Sorting out a loved one’s insurance is one of the more practical tasks that falls to family members and executors after a death – and with multiple policies across different providers, it is easy for some to slip through. Sheilas’ Wheels is a distinct brand from its parent company esure, with its own customer records and contact teams. If the deceased held a Sheilas’ Wheels policy, you will need to contact Sheilas’ Wheels directly – calling esure will not trigger anything on a Sheilas’ Wheels account.
This guide covers both car and home insurance with Sheilas’ Wheels: how to notify them, what to have ready, what happens to each policy, and a few things that catch families out. If you are also dealing with esure policies, our esure bereavement guide covers that separately.
For the full picture on all the companies and organisations to notify after a death, see our complete notification guide.
Sheilas’ Wheels car insurance – how to notify
There is no dedicated bereavement phone line at Sheilas’ Wheels. Contact the car insurance team directly, and they will handle the notification from there.
Phone: Call 0345 045 2000
Lines are open Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm, Saturday and Sunday 9am to 5pm.
Text relay: If you have a hearing or speech impairment, add the prefix 18001 before any Sheilas’ Wheels number to connect via the Text Relay service.
Online: A chatbot is available 24 hours a day via sheilaswheels.com/contact-us, with transfer to a live specialist during business hours.
When you call, have as much of the following as possible to hand:
| 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 | On renewal notices, welcome packs, or bank statement direct debit entries |
| Vehicle registration number | Useful for locating the policy |
| Your name, relationship to the deceased, and contact details | Executor, next of kin, or authorised representative |
You do not need everything before making first contact. The team will tell you what else they need and explain the next steps.
Source: Sheilas’ Wheels – contact us, verified May 2026.
Sheilas’ Wheels home insurance – how to notify
Home insurance is handled by a separate team. Contact them directly – do not assume that notifying the car insurance team will pass the information across.
Phone: Call 0345 045 9000
Lines are open Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm, Saturday and Sunday 9am to 5pm.
Online: Start via the chatbot at sheilaswheels.com/contact-us during business hours.
Have the same core information ready as for the car insurance call: the deceased’s full name, date of birth, address, date of death, your details, and the policy number if you have it. For home insurance, also note the insured property address in case it differs from the deceased’s usual address.
The unoccupied property threshold – act quickly
This is the most time-sensitive issue for home insurance after a death. Sheilas’ Wheels home insurance policies include an unoccupied property clause: once a property has been empty for more than 30 consecutive days, significant coverage restrictions kick in. After that threshold, the policy will not cover theft, escape of water, vandalism, or accidental damage. A separate five-day rule applies to escape of water during winter months if the heating has not been maintained.
The 30-day window is shorter than many families expect. If the estate is going through probate – which takes an average of 16 weeks for a straightforward case in England and Wales (gov.uk/applying-for-probate) – the property will almost certainly be empty for longer than 30 days before probate is complete and the property can be sold or transferred.
Contact Sheilas’ Wheels home insurance as soon as possible after the death to discuss your options. If they cannot extend the unoccupied cover, you will need specialist unoccupied property insurance or probate house insurance before the threshold is reached. Specialist providers include Homeprotect, UKinsuranceNET, and Intelligent Insurance. Do not wait until the final days of the window – some providers need several days to process new policies.
Source: Sheilas’ Wheels home insurance policy documentation, verified May 2026.
For more on executor responsibilities and specialist cover during probate, see our guide to home insurance after a death.
Sheilas’ Wheels and esure: two separate brands
Sheilas’ Wheels is owned by esure Group and operates as a women-focused car and home insurance brand. Despite sharing a parent company, Sheilas’ Wheels and esure are entirely separate for customer purposes. They hold their own customer records, run their own contact teams, and process notifications independently. A bereavement notification made to esure will not be passed to Sheilas’ Wheels, and vice versa.
If the deceased held policies with both brands, you will need to make two separate contacts. There is no shared bereavement process or combined notification route within the group.
For the esure contact details and process, see our esure bereavement guide.
Documents needed
| Document | Notes |
|---|---|
| Death certificate (original or certified copy) | The core document – a scan or photograph is usually accepted for the initial call |
| Policy number(s) | On renewal letters, welcome packs, or direct debit entries on bank statements |
| Date of birth and date of death | Required for account identification |
| Your proof of identity | If acting as executor or administrator of the estate |
| Vehicle registration number | Car insurance policies |
| Insured property address | Home insurance policies |
It is worth ordering several certified copies of the death certificate when registering the death. Most organisations require either an original or a certified copy, and having a few available avoids delays when dealing with multiple companies at the same time.
If you cannot find the policy number, check bank statements for Sheilas’ Wheels direct debit entries. Alternatively, the team can usually locate the account using the deceased’s full name, date of birth, and address.
What happens to the policy
Car insurance
A Sheilas’ Wheels car insurance policy cannot transfer automatically to another person. The cover was issued in the deceased’s name and relates specifically to them as the named insured. Once you notify Sheilas’ Wheels, they will begin the cancellation process.
The car must not be driven before cover is confirmed. This applies even if a family member was a named driver on the original policy. A named driver arrangement is tied to the policyholder – with the policyholder gone, the policy’s status is unclear until the insurer has been contacted and confirmed the position. Driving an uninsured vehicle is a criminal offence under the Road Traffic Act 1988, regardless of the circumstances.
If someone needs to move the vehicle urgently – to free a driveway or access to a property – short-term cover from providers such as Cuvva or Tempcover can be arranged in minutes and covers periods from one hour upwards.
Refund of unused premium. Once the policy is cancelled, Sheilas’ Wheels will calculate a pro-rata refund for the unused portion of the annual premium, calculated from the date of death. Ask whether any cancellation fee is waived – the team should be able to confirm their position at the time of notification.
Joint policies. If the policy includes a surviving named driver, contact Sheilas’ Wheels to confirm whether that driver’s cover continues and to discuss transferring the policy into the surviving driver’s name.
Keeping the vehicle. If a family member or executor intends to keep and drive the car, they will need their own insurance policy. Sheilas’ Wheels can advise on whether the existing policy can be transferred or whether a new one is needed. Once the vehicle formally passes to a beneficiary through the estate, the beneficiary must arrange their own insurance before driving.
For a full guide to DVLA registration, vehicle tax, and what to do with the vehicle itself, see our guide to car insurance after a death.
Home insurance
Home insurance needs attention promptly after a death – particularly if the property will sit empty during estate administration. The steps are:
- Notify Sheilas’ Wheels of the death on 0345 045 9000
- Confirm the unoccupied property situation and how many days of standard cover remain
- If the property will be empty beyond 30 days, arrange specialist unoccupied or probate property cover before the threshold is reached
- Once the estate is settled, either cancel the policy or transfer it to the new owner
Refund of unused premium. If the policy is cancelled, Sheilas’ Wheels will refund the unused portion on a pro-rata basis from the date of death.
Joint policies. If a surviving partner remains in the property, contact Sheilas’ Wheels to update the policy into their name. The premium may be recalculated.
How long it takes
| Task | Typical timeline |
|---|---|
| Policy cancellation confirmed | Within a few working days of 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 confirmed or new insurance arranged |
The most common cause of delay is missing documentation – particularly the death certificate or policy number. If Sheilas’ Wheels has what they need at first contact, the process moves quickly. Calling mid-morning on a weekday tends to avoid the longest wait times.
Tips and things to watch out for
The 30-day unoccupied threshold arrives fast. Families dealing with probate and estate administration often assume home insurance keeps running normally for at least a couple of months. The Sheilas’ Wheels threshold is 30 consecutive days – which will typically be exceeded long before probate completes. Contact Sheilas’ Wheels home insurance as early as possible.
Named drivers cannot simply carry on driving. If the deceased was the policyholder and a family member was an additional named driver, that named driver does not inherit automatic cover when the policyholder dies. The named driver relationship was set up in relation to the policyholder. Do not drive until you have confirmed the position with Sheilas’ Wheels.
Sheilas’ Wheels was originally a women-focused brand. Historically, Sheilas’ Wheels marketed itself exclusively to women – the brand name was a play on “Sheila,” Australian slang for a woman. Though the brand now sells to all customers, executors and family members dealing with a Sheilas’ Wheels policy should be aware that the policyholder is most likely to have been female. Check bank statements and correspondence for the policy details.
Don’t cancel the direct debit before the policy is formally closed. If the premiums were paid by direct debit, contact Sheilas’ Wheels before cancelling it at the bank. Cancelling the direct debit first can create a lapse in cover while the cancellation is still being processed, which complicates the premium refund.
Sheilas’ Wheels is not a member of the Death Notification Service. The Death Notification Service (DNS) allows families to notify multiple financial institutions in a single submission, but membership is limited to banks, building societies, and a small number of financial services providers – it does not include insurance companies. You will need to contact Sheilas’ Wheels directly.
Check the renewal date. If the death happens close to an annual renewal, notify Sheilas’ Wheels before the renewal is processed. If a new premium is debited before the cancellation is registered, recovering it adds unnecessary complexity.
Probate is not required before you notify. Notifying Sheilas’ Wheels is an administrative step that any authorised representative – an executor, next of kin, or someone acting with lasting power of attorney – can begin immediately. A grant of probate is not needed to make the first contact.
Summary
For Sheilas’ Wheels car insurance, call 0345 045 2000 (Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm, Saturday and Sunday 9am to 5pm).
For Sheilas’ Wheels home insurance, call 0345 045 9000 (same hours).
Both teams can also be reached via the chatbot at sheilaswheels.com/contact-us during business hours.
Have the death certificate, policy number if available, and the deceased’s full name, date of birth, and address ready. If you cannot find the policy number, the team can locate the account from the deceased’s personal details.
The most time-sensitive issue for home insurance is the 30-day unoccupied property limit. If the property will be empty during probate, contact Sheilas’ Wheels home insurance immediately to discuss options or arrange specialist unoccupied cover before the threshold is passed.
If the deceased also held a policy with esure, contact esure separately – there is no shared notification process. See our esure bereavement guide.
For other insurance providers, see our guides to notifying Admiral and notifying Direct Line. For a full list of organisations to notify after a death, see our complete notification guide.
Sources: Sheilas’ Wheels – contact us, verified May 2026; Sheilas’ Wheels home insurance policy summary, verified May 2026; Life Ledger – Sheilas’ Wheels bereavement, verified May 2026; gov.uk – applying for probate, verified May 2026.