Business
Support Centre
Bereavement
. . .

Help for businesses

What to do if your business suffers a bereavement

On this page

Getting the right help Open in new window

Guidance for your business Open in new window

Tell us about a bereavement Open in new window

Additional support Open in new window

Common questions Open in new window

Glossary Open in new window

Getting the right help

If you’ve lost someone in your business, we’re here to make the banking side of things as simple as possible through practical help and support.

It’s normal to feel uncertainty when responding to a bereavement in your business.

Once you’ve notified us of a bereavement, our team will get in touch by phone or email to help you with the next steps. Please note, the call will come from a withheld number.

Guidance for businesses

Select your entity type to view specific guidance for your business. If you’re not sure what to choose, start a chat with us.

Click buttons below to find out more

What happens once you notify us

Sole Trader

If the deceased is the sole account holder, you’ll need to notify us and close the banking facilities. To do this please follow the steps to notify us below, and one of our team will be in touch. If there’s debit or credit on the account, our team will discuss this with you and help with next steps.

Partnerships (one remaining partner)

Once you've notified us of the bereavement, you'll need to decide if the business should continue trading.

Whatever you decide, our team will be in touch to discuss your options and support you with the next steps.

Are you going to stop trading?

If so, you’ll have 90 days to conclude the affairs of the business and close your banking facilities.

Are you planning to continue as a Sole Trader or bring in a new business partner? 

Depending on your circumstance we may be able convert your account to a sole trader or add a new business partner to continue your partnership account. Our team will be able to advise.

We will support you through the process of converting your account and updating your mandate to reflect the changes in your business.

Partnerships (more than one remaining partner)

Once you notify us of the bereavement, we’ll get in touch to help you with the next steps.

Are you going to stop trading?

If so, you’ll have 90 days to conclude the affairs of the business and close your banking facilities.

Are you going to continue trading? 

Depending on your circumstance you may be able to continue your partnership account, our team will be able to advise. We will support you through the process of continuing your account and updating your mandate to reflect the changes in your business.

Limited Company

Once you notify us of the bereavement, we’ll get in touch to help you with the next steps.

Sole Director deceased; business to continue trading

If the sole director died, we’ll put a temporary stop on the banking facilities until a new director is appointed.

You’ll need to update the existing mandate with new authorised signatories and instructions to reflect the changes.

You’ll also need to update Companies House with the details of the new Director.

Sole Director deceased; business to stop trading

If the sole director died, we’ll put a temporary stop on the banking facilities while you and your colleagues work through the business closure process.

One or more Director remaining

If there’s more than one remaining Director, your banking facilities will continue to work as normal.

You’ll need to update Companies House to reflect the change.

Limited Liability Partnership

Once you notify us of the bereavement, we’ll get in touch to discuss your options and help you with the next steps.

Partner deceased; one or more remaining partner

If the business has more than one remaining partner, your banking facilities will continue as normal. You’ll need to update the authorised signatories and instructions on the existing mandate to reflect the change.

You'll need to update Companies House to reflect the change.

Partner deceased; sole partner remaining

If only one partner remains, the business can only continue to trade as a Limited Liability Partnership for 6 months (from the date of the deceased partner’s death). After this the Limited Liability Partnership status will be lost, unless an additional partner is appointed.

Clubs & Societies

Once you notify us of the bereavement, we’ll get in touch to help you with the next steps.

If the deceased was a signatory on your mandate, the authorised signatories and instructions may need updating to make sure there are at least two remaining signatories on the mandate.

Trusts

Once you notify us of the bereavement, we’ll get in touch to help you with the next steps.

You may need to share the trust deed with us to so we can understand if the trust is operable.

Tell us about a bereavement

Are you the Executor, Next of Kin or Solicitor?

If you are the Executor, Next of Kin or the solicitor, the quickest way to notify us is through our digital service, please us the ‘Notify Us’ link below.

If you’ve already notified us regarding the deceased's personal accounts OR notified us via the Death Notification service (DNS), you don’t need to tell us again. We will be in touch.

If you notified us of a bereavement via the digital tool before 18th November 2023, then you can access your request by logging into Click & Notify.

Information Message

Notify us Open in new window

Not the Executor or Next of Kin?

To notify us of a bereavement if you’re not the Executor or Next of Kin, you can:

Start a webchat using the link below
Call us on 0800 161 5904
Contact your Relationship Manager directly
Visit us in a Branch
Send us a letter including your business name, sort code and account number, the deceased person’s name, and your name and contact number. Post it to:

Bereavement Services,

PO Box 5612,

Manchester,

M61 0WN

Information Message

Start a webchat Open in new window

For more information about how we will use the personal data you provide, please see our Privacy Notice.

What we may ask for:

Depending on your business type, we may need some extra information to update our records. This could include:

Death Certificate – an original or certified copy
Copy of the Will (Sole traders and Partnerships only)
Proof of your identify
Grant of Representation / Probate or Confirmation for Scotland

Our specialist team will explain what's needed for your situation.

Additional support

Here’s a short list of independent organisations who can provide further bereavement support both on a business and personal level.

Help with letting people know

Tell Us Once is a service that lets you report a death to most government organisations in one go, including HMRC, DVLA, the Passport office, and your local council (if applicable).

Help with letting other banks know

If the person banked with us and other banks, you can use the Death Notification Service to let them all know at the same time.

Emotional support

Trusted organisations that can help with grief counselling and support:

When a staff member dies - Cruse Bereavement Support

How the Samaritans can help in the workplace

Supporting bereaved children and young people | Child Bereavement UK

Get help with grief after bereavement or loss from the NHS

Help with the formalities

Gov.uk has information on what to do when someone passes away, including registering a death, paying inheritance tax, and applying for probate.

Check if you can get bereavement benefits

If your husband, wife or civil partner died in the last 21 months, you may be able to get Bereavement Support Payment.

Guidance from Companies House

Support from Companies House

Common questions

Are you going to stop my account?

Each customer is supported on a case-by-case basis. In some instances, we may need to stop activity on the account, but the team would discuss this with you.

Do I have to open a new account?

In some situations you do need to open a new account. If this is necessary, our specialist team will be in touch to discuss the options you have.

What can I do if I’m uncomfortable using technology on phones and computers?

That’s OK. We can help. Please ring us on 0800 161 5904 to let our team know the best way of keeping in contact with you in the days and weeks ahead.

What happens if there is a loan or other borrowing facilities on the account?

If there is borrowing on the account, then the relevant person (Solicitor/Next of Kin/Executor/Remaining Partner) will be contacted by our dedicated support team. We will work with the relevant person to settle any lending or arrange re payments.

Glossary

Executor

The person/people named in the will who is/are responsible for dealing with the estate and making sure that it’s settled according to its terms.

Banking facilities

This includes all products and services Royal Bank of Scotland provides under the business name. For example, Online Banking, debit and credit cards, loans and overdraft facilities.

Next of Kin

Usually the deceased’s closest living relative. Sometimes it’s a person nominated as the next of kin by the deceased, such as a spouse, civil partner, child or parent.

Mandate

A bank account mandate is a document which tells the bank who is authorised to manage a bank account and what those parties are permitted to do. The parties authorised under the bank account mandate are called authorised signatories.

Partnership Agreement

A legal agreement between two or more business partners that lays out in writing the responsibilities of two partners in a business, such as how much profit and loss each party is responsible for and how you’ll manage the business in the event of the death of a partner.

Continuation clause

A clause in the Partnership Agreement which sets out how the partnership should continue after the death of a partner.

Death certificate

A death certificate is a legal document issued by a medical practitioner which states when and how a person died. It can be issued by a government civil registration office, that declares the date, location and cause of a person's death, and is entered in an official register of deaths.

Medical certificate

If the death was expected a doctor will issue a medical certificate stating the cause of death. If the death was unexpected, the doctor may need to report the death to the local coroner, and it may take longer for the death certificate to be issued. You’ll need a medical certificate to register the death, but you should be able to get an interim certificate from the coroner if needed.

Administrator

The person/people appointed by a court to take charge of an estate when the deceased has not left a will or where the named executor is unwilling or unable to act.

Grant of Letters of Administration (Letters of Admin)

A legal document issued by the Court, allowing someone to act as executor of an estate following a death when there is no will. We need this when the total balances held are over £50K or safe custody is held or if already being applied for.

Grant of Representation

A more general term for a document issued by the court authorising the executors or administrators to deal with the estate; either a grant of probate or Grant of letters of administration.

Certificate of confirmation

A legal document issued by the Scottish court, which gives the executor or administrator authority to deal with the estate. Required by the bank when the total balances held are over £50K or safe custody is held or if already being applied for.

Relationship Manager

Royal Bank of Scotland staff who have responsibility for the day-to-day management of the relationship with their business customers.

Safe custody

A service offering safety deposit boxes or other secure storage for high-value physical items like jewellery, precious metals or documents of title. Businesses that provide safe custody services must register with the FCA and be taking active measures to prevent money laundering.

Probate

A formal procedure to prove that a document is the last will and testament of the deceased.

Is there something else we can help you with?

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