How to Notify Hodge Bank After a Death in the UK

If someone who died had Hodge savings, an ISA or a Hodge mortgage, you should notify Hodge so they can secure the account, explain what evidence they need, and tell you whether probate or other authority is required. Savings and mortgage cases are handled differently, so it helps to know which product the person had before you call or email.

This guide gives a practical order for dealing with Hodge Bank after a death in the UK.

Start by identifying the Hodge product

Before contacting Hodge, look for recent paperwork, online banking records, emails or bank statements showing what kind of relationship the person had with Hodge.

The main routes are:

Product	Why it matters	Likely next question
Savings account	Funds may need to be frozen, released or paid to the estate	Is probate required for the balance?
Cash ISA	The surviving spouse or civil partner may have APS questions	Is an Additional Permitted Subscription relevant?
Sole mortgage	The estate may need to discuss redemption	Who is the personal representative?
Joint mortgage	The account may need updating rather than closing	Was ownership joint tenants or tenants in common?

If you are not sure what the person held, still contact Hodge. They can explain what they need to locate the account.

How to contact Hodge

Hodge publishes separate bereavement information for savings and mortgage customers.

For savings customers, Hodge lists its Customer Service team at deposits@hodge.co.uk and 0800 028 3746, Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm excluding bank holidays. Hodge notes that telephone lines are closed between 9am and 10am on Wednesdays for staff training.

For mortgage customers, Hodge lists its mortgage team on 0800 731 4076 and provides an email route through support@hodge.co.uk.

Always check the Hodge website before sending sensitive information, because contact routes and opening hours can change.

What Hodge may ask for

Hodge’s bereavement guidance says they will ask for information so they can make changes to the account, such as a death certificate. Depending on the amount of money in a savings account, they may need extra checks, including seeing a Grant of Probate.

Prepare what you can:

• the person’s full name and address
• date of birth and date of death
• account numbers, if known
• a death certificate or official evidence of death
• your name, contact details and relationship to the person who died
• whether you are an executor, administrator, surviving joint account holder or next of kin
• Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration, if already obtained
• bank details for any eventual estate payment, if requested later

You do not need to have probate before you make the first notification. In many cases the first step is simply to tell the organisation and ask what authority they need for the next stage.

What happens to Hodge savings after death

Once Hodge has been notified, they can explain what happens to the savings account and what evidence is needed to release money. Hodge’s public guidance says that depending on the amount in the account, extra checks such as seeing the Grant of Probate may be required.

There are usually three stages:

1. Notification — Hodge records that the customer has died.
2. Evidence and authority — you provide the death certificate and any authority documents they request.
3. Release or transfer of funds — Hodge pays funds according to its process, usually to the estate or authorised person.

Do not assume that every bank uses the same probate threshold. Each organisation has its own internal risk and document requirements, and those can change.

Funeral payments from a Hodge account

Hodge says that if you would like to use money from the account to pay for the funeral, you do not need to wait until funds are fully released: they may be able to pay the funeral director directly from the account.

This is common across many banks and building societies, but the details matter. Ask Hodge:

• whether they can pay the funeral director directly
• whether they need the original funeral invoice
• whether the invoice must be addressed in a particular way
• whether they will pay all or part of the invoice
• whether the payment affects later release of the account balance

Do not pay a large funeral bill personally unless you understand whether and how the estate can reimburse you.

ISAs and the APS allowance

If the person had an ISA with Hodge and left a surviving spouse or civil partner, ask about the Additional Permitted Subscription, often called APS.

An APS is an extra ISA allowance available to a surviving spouse or civil partner of someone who died, subject to HMRC rules. It can preserve the tax-free ISA benefit even where the survivor did not inherit the ISA funds. GOV.UK guidance says APS can usually be made to the deceased’s ISA manager or another manager that agrees to accept it, and it is available whether or not the surviving spouse or civil partner inherited the ISA assets.

Hodge’s savings guidance says that for a Hodge APS transfer, the account will first need to be closed and funds repaid; the surviving spouse or civil partner should then contact their chosen ISA provider, who can request a valuation and arrange the APS allowance transfer.

This is an area where rules and time limits matter, so ask Hodge, the receiving ISA provider, HMRC or a tax adviser before making decisions.

If there is a Hodge mortgage

A mortgage is different from a savings account because the estate may owe money to Hodge rather than Hodge holding money for the estate.

Hodge’s mortgage bereavement guidance distinguishes between sole and joint mortgages.

For a single-name mortgage, or where both mortgage holders have died, Hodge says they will contact the customer’s representatives to discuss redemption of the mortgage. The outstanding balance is usually repaid through sale of the mortgaged property. Once full redemption funds are received, Hodge discharges its interest in the property and title at the Land Registry.

For a joint mortgage, Hodge says they require the death certificate so they can make changes to the account. They may ask about the ownership structure, such as whether the property was held as joint tenants or tenants in common. If payments were made from the deceased person’s account, new payment details may be needed.

Probate, Letters of Administration and authority

If there is a will, the executor named in the will may need to obtain a Grant of Probate. If there is no will, the appropriate person may need Letters of Administration. Hodge’s mortgage guidance refers to the personal representative as someone named in the will who has obtained probate, or where there is no will, someone who has obtained letters of administration.

For savings, the need for probate can depend on the balance and Hodge’s requirements. For mortgages, probate or administration may be part of proving who has authority to deal with the property and estate.

Use GetPassage or a simple spreadsheet to track what has been sent, what Hodge has asked for, and the date of each call or email. Financial organisations often need follow-up, and grief makes it hard to keep details in your head.

A simple checklist

• Find any Hodge savings, ISA or mortgage paperwork.
• Notify the correct team: savings or mortgages.
• Ask what evidence Hodge needs before you send documents.
• Provide the death certificate when requested.
• Ask whether probate or letters of administration are required.
• For savings, ask whether funeral invoices can be paid directly.
• For ISAs, ask about APS if there is a surviving spouse or civil partner.
• For mortgages, clarify whether the property is sole, joint tenants or tenants in common.
• Keep notes of all calls, emails and document uploads.

Final thought

The right next step with Hodge depends on the product. Savings, ISAs and mortgages each follow a different path. Start by notifying them, then let the product type, balance, ownership and executor authority determine what happens next.