland UK.
Post Office travel insurance
Post Office is one of the UK’s largest travel insurance providers. If the deceased held a Post Office travel insurance policy, call 0345 073 1006 to notify them.
When you call, you will need:
- The deceased’s full name, date of birth, and date of death
- Their home address
- The policy number (from any policy documents or emails)
- Your own photo ID
The policy will be cancelled from the date of death. If the deceased was mid-trip or had a trip booked at the date of death, the circumstances will be assessed by the claims team – check whether the policy included any cancellation cover that might be relevant.
If you held a joint Post Office travel insurance policy with the deceased, contact the same number to discuss whether the policy can continue in your name alone or needs to be replaced.
Claiming on a policy due to bereavement
Separately from notifying about a death, Post Office travel insurance policies typically include cancellation cover that may apply if you have had to cancel a trip because of a bereavement in your immediate family. If you are the policyholder and have lost a close relative, call the claims number on 0333 333 9702 to discuss a claim. Most policies require you to submit a claim within 60 days of the circumstances arising, so contact them promptly. Source: Post Office travel insurance – make a claim (last verified April 2026)
Post Office broadband and phone
Post Office Broadband and home phone services were sold to Shell Energy in 2021. Shell Energy was subsequently acquired by Octopus Energy in December 2023, and the broadband customer base was transferred to TalkTalk in early 2024.
If the deceased had what was originally a Post Office broadband or phone contract, they are now a TalkTalk customer. Contact TalkTalk’s bereavement line to cancel or transfer the service – see our guide on how to notify TalkTalk when someone dies.
Tell Us Once: what it covers
Tell Us Once is the government’s free service for notifying multiple departments when someone dies. You receive a reference number when you register the death, and Tell Us Once uses it to inform relevant government bodies – including HMRC, DWP, the Passport Office, the DVLA, and local council services.
Tell Us Once does not cover:
- Post Office Money savings accounts or ISAs (notify Bank of Ireland UK separately)
- Post Office travel insurance
- Post Office card accounts – though it does notify DWP of the death, which triggers the benefit payment suspension
Tell Us Once is available at gov.uk/after-a-death/organisations-you-need-to-contact-and-tell-us-once.
One additional task at your Post Office branch: The Post Office is also where you apply in person for Royal Mail’s Special Circumstances Redirection – the service that diverts the deceased’s mail to an address of your choice during estate administration. You will need the death certificate and proof of your authority to act. See our guide to notifying Royal Mail after a death for full details.
For a full checklist of everyone you need to contact after a death, see our guide to notifying organisations after a death.
Things to watch out for
Post Office Money is Bank of Ireland UK. This catches many executors off guard. Post Office savings accounts and ISAs are provided by Bank of Ireland UK, so the bereavement process goes through Bank of Ireland UK’s team – not a Post Office branch. Branch staff cannot access savings account details or start the bereavement notification. Use the phone number or online form listed above.
Post Office broadband is now TalkTalk. If you see Post Office on a broadband bill, the account will have been transferred – first to Shell Energy in 2021, then to TalkTalk in 2024. Check recent bills for the current provider name before calling.
The probate threshold is per institution. The £50,000 threshold for Post Office Money applies to all savings held with Bank of Ireland UK combined – the Online Saver, Instant Saver, Online Bond, Growth Bond, and Online ISA are all counted together. A person with a £30,000 savings account and a £25,000 ISA both with Post Office Money would exceed the threshold and require probate before funds could be released.
Order enough death certificates. You will need separate certified copies for different organisations. Most executors order five to ten copies when registering the death. Ordering more copies later means applying to the General Register Office, which takes additional time and costs money. See our guide to what to do after a death for a full checklist.
Check for an APS allowance if the deceased was married. If your spouse or civil partner held an ISA with Post Office Money, you are entitled to an Additional Permitted Subscription allowance worth the value they held – preserving the tax-free shelter on an equivalent amount in your own ISA. You have up to three years from the date of death to use this allowance. Contact Bank of Ireland UK to discuss the process, or see what happens to an ISA when someone dies for full detail.
Related guides
- What happens to savings accounts when someone dies – probate thresholds, the claim process, joint accounts, and NS&I
- What happens to an ISA when someone dies – the APS allowance for surviving spouses, how the tax wrapper works, and what to do as an executor
- What happens to a bank account when someone dies – frozen accounts, the Death Notification Service, and how to notify banks
- Do I need probate? – when probate is and is not required
- How to notify TalkTalk when someone dies – for former Post Office broadband accounts now with TalkTalk
- A complete guide to notifying organisations after a death
Sources
- Bank of Ireland UK – Bereavement: getting started (last verified April 2026)
- Post Office – Bereavement and personal finances (last verified April 2026)
- Post Office – Make a travel insurance claim (last verified April 2026)
- gov.uk – Tell Us Once (last verified April 2026)
- gov.uk – Inheriting an ISA from your spouse or civil partner (last verified April 2026)
- Octopus Energy – Shell Energy acquisition (last verified April 2026)