Yorkshire Building Society is the UK’s third-largest building society, with around three million members and branches across the UK. When a member dies, their accounts need to be registered with YBS’s bereavement team – sole accounts are frozen to protect the estate, and joint accounts move into the surviving holder’s name. This guide explains how to do that step by step: the phone number to call, what documents you’ll need, what happens to different account types, when probate is required, and what to expect in terms of timing.
Quick reference:
- Phone: 0345 166 9229 (Monday–Friday, 9am–5pm)
- Online: ybs.co.uk/help/bereavement
- Branch: Any YBS branch can take the initial notification
- Post: Bereavement Team, Customer Service Centre, Yorkshire Building Society, Yorkshire House, Yorkshire Drive, Bradford, BD5 8LJ
- Probate required if: sole account balances total more than £50,000
How to notify Yorkshire Building Society of a death
YBS offers four ways to notify them. Use whichever feels most manageable – there is no requirement to call first.
By phone – Call 0345 166 9229, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. This connects you directly to YBS’s bereavement team, who are trained to handle these calls sensitively. Have the deceased’s full name, date of birth, address, and date of death to hand. You do not need every document ready before you call – YBS will tell you what to send next.
Online – You can submit an initial notification through YBS’s bereavement portal at ybs.co.uk/help/bereavement. The online form asks for basic details about the deceased and your relationship to them. Once submitted, YBS will contact you with next steps.
In branch – Visit any YBS branch with a copy of the death certificate. Branch staff can begin the process and tell you what paperwork to expect. This is a good option if you want to hand over documents in person rather than post them.
By post – Write to: Bereavement Team, Customer Service Centre, Yorkshire Building Society, Yorkshire House, Yorkshire Drive, Bradford, BD5 8LJ. Include a copy of the death certificate and a covering letter with the deceased’s name, date of birth, date of death, and any account numbers you have.
Death Notification Service – If the deceased held accounts at several banks or building societies, the Death Notification Service lets you notify all participating institutions through a single free online form. YBS participates in the scheme. This can save you multiple phone calls in the days after a death.
What to have ready when you notify
At the point of initial notification, YBS will need:
- The deceased’s full name, date of birth, and usual address
- The date of death
- Your full name, address, and relationship to the deceased
- Any YBS account numbers you have to hand (helpful but not essential)
You do not need every document organised before getting in touch. YBS will confirm what needs to be sent once they have registered the death.
What documents you’ll need
The documents required depend on the total balance held in sole accounts. YBS uses two different forms depending on that balance.
| Document | When required |
|---|---|
| Death certificate (copy) | Always – for every notification |
| Declaration and Indemnity form (YBS1667) | Sole accounts under £50,000 – signed by all personal representatives |
| Executor/Administrator Closure Authority form (YBS1667A) | Sole accounts over £50,000 – signed by all executors |
| Grant of Representation (Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration) | Required alongside the closure form for balances over £50,000 |
| Photo ID | May be requested when you submit the forms |
Death certificate – A copy is accepted. You do not need to send the original. If you are notifying in branch, staff can take a copy and return the original to you on the spot.
Grant of Representation – If the deceased’s total sole account balances exceed £50,000, YBS requires either a Grant of Probate (England and Wales), Letters of Administration (England and Wales, no will), or a Certificate of Confirmation (Scotland) before releasing funds. You can apply for probate via the HMCTS probate service.
The Declaration and Indemnity form – For estates below the £50,000 threshold, YBS uses this form instead of requiring probate. All personal representatives need to sign it. YBS will send you the form once they have registered the death.
What happens to the accounts
Sole savings accounts
On notification, YBS freezes any sole savings account. No withdrawals can be made. The account remains open as part of the estate until the closure process is complete.
Once YBS has the death certificate and the appropriate closure form (see above), they will release the balance:
- Under £50,000 – the Declaration and Indemnity form alone is sufficient. No Grant of Probate required.
- Over £50,000 – the Executor/Administrator Closure Authority form plus the Grant of Representation is required before funds are released.
Joint accounts
Joint accounts are transferred into the name of the surviving account holder on receipt of the death certificate. The account continues to operate normally – existing direct debits and standing orders carry over. The surviving holder does not need probate for a joint account, regardless of the balance.
ISAs
A YBS ISA held in sole name is treated like any other sole savings account for the purpose of estate administration. The funds are frozen until the estate is settled.
If the deceased was married or in a civil partnership, the surviving partner may 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 lets the surviving partner shelter assets in their own ISA even if they do not inherit the ISA funds directly. Ask YBS specifically about this if it applies to your situation – it is not raised automatically.
Mortgages
If the deceased held a mortgage with YBS, contact the bereavement team on 0345 166 9229 to register the death and discuss next steps. YBS will want to understand whether the mortgage is in sole or joint names, what the outstanding balance is, and whether the property needs to be sold or transferred.
For joint mortgages, YBS can typically transfer the mortgage into the surviving borrower’s name. For sole mortgages, the personal representative will need to discuss options with YBS’s mortgage team. Do not simply stop making payments without speaking to YBS first – contact them as soon as possible to agree a plan.
Direct debits and standing orders on sole accounts
When a sole account is frozen, any direct debits or standing orders associated with it will no longer be processed. If the deceased was paying utilities, subscriptions, or other bills from a YBS account, you will need to contact those providers separately to make alternative arrangements – YBS will not notify them on your behalf.
Probate and the £50,000 threshold
Probate is the legal process that grants authority to administer a deceased person’s estate. Whether YBS requires it depends on the total balance held in sole accounts.
YBS’s threshold is £50,000 (as confirmed on the YBS bereavement page at ybs.co.uk/help/bereavement):
- Under £50,000 – the Declaration and Indemnity form is sufficient. All personal representatives sign it, and YBS releases the funds without requiring a grant.
- Over £50,000 – a Grant of Representation is required before YBS will release funds from sole accounts.
It is the combined total of all sole YBS accounts that is assessed – not each account individually. If the deceased held several savings accounts with YBS that together exceed £50,000, probate will be needed even if no single account reaches that level.
Joint accounts are excluded from this calculation entirely and transfer automatically regardless of balance.
If you need to apply for probate, the HMCTS online service is at gov.uk/applying-for-probate. The current fee is £300 for estates valued over £5,000 (as of 2026, per gov.uk). In Scotland, the equivalent process is Confirmation, administered through the local Sheriff Court.
YBS also participates in the Direct Payment Scheme – meaning they can pay inheritance tax directly to HMRC from the account before probate is granted, using the IHT423 form. This can be useful if the estate owes IHT and you need to pay it to unlock probate.
For a broader explanation of probate and when it is needed, see our guide to probate.
How long it takes
There is no fixed timeline. The speed of settlement depends primarily on whether probate is required and, if so, how long it takes to obtain.
| Stage | Typical timeframe |
|---|---|
| Sole accounts frozen | Immediately on notification |
| Joint account transferred to surviving holder | Within days of receiving death certificate |
| YBS response with next steps | After receiving death certificate and initial details |
| Sole account closure (under £50,000, form only) | Weeks once all documents submitted |
| Sole account closure (over £50,000, probate required) | Months – depends on probate timeline |
The most common source of delay is waiting for the Grant of Representation. If the estate is straightforward and all documents are in order, YBS’s own processing is typically measured in weeks. If inheritance tax is due, or if there are disputes about the will, the overall timeline extends significantly.
If you are unsure whether the estate will exceed £50,000 in YBS accounts, ask YBS’s bereavement team – they can tell you the total balances held across all accounts in the deceased’s sole name.
Tips and things to watch out for
Check whether the deceased had a mortgage as well as savings. Many people forget that YBS also offers mortgages, not just savings accounts. If the deceased was a YBS mortgage holder, contact the bereavement team at the same time as reporting savings accounts – they can handle both at once.
All personal representatives must sign the closure form. If there are multiple executors named in the will, or multiple administrators, they all need to sign the Declaration and Indemnity or the Executor/Administrator Closure Authority form. If one of them is abroad or difficult to reach, this can slow things down. Factor this in early.
Don’t send original documents by post. YBS accepts copies of the death certificate. In branch, staff can take a copy and return your original immediately. Do not post originals unnecessarily – if they go missing, obtaining a replacement from the General Register Office takes time and costs money.
Ask about the inherited ISA allowance. If the deceased’s spouse or civil partner is entitled to an Additional Permitted Subscription, they need to claim it actively. YBS will not raise this unless prompted. There is a time limit on using the allowance, so ask about it early.
Consider notifying multiple providers at once. The Death Notification Service notifies all participating banks and building societies in one step – including YBS. If the deceased held accounts elsewhere too, this can significantly reduce the number of calls you need to make.
YBS is a mutual building society, not a bank. Unlike high-street banks, YBS is owned by its members. This makes no practical difference to the bereavement process, but it means YBS accounts may not appear in some bank lookup tools. If you suspect the deceased held an account there and you cannot find paperwork, try searching old post or emails for correspondence from “Yorkshire Building Society” or “ybs.co.uk.”
Summary
To notify Yorkshire Building Society of a death, call 0345 166 9229 (Monday–Friday, 9am–5pm) or use the online form at ybs.co.uk/help/bereavement. Have the deceased’s name, date of birth, date of death, and any account numbers ready.
YBS will freeze any sole accounts immediately and transfer joint accounts to the surviving holder on receipt of the death certificate. For sole account closure, a Grant of Representation is required if the combined sole account balance exceeds £50,000. Below that threshold, a Declaration and Indemnity form signed by all personal representatives is sufficient.
If you also need to notify other building societies, see our guides to notifying Coventry Building Society, notifying Skipton Building Society, notifying Leeds Building Society, notifying Nationwide, and notifying Halifax.
Sources: Yorkshire Building Society bereavement page (ybs.co.uk, verified May 2026); YBS online bereavement notification form (online.ybs.co.uk, verified May 2026); Death Notification Service (deathnotificationservice.co.uk); HMCTS probate service (gov.uk); IHT423 form (gov.uk).