The Co-operative Bank bereavement number and how to notify them (UK)
Losing someone is hard enough without a pile of admin on top. This page explains, in plain steps, how to tell The Co-operative Bank that someone has died, what they will ask for and what happens next.
How to tell The Co-operative Bank
You can notify The Co-operative Bank by phone or using a bereavement instruction form. You do not need every document ready before you get in touch. Tell them first, and they will explain exactly what to send and at what pace.
You may also be able to use the free Death Notification Service to tell several banks at once. Check whether The Co-operative Bank accepts it when you contact them, at deathnotificationservice.co.uk.
Documents The Co-operative Bank needs
What happens after you tell The Co-operative Bank
£50,000
Accounts are frozen as soon as you notify them. The team then works through releasing the funds with you, case by case.
Once The Co-operative Bank has what it needs, it will freeze the accounts, stop any cards and explain how the money is dealt with. The Co-operative Bank usually needs a grant of probate or letters of administration when the person’s accounts total more than £50,000. Smaller balances can sometimes be released without one, so ask the team about your situation. Joint accounts usually pass to the surviving holder rather than counting towards this. Timescales vary, so ask the bereavement team what to expect for your situation.
Full contact details
Common questions about The Co-operative Bank
Do I need probate to close a The Co-operative Bank account?
The Co-operative Bank usually needs a grant of probate or letters of administration when the person’s accounts total more than £50,000. Smaller balances can sometimes be released without one, so ask the team about your situation.
Can I notify The Co-operative Bank and other banks at once?
Possibly. Check whether The Co-operative Bank accepts the free Death Notification Service when you contact them. The government’s Tell Us Once service separately covers state notifications such as benefits and tax.
Who can report the death?
Anyone can make the first contact. The Co-operative Bank can only release money to the person entitled to deal with the estate, usually the executor named in the will or the next of kin.
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