Useful contacts

HM Revenue & Customs

Visit your local Tax Office, or go to www.hmrc.gov.uk

Citizens Advice Bureau

Visit your local office, or go to www.citizensadvice.org.uk

Cruse Bereavement Care

Call 0844 477 9400*, or go to www.cruse.org.uk

General Register Office for England & Wales

Smedley Hydro, Trafalgar Road, Southport, Merseyside PR8 2HH
Tel: 0845 603 7788*, www.gro.gov.uk

General Register Office for Scotland

Ladywell House, Ladywell Road, Edinburgh EH12 7TF
Tel: 0131 334 0380*, www.nrscotland.gov.uk

Probate and Inheritance Tax helpline

Ladywell House, Ladywell Road, Edinburgh EH12 7TF
Call 0845 30 20 900* or go to www.justice.gov.uk/courts/probate

The Bereavement Register

www.thebereavementregister.org.uk

Government advice on bereavement

www.gov.uk/browse/births-deaths-marriages/death

 

Glossary of terms

Administrator

A person who obtains the Grant of Letters of Administration. This entitles them to deal with the estate if no will was made.

Beneficiary

A person who inherits either:
Under the terms of a will
Or:
By the rules of intestacy (if no will was made)

Confirmation

This is the Scottish equivalent to a Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration.

Death Certificate

This is a certified copy of the entry in the death register. The registrar will provide you with as many copies as you ask for. You’ll just need to pay a fee.

This can help to save time if you need to register the death with lots of places at once.

Executor

The person named in a will. This is who deals with the estate and obtains a Grant of Probate.

Grant of Letters of Administration

This is used to appoint an Administrator who can then deal with the estate if no will was made.

Grant of Probate

A formal court document. It is issued by the Probate Service. It confirms the appointment of the Executor named in the will.

 

Grant of Representation

This is a term used to cover both the:
Grant of Probate and Letters of Administration
Confirmations (in Scotland)

Letters of Administration

A formal court document issued by the Probate Service to appoint an Administrator. This is often the next of kin to the deceased.

This is issued where:
There is no will
Or:
The Executor appointed in the will is unable or unwilling to act

Personal Representative(s)

This is the term used for small estate claims when a statutory declaration or Small Estates Indemnity form is to be used.

If there's a savings account to close

Once we’ve seen the death certificate, you'll be asked to fill in one of the forms below to close the account.

For balances under £30,000 you'll need to complete this form.

For balances over £30,000 you'll need to complete this form and include a copy of the grant of representation.