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Bank bereavement guide

Santander bereavement number and how to tell them someone has died

How to tell Santander UK that someone has died: the bereavement phone number, online options, documents you'll need and what happens next. Calm, step-by-step UK guidance.

Last reviewed 2026-09-02T00:00:00+00:00
At a glance
Santander bereavement team
0800 587 5870
8am to 6pm Monday to Friday, 9am to 2pm Saturday.
Notify Santander online
Death Notification Service member. You can tell Santander and other banks at once, see below.

How to tell Santander

You can notify Santander by phone, online, by post or in a branch. 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.
If you phone, have the person’s full name, date of birth and address to hand, plus any account or card numbers you can find. If you do not have them, the team can still trace the accounts from the personal details.
If the person banked with more than one provider, the free Death Notification Service lets you tell Santander and other members in a single submission at deathnotificationservice.co.uk. One thing to know: Santander treats that as a notification only. It will still ask you to complete its own bereavement form afterwards, so you may find it quicker to go to Santander directly.

Documents Santander needs

The death certificate, or an interim certificate from the coroner.
Proof of who you are, such as a passport or driving licence.
The account details you have for the person who died.
The will if there is one, plus a grant of probate or letters of administration if Santander asks for it.
Notify several banks at once

The free Death Notification Service

Santander is a member. Tell them and other UK banks and building societies in one submission, then each one contacts you with their next steps.

deathnotificationservice.co.uk

For state services, HMRC, DWP and councils, use the government’s Tell Us Once service instead.

What happens after you tell Santander

When probate is needed

£50,000 in the person’s sole name

Typical timescale

Accounts are frozen as soon as you notify them. The team then works through releasing the funds with you, case by case.

Once Santander has what it needs, it will freeze the accounts, stop any cards and cancel Direct Debits and standing orders. It will then explain how the money is dealt with.
Santander usually needs a grant of probate or letters of administration when the accounts in the person’s sole name add up to more than £50,000. Below that it can often release the money without one. Joint accounts usually pass to the surviving holder rather than counting towards this.
Two things people often do not realise. First, Santander can pay the funeral bill directly from the person’s account before probate: send the funeral director’s invoice with the death certificate and it is normally processed within five days. Second, any money paid into an ISA after the date of death is moved to an ordinary savings account, so the balance you are told may be split across two accounts.
Timescales vary, so ask the bereavement team what to expect for your situation.

Full contact details

From abroad
+44 1908 520814, option 3
Online
bereavement-online.santander.co.uk
Post
Santander Bereavement Operations, Sunderland, SR43 4FJ

Who else to tell

Nationwide – resources/bank-bereavement/nationwide or choose another bank – resources/bank-bereavement
Tell Us Once: notifying government departments – resources/blog/tell-us-once-notifying-government
Telling banks and building societies someone has died: the overview – resources/blog/telling-banks-someone-has-died
What happens to online accounts when someone dies –resources/digital-assets

Common questions about Santander

What is the Santander bereavement number?

0800 587 5870. It is free to call from UK landlines and mobiles and is open 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 2pm on Saturday. From outside the UK call +44 1908 520814 and choose option 3.

Do I need probate to close a Santander account?

Usually only if the accounts in the person’s sole name total more than £50,000. Below that Santander can normally release the money once it has the death certificate and its completed bereavement form.

Can Santander pay for the funeral before probate?

Yes. Send the funeral director’s invoice and the death certificate and Santander will pay the funeral director directly from the person’s account, normally within five days.

Can I notify Santander and other banks at once?

You can use the free Death Notification Service at deathnotificationservice.co.uk to tell all its member banks in one submission. Santander will then ask you to complete its own form as well, so it does not save a step for Santander itself, but it does for the other banks.

Who can report the death?

Anyone can make the first contact. Santander 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.

From FamilySafe

Dealing with someone’s affairs? Keep it all in one place

Telling Santander is one of dozens of calls, letters and reference numbers you will handle over the next few months. FamilySafe gives you one private place to keep the death certificate scans, the account details, who you have told and what each one still needs, so nothing gets lost and nobody has to start again from scratch.

Start your free account

For executors

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Details can change. Always confirm with Santander before acting. This is general information, not legal or financial advice. Sourced from their official bereavement page, www.santander.co.uk/personal/support/customer-support/bereavement. Last reviewed 2026-09-02T00:00:00+00:00.
Santander bereavement number and how to notify them (UK)