Standard Life is one of the UK’s best-known names in pensions, life insurance, and savings. The person you have lost may have held one or more products with them – a workplace or personal pension, a SIPP, a life insurance policy, an investment bond, or an ISA. Each of these works differently when someone dies, and in some cases the sums involved are substantial.
Since 2018, Standard Life has operated as a brand under Phoenix Group Holdings. The products are administered by Phoenix Life Limited, trading as Standard Life. This makes no practical difference to how you notify them – you still contact Standard Life directly – but you may see Phoenix Group referenced on correspondence and policy documents.
This guide covers how to make contact, what documents to gather, what happens to pensions, life insurance, and investments after a death, and the things that catch people out.
Quick reference:
- Bereavement phone: 0345 606 0095, Monday–Friday 9am–5pm
- Online notification: standardlife.co.uk/help/bereavement/bereavement-form
- Processing time: 4–8 weeks once all documents received
- Pension death benefits: paid at trustees’ discretion – outside the estate in most cases
How to notify Standard Life
By phone
Call 0345 606 0095 to reach Standard Life’s bereavement team. Lines are open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. 0345 numbers are included in most mobile phone contracts’ inclusive call packages, but check with your provider if you are unsure.
You do not need policy numbers before calling – Standard Life can search their records using the deceased’s full name, date of birth, and last known address. If you do have policy or plan numbers, have them to hand as it speeds things up.
Online
Standard Life offers an online bereavement notification form at standardlife.co.uk/help/bereavement/bereavement-form. The form allows you to upload a scan or photograph of the death certificate (in PDF, PNG, JPG, or ZIP format, up to 5MB). A specialist from Standard Life’s bereavement team will contact you within two weeks.
The online form collects details of the deceased, the notifier, and family members or potential beneficiaries – including any spouse or civil partner, children, and other dependants. This information helps the trustees assess pension death benefit nominations.
What to have ready
| Information needed | Details |
|---|---|
| Deceased’s full name, date of birth, address | Standard identification |
| Date of death | Required for all product types |
| Plan or policy number(s) | On annual statements or welcome letters – not essential for initial contact |
| Your name, relationship, and contact details | Standard Life will correspond with you |
| Whether there is a will | Affects how the estate is administered |
| Any expression of wishes or nomination form | Critical for pension death benefits |
Source: Standard Life bereavement page, verified April 2026.
What documents you’ll need
The core document for every notification is the death certificate – the certified copy issued by the register office after you have registered the death. This is not the medical certificate from the doctor or hospital.
Order more certified copies than you think you need. Each financial institution typically requires its own original or certified copy – you cannot pass one between organisations. Four to six copies is a sensible starting point if the deceased held multiple accounts and policies with different providers. Source: gov.uk – register a death.
If a coroner’s inquest is underway, you can use an interim death certificate to begin the process – Standard Life may need to wait for the final certificate before releasing funds, but starting the process early means less delay overall.
For all products:
- Death certificate (original or certified copy)
- Deceased’s full name, date of birth, and usual address
- Your identity and your relationship to the deceased
For pension death benefits:
- The expression of wishes or nomination form the deceased completed – if one was submitted to Standard Life, it will be on file; check any personal papers or with their financial adviser
- The plan number from pension statements
For life insurance claims:
- The policy reference number
- Standard Life will advise on any additional documents required once you make contact
For investment or savings claims:
- Probate documentation may be required for larger values – Standard Life will advise when you contact them
What happens to pensions
Standard Life’s pension range includes personal pensions, SIPPs (self-invested personal pensions), workplace group personal pensions, and stakeholder plans. Pensions are the product type with the most specific rules at death – and the most important things to understand. For a full, dedicated walkthrough of the Standard Life pension claim process – including Wrap SIPP contacts, expression of wishes nominations, and the April 2027 IHT change – see our Standard Life pension bereavement guide.
Pension death benefits and the expression of wishes form
Most Standard Life pensions do not automatically form part of the estate when someone dies. Instead, pension death benefits are paid at the discretion of the scheme trustees, guided by any expression of wishes or nomination of beneficiary form the deceased completed.
This discretionary structure is deliberate. Because the trustees – not the will – decide who receives the money, pension death benefits generally sit outside the estate. That means they do not require probate to be paid, and under current rules they are also generally outside the estate for inheritance tax purposes.
The expression of wishes form is the most important document in this process. It tells the trustees who the deceased wanted to receive the pension. Trustees are not legally bound to follow it, but in practice they almost always do when there is a clear, up-to-date nomination and no competing claims. If no form was completed, the trustees must make their own enquiries – which takes longer.
If the deceased had a financial adviser, the adviser may hold a copy. Check any pension paperwork, annual statements, or personal files.
Tax treatment by age
| Age at death | Tax treatment |
|---|---|
| Under 75 | Lump sum death benefits generally tax-free (up to the £1,073,100 lump sum and death benefit allowance) if paid within two years of the scheme being notified |
| 75 or over | All death benefit payments taxed at the beneficiary’s marginal income tax rate |
Source: gov.uk – tax on a private pension you inherit, verified April 2026.
The two-year window runs from when Standard Life is notified of the death, not from the date of death itself. If the deceased was under 75, notifying Standard Life promptly protects the tax-free status of the death benefit.
The 2027 inheritance tax change
Under current rules (for deaths before 6 April 2027), most pension death benefits are outside the estate for inheritance tax purposes. From 6 April 2027, the government has announced that unused pension pots and most pension death benefits will be included in the estate’s value for inheritance tax calculations. This is a significant change – if the estate you are dealing with involves a death on or after that date, the pension may affect the overall inheritance tax position. Source: gov.uk – inheritance tax on unused pension funds and death benefits.
For a full explanation of how pension death benefits work, see our guide to what happens to pensions when someone dies.
What happens to life insurance and protection products
Standard Life offers life insurance and protection products through its Phoenix Group parent. The process for claiming on a life insurance policy is separate from the pension process and handled by a different team.
When a life insurance policyholder dies, the policy pays a lump sum. Who receives it, and how quickly, depends on whether the policy was held in a trust.
If the policy was held in a trust: The payout goes directly to the trustees, who can distribute it to beneficiaries without waiting for probate. This is the fastest route – and the money is outside the estate for inheritance tax purposes. Check any policy documents or correspondence for a trust deed.
If the policy was not held in a trust: The payout forms part of the estate. It can only be distributed once probate is granted (or, in Scotland, confirmation from the Sheriff Court). This can add months to the timeline.
Call Standard Life on 0345 606 0095 to begin the notification process for a life insurance claim. They will advise on what documents are needed based on the specific policy.
For more on how life insurance claims work in general, see our guide to what happens to life insurance when someone dies.
What happens to investments and ISAs
Standard Life offers investment bonds and other savings products. These work differently from pensions at death.
Investment assets form part of the estate and are distributed through the estate administration process according to the will (or the rules of intestacy if there is no will). Probate may be required depending on the value – Standard Life will advise when you make contact.
For stocks and shares ISAs, the account passes to the estate. If the deceased was married or in a civil partnership, the surviving spouse or civil partner receives an Additional Permitted Subscription (APS) – an extra ISA allowance equal to the value of the deceased’s ISA at the time of death. This must be claimed within three years of the date of death, or 180 days after estate administration is complete, whichever is later. Source: gov.uk – ISA allowance when someone dies.
Probate and when it’s required
Whether probate is required depends on the product type.
Pensions: Probate is not typically required. Standard Life pays pension death benefits at the trustees’ discretion, outside the estate, so no grant of probate is needed before they can pay out.
Life insurance in trust: No probate needed. The trust bypasses the estate entirely.
Life insurance not in trust: The payout forms part of the estate. If the estate requires probate to administer, the grant of probate is needed before funds can be released.
Investments and savings: Probate requirements depend on the value of the account. Standard Life will advise when you make contact.
For a broader guide to when probate is and isn’t required, see do I need probate?
How long does it take?
Processing time depends on the product type, how quickly documents arrive, and how straightforward the case is.
| Product | Typical timeline |
|---|---|
| Pension death benefits (clear nomination) | 4–8 weeks once all documents received |
| Pension death benefits (no nomination form) | Longer – trustees must make their own enquiries |
| Life insurance (policy in trust) | Payment made once claim approved – can be faster |
| Life insurance (not in trust) | Depends on probate – typically 16+ weeks from probate application |
| Investments | Depends on probate if required |
Source: Withfarra Standard Life bereavement guide, verified April 2026.
The single biggest cause of delay is incomplete documentation. If Standard Life have to come back to you repeatedly for additional information, each exchange adds time. Providing the death certificate, the plan number, and any nomination paperwork as early as possible is the most effective thing you can do.
Standard Life state on their bereavement page: “When we are told that one of our customers has died, we’ll make every effort to complete the process quickly.” Source: Standard Life bereavement page, verified April 2026.
Things to watch out for
The expression of wishes form is the most important document for pensions. If the deceased completed one, it tells the trustees who should receive the pension death benefit. Without it, Standard Life must investigate independently – which takes considerably longer. If the deceased had a financial adviser, ask the adviser whether they hold a copy.
Phoenix Group is the parent company – this affects some products. Standard Life operates as Phoenix Life Limited, trading as Standard Life. You contact Standard Life directly, but Phoenix Group may appear in correspondence relating to life insurance and protection products specifically. Do not be surprised if you are directed to a Phoenix Group subsidiary for certain claims.
The two-year tax window. If the deceased was under 75, lump sum pension death benefits are tax-free if paid within two years of Standard Life being notified. Do not delay making contact.
Check for multiple products. Someone who joined an employer workplace scheme, then later took out a SIPP or personal pension with Standard Life, may have multiple plans. Each may have a separate plan number. Standard Life can search their records by the deceased’s details – ask whether they can see all products on file.
Standard Life acquired products from other providers. If the deceased held a policy with a company that was subsequently transferred to Standard Life or its Phoenix Group parent, Standard Life may now administer it. If you find old policy documents with an unfamiliar brand, contact Standard Life to check.
NHS workers often have benefits with both Standard Life and NHS Pensions. AVCs (additional voluntary contributions) for NHS staff were historically run by Standard Life, but the main NHS Pension Scheme is administered separately by the NHS Business Services Authority. If the deceased worked in the NHS, see how to notify NHS Pensions when someone dies for the parallel claim.
Pension from April 2027. If you are dealing with the estate of someone who died on or after 6 April 2027, the inheritance tax treatment of pension death benefits changes materially. Take advice from a solicitor or financial adviser before distributing any pension proceeds.
Summary
Standard Life’s bereavement number is 0345 606 0095, open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. You can also begin the process online at standardlife.co.uk/help/bereavement/bereavement-form.
For pensions: the expression of wishes form is the key document. Standard Life pays death benefits at the trustees’ discretion, usually outside the estate and without needing probate. Notify them promptly – the two-year tax-free window runs from the date of notification.
For life insurance: check whether the policy was held in a trust. If so, payment can go directly to trustees without waiting for probate. If not, the payout forms part of the estate.
For investments: these pass through the estate and probate may be required. Standard Life will advise on the threshold.
You do not need to have all the paperwork before you make the first call. Standard Life’s bereavement team will guide you through what they need and contact you with next steps. Take it one product at a time, keep a note of every reference number and date, and ask directly if anything is unclear.
If the deceased also held pensions or insurance with another major provider, our guides to notifying Aviva, notifying Legal & General, and notifying Prudential (M&G) cover their separate bereavement processes in full.
If the deceased held investments, a SIPP, or an ISA with the Hargreaves Lansdown platform, see our guide to notifying Hargreaves Lansdown when someone dies.
If the deceased held an ISA, SIPP, or investment account with Fidelity International, see our guide to notifying Fidelity International when someone dies.
Sources
- Standard Life bereavement support page – verified April 2026
- Standard Life online bereavement form – verified April 2026
- gov.uk – tax on a private pension you inherit
- gov.uk – ISA allowance when someone dies
- gov.uk – inheritance tax on unused pension funds and death benefits
- gov.uk – applying for probate