How to Deal With Paragon Bank After Someone Dies in the UK

How to Deal With Paragon Bank After Someone Dies in the UK

Paragon Bank can be more complicated than a standard current-account case because the person who died may have held savings, a residential mortgage, a buy-to-let mortgage, or more than one of those at the same time. The right next step depends on the product, so the first job is to find out exactly what Paragon relationship existed.

This guide breaks down what to do, what documents Paragon may ask for, and the key differences between savings and mortgage cases. If you are managing several providers at once, GetPassage can help you keep one timeline of who has been notified, what evidence has been sent, and which accounts still need follow-up.

Start by identifying which Paragon products are involved

Try to confirm whether the person had:

• Paragon savings accounts
• a residential mortgage
• a buy-to-let mortgage
• a limited company buy-to-let arrangement
• joint products with a surviving holder or borrower

Do not assume one bereavement path covers all of these. Paragon's public guidance splits savings and mortgages, and the rules are materially different.

How to notify Paragon Bank after a death

Paragon's savings guide says you can notify the bank by phone, email or post. It also says you can use the Death Notification Service instead, which can save time if you are notifying several financial institutions.

For savings cases, Paragon's published guide says you should send or provide:

• the death certificate, either original or copy if notifying directly
• your own contact details, including postal address
• a return address if you want posted documents returned

For mortgages, Paragon's guide says it may ask for:

• a death certificate, interim certificate or coroner's certificate
• a copy of the will to identify the executor
• proof of identity and address for the personal representative where needed

What happens with Paragon savings accounts

Paragon's savings bereavement guide says that once it has registered the death, it will usually write to explain the person's savings and the options available.

Those options may include:

• closing the account
• using money towards funeral expenses or inheritance tax payments
• transferring the account into another eligible name for management

Paragon also says it will tell you the balance and any interest accrued up to the date of death, which can help when preparing probate paperwork.

The Paragon probate threshold for savings

At the time of writing, Paragon's published savings bereavement guide says it will need a Grant of Probate or Scottish Certificate of Confirmation if the customer held more than £20,000 with Paragon.

That is a lower threshold than many people expect. If you know there are Paragon savings, check the approximate balance early so you can plan whether a grant is likely to be needed.

Joint Paragon savings accounts

Paragon's guide says joint accounts pass automatically to the surviving account holder under survivorship rules. That does not mean there is nothing to do, but it does mean the route is different from a sole account in the estate.

What happens with Paragon mortgages

This is where the case can become more serious, because property, insurance, monthly payments and probate timing all interact.

Sole residential mortgage

Paragon's mortgage bereavement guide says direct debits from the deceased's sole account are cancelled and, importantly, that interest is suspended for 12 months on a sole residential mortgage to allow time for probate. Repayment is still expected within that period, usually through sale, refinancing or other estate arrangements.

Joint residential mortgage

The surviving borrower remains responsible for the monthly payments. If there are arrears, they can affect the survivor's credit position, so this is not something to leave unreviewed.

Sole buy-to-let mortgage

Paragon's guide says payments remain due and interest continues to accrue. That is a major difference from the sole residential path. If rent is coming in, the personal representatives need to understand who is collecting it, who is insuring the property, and how the mortgage is being serviced.

Joint buy-to-let mortgage

The surviving borrower or borrowers remain responsible, but ownership and inheritance still need checking. Whether the property was held as joint tenants or tenants in common can change what happens to the deceased's share.

Limited company cases

Paragon's guide highlights a real edge case: if the mortgage sits in a limited company and the deceased was the sole director, a new director may need to be appointed quickly so the company can keep functioning. That is a very different workflow from a normal personal savings case.

Insurance and property risks not to ignore

Paragon's mortgage guidance says buildings insurance must remain in place until the mortgage is repaid. If a property is empty, the insurer may apply different conditions, so the insurer should be told promptly.

For buy-to-let property, the personal representatives may also need to deal with landlord duties while the estate is being sorted. That can include rent collection, repairs and keeping the property compliant.

Questions to ask Paragon early

• Is this a savings case, a mortgage case, or both?
• Is the account sole or joint?
• Does the current balance take the case over the probate threshold?
• What documents are required from me specifically?
• Are payments still due now?
• Has interest been suspended, or is it still accruing?
• Can any funds be released for funeral expenses or inheritance tax?
• Is there a property or insurance deadline I need to act on immediately?

These questions move the case forward faster than a general request for help.

Common mistakes in Paragon cases

Treating it like a normal bank account closure

A savings-only case can be straightforward. A mortgage case is not. If there is a property involved, there may be payment risk from day one.

Missing the lower savings threshold

Paragon's published £20,000 savings threshold means probate can become relevant sooner than families expect.

Ignoring the difference between residential and buy-to-let mortgages

Paragon's own guidance treats them differently. Do not assume a pause or concession offered on one product automatically applies to another.

Forgetting the company structure

If the mortgage is held through a company, the estate issue and the company-governance issue may both need attention.

A simple action plan

• Confirm whether the deceased held Paragon savings, mortgages, or both.
• Notify Paragon as soon as possible.
• Gather the death certificate, will and ID documents.
• Ask whether the case is over the current probate threshold.
• If a property is involved, check insurance and payment status immediately.
• Keep a written record of every call, email and document sent.

When grief and finance collide, clarity matters more than speed. Find the product, ask the right questions, and get the risk under control first. Everything else becomes easier after that.