Simply Be is a UK plus-size fashion retailer, part of N Brown Group – the Manchester-based company that also owns JD Williams, Jacamo, Ambrose Wilson, and Premier Man. If the person who died had a Simply Be account, you will need to notify the company so their account can be closed and mailings stopped.
Many Simply Be customers also hold a Pay Simply Be credit account, which is a revolving credit facility used to spread the cost of purchases over time. If there is an outstanding Pay Simply Be balance, this becomes a debt of the estate and needs prompt attention – interest does not stop automatically at the date of death.
Quick reference:
- Specialist support (life events including bereavement): 0800 072 2970 – Mon–Fri 9am–5:45pm (freephone)
- General customer service: 0345 071 9018 – Mon–Fri 8am–7pm, Sat–Sun 8am–4pm
- Support hub: support.simplybe.co.uk
- Other N Brown brands (JD Williams, Jacamo): separate notifications required – see below
How to notify Simply Be
Simply Be does not currently offer a dedicated online bereavement form or a third-party notification service such as Tell Us Once or NotifyNOW. Life Ledger, the bereavement notification service, is also unable to notify Simply Be directly – you need to contact the company yourself. The most straightforward route is to call their customer service team directly.
For sensitive matters such as bereavement, the specialist support line is the right number to use. The team there is trained to handle life events and can discuss the account with you in confidence.
By phone
Call 0800 072 2970 (freephone – no charge from UK landlines or mobiles). This line is open Monday to Friday 9am–5:45pm and is specifically for customers dealing with life events, including bereavement. (Source: Simply Be additional support page, last verified May 2026.)
Alternatively, the general customer service line 0345 071 9018 (standard-rate, included in most call plans) is open Monday to Friday 8am–7pm and Saturday to Sunday 8am–4pm. (Source: Simply Be contact page, last verified May 2026.)
When you call, tell the agent you are reporting the death of an account holder. They will ask for:
- The date of the person’s death
- The deceased’s Simply Be account number – in the format A1234567, found on any statement or letter from Simply Be
- If you do not have the account number, the team can locate the account using the deceased’s full name, address, and postcode
You do not need to have every document ready before calling. Simply Be will take an initial notification and advise on what documentation is needed to complete the process.
Online
Simply Be has a support article for bereavement at support.simplybe.co.uk. There may be a link to a contact form within that article. However, for formal account closure – especially where a credit balance is involved – a phone call is more reliable than an online form.
What to have ready before you call
- The deceased’s full name and usual address
- Their date of birth and date of death
- Their Simply Be account number (A1234567 format) if you have it
- Your own name and relationship to the deceased – for example, executor, administrator, or next of kin
- A scan or photograph of the death certificate, for uploading or sending after the call
What documents you will need
The documents required depend on what the deceased held with Simply Be.
| Document | When needed |
|---|---|
| Date of death and personal details (name, address, date of birth) | Always – needed to locate the account |
| Death certificate or interim death certificate | Required – scan or photograph acceptable |
| Deceased’s Simply Be account number | Strongly recommended – team can locate by name and address if not available |
| Your own name and relationship to the deceased | Required to establish your authority to act |
| Grant of probate or letters of administration | Required before Simply Be can formally settle an outstanding Pay Simply Be credit balance |
For the initial notification – stopping mailings and flagging the account – you do not need formal legal authority. A phone call with the date of death and account details is sufficient to begin the process.
To formally close a Pay Simply Be credit account or settle an outstanding balance, Simply Be will ask for grant of probate or letters of administration before they can complete the process. Simply Be does not publish a specific probate threshold, so it is worth asking the team directly whether any flexibility applies to smaller balances.
On original documents: A scan or photograph of the death certificate is acceptable for the initial notification. Do not send original documents through the post unless specifically asked to. Keep certified copies safe – you will need them repeatedly throughout estate administration.
If you are unsure whether probate will be required, see our guide on whether you need probate.
What happens to the account
The retail account
A standard Simply Be retail account – used for browsing, placing orders, and managing returns – carries no credit obligation. On notification of the death, Simply Be will close or suspend the account. Mailings associated with the account will stop, though Simply Be notes this can take up to six weeks to take full effect. (Source: Simply Be bereavement support article, last verified May 2026.)
If the deceased placed an order that had not been delivered at the time of their death, raise this with the customer service team when you call. They can cancel the order and arrange a refund to the estate. If any promotional credits or vouchers existed on the account, ask the team whether these hold a cash value – they will typically lapse on account closure.
Pay Simply Be – the credit account
Pay Simply Be is Simply Be’s regulated revolving credit product, authorised and operated by J D Williams & Company Limited (FCA firm reference number 311618, FCA register). It works similarly to a store credit card: customers receive a credit limit, purchase on credit, and repay over time.
If the deceased held a Pay Simply Be balance, this is the most time-sensitive element of the process. Interest does not stop automatically at the date of death – it stops from the date you formally notify Simply Be. A delay of several weeks can add a meaningful amount to the balance the estate will eventually need to settle.
| Account element | What happens |
|---|---|
| Pay Simply Be credit account | Frozen from the date of notification |
| Interest and charges | Stop accruing once Simply Be is formally notified |
| Outstanding balance | Becomes an unsecured debt of the estate |
| Direct debits | Should be cancelled – confirm with Simply Be, and check the deceased’s bank |
| Credit balance (money owed to customer) | Returned to the estate once documentation is confirmed |
The outstanding Pay Simply Be balance becomes a debt of the estate. The executor or administrator is responsible for paying it from the estate’s assets. They are not personally liable. Under estate administration rules in England and Wales, unsecured debts – which include retail credit accounts – are paid after funeral expenses and secured debts but before any distribution to beneficiaries. (Source: National Debtline – Debts after death in England and Wales.)
Family members are not personally liable for the balance unless they were joint account holders on the credit agreement. Someone who used the account, or who shared a household with the deceased, does not automatically inherit the debt. Liability follows the credit agreement – and that obligation passes to the estate, not to individuals. (Source: National Debtline – Debts after death in England and Wales.)
For a fuller explanation of how credit debts are treated after a death, see our guide to credit card and credit account debt after death.
Probate and outstanding balances
Simply Be does not publish a specific probate threshold – a fixed amount at which they require grant of probate before settling a credit balance. In practice, for any meaningful outstanding Pay Simply Be balance, they will ask for grant of probate or letters of administration before the account can be formally closed.
If the balance is small, it is worth asking the bereavement team whether they will exercise discretion. Some lenders will write off very small balances without requiring full legal authority, particularly where the estate is clearly solvent.
If the estate is straightforward and the only asset in question is the Simply Be credit balance, obtaining a grant of probate may be disproportionate. In these circumstances, ask whether Simply Be will accept a statutory declaration or letter of indemnity from the next of kin. This is a reasonable question to raise, though not all lenders offer this flexibility.
For full guidance on when probate is needed and how to apply, see our guides on whether you need probate and how to apply for probate.
How long it takes
Simply Be does not publish a fixed processing timeline for bereavement notifications.
Closing a retail account with no outstanding credit balance is typically straightforward. The team can acknowledge the death and begin the closure process in a single phone call.
Accounts involving an outstanding Pay Simply Be balance take longer:
- Initial acknowledgement: usually within a few working days of your call
- Interest freeze: effective from the date you notify Simply Be – not the date of death
- Mailing stop: up to six weeks from notification
- Formal closure: requires grant of probate or letters of administration; this can take four to twelve weeks in straightforward estates, and longer in complex ones
Simply Be should not chase the estate for payment while it is waiting on probate. If you inform the bereavement team that probate is in progress, they should note this and hold the account in abeyance.
Tips and things to watch out for
Notify Simply Be promptly if there is a Pay Simply Be balance. Interest stops from notification, not the date of death. Every week of delay adds to the balance the estate must settle.
N Brown Group: separate notifications for each brand. Simply Be, JD Williams, Jacamo, Ambrose Wilson, and Premier Man all belong to N Brown Group, but they operate as separate brands with separate accounts and separate credit agreements. A single Simply Be notification does not close a JD Williams or Jacamo account. If the deceased held accounts with more than one N Brown brand, each requires its own notification.
Check for direct debits. A Pay Simply Be account may have been linked to a monthly direct debit from the deceased’s bank account. Ask the bereavement team to confirm that direct debits have been cancelled when you notify. Also check the deceased’s bank statements – direct debits do not always stop automatically and can attempt payment after death.
Account number speeds up the process. The account number – in the format A1234567 – appears on any statement or letter from Simply Be. Having it to hand before you call saves time. If you cannot find it, the team can locate the account by name and address.
Life Ledger and NotifyNOW cannot help here. Simply Be is not currently supported by either Life Ledger or NotifyNOW. You will need to contact them directly.
Pay Simply Be is FCA-regulated. If Simply Be’s handling of the account after a death seems unreasonable – for example, continuing to charge interest after notification, or refusing to freeze the account – you have recourse through the Financial Ombudsman Service. The FOS handles complaints about regulated consumer credit products.
If the estate cannot cover the balance. Where the estate is insolvent – liabilities exceed assets – unsecured debts such as Pay Simply Be balances typically fall away. The family is not responsible for them. If you are concerned about the estate’s ability to meet its obligations, the free debt advice services StepChange and National Debtline provide guidance specifically on debt after death.
Summary
| Task | How to do it | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Notify of the death | Call the life events specialist team | 0800 072 2970 (freephone) |
| General customer service | Standard-rate line | 0345 071 9018 |
| Freeze Pay Simply Be credit account | Done when death is reported | 0800 072 2970 |
| Settle outstanding credit balance | Once probate or letters of administration in place | 0345 071 9018 |
| Close retail account | Handled at the same time as notification | 0800 072 2970 |
| JD Williams / Jacamo accounts | Notify each brand separately | See our JD Williams guide and Jacamo guide |
The priority is to notify Simply Be as soon as possible if there is any outstanding Pay Simply Be credit balance. Interest stops from the date of notification, not the date of death – early contact directly reduces the amount the estate will need to settle.
For a complete checklist of organisations to notify after a death, see our guide to what to do after someone dies.
If the deceased held accounts with similar catalogue or credit retailers, our guides to notifying JD Williams when someone dies and notifying Jacamo when someone dies cover the N Brown Group sister brands – processes and contact numbers are largely the same across the group.
Sources: Simply Be bereavement support article (account process, mailing stop timescale, last verified May 2026); Simply Be additional support / life events page (0800 072 2970 specialist line, opening hours, last verified May 2026); Simply Be contact page (0345 071 9018, general hours, last verified May 2026); Life Ledger – Simply Be bereavement guide (account notification process confirmation); FCA register – J D Williams & Company Limited (FRN 311618); National Debtline – Debts after death in England and Wales (estate liability, family non-liability).