How to Notify interactive investor After a Death in the UK

How to Notify interactive investor After a Death in the UK

If someone who has died held investments with interactive investor, you should notify ii as soon as possible with written confirmation and an original or certified copy of the death certificate. ii says it will then block sole-name accounts, issue guidance on probate and valuation, and wait for instructions from the executor or administrator once the legal authority is in place.

This matters because an investment platform is not the same as an ordinary bank account. Shares, ISAs and SIPPs can sit on different legal tracks after death, and getting the paperwork wrong can slow the whole estate down.

Start by understanding what ii is likely to hold

interactive investor accounts often include a mix of products, such as:

• a trading account
• a Stocks and Shares ISA
• a SIPP or pension account
• cash held alongside investments

That matters because some assets are dealt with through the estate in the usual probate process, while pension death benefits can follow a separate beneficiary-led route.

Who can notify interactive investor?

ii says a solicitor, next of kin or executor of the estate can notify it that an account holder has passed away.

You do not need to wait until every legal document is ready before making first contact. Early notification allows ii to secure the account and explain what it will need next.

How to notify interactive investor

According to ii's public help page, it wants:

• written confirmation that the account holder has died
• an original or certified copy of the death certificate
• the account number or account numbers, if known

Its public guidance says these can be sent by post to:

interactive investor
4th Floor, 3 South Brook Street
Leeds, LS10 1FT

If you already have an ii account, the firm also says documents can be returned by secure message.

If you need to speak to a person, ii's Bereavement Helpdesk number is 0345 607 6001 (or +44 113 346 2309 from abroad), and it says the team is open Monday to Friday.

What ii does once you tell them

ii says that once it receives notice of the death, it will update all existing accounts held in the sole name of the deceased and block the accounts from trading. That is an important protection step.

In practice, this means:

• no one should continue buying or selling as if nothing happened
• cash and assets are held pending legal documentation
• ii can prepare account valuations and probate information
• executors get a clearer picture of what the estate actually contains

ii says this approach also applies where the deceased held an ISA or SIPP with them.

What paperwork is needed after the first notification?

ii's guidance says the next major document is the court-sealed Grant of Probate or, in Scotland, the Grant of Confirmation. If there is no will, the relevant authority is usually Letters of Administration.

It also says the executors then need to complete an Executor/Administrator Instruction Form.

That form matters because ii cannot simply guess what the estate wants done with shares, funds or cash. The form lets the executor spell out whether the estate wants to:

• sell investments and withdraw the cash
• sell only selected holdings
• transfer assets rather than sell them

ii's public page also notes that it can act on signed written instructions from all executors once it has the sealed probate paperwork.

Why ii is different from an ordinary bank bereavement team

With a current account, families often just want the balance released and direct debits stopped. With ii, the choices are more technical.

You may need to decide:

Decision	Why it matters
Sell or transfer investments	Selling may simplify the estate, but transferring may suit beneficiaries better
Deal with ISA separately	ISAs lose their tax wrapper on death, but spouses or civil partners may have APS rights
Treat SIPP/pension benefits differently	Pension death benefits can follow beneficiary rules rather than normal estate distribution
Wait for valuation before acting	Date-of-death valuations matter for probate and later tax records

That is why an ii bereavement case often takes more thought than a normal bank notification.

What about ii pensions and SIPPs?

ii's public pension guidance explains that defined contribution pensions can often be passed on as death benefits, and that the tax treatment usually depends on whether the member died before or after age 75.

In broad terms:

• if death happens before 75, beneficiaries can often receive pension death benefits tax-free
• if death happens after 75, beneficiaries may pay income tax at their own marginal rate
• timing and provider rules matter, so do not assume a pension follows the same route as shares or ISA cash

That means you should not treat an ii SIPP as just another estate balance. Ask ii what part of the process is executor-led and what part is beneficiary-led.

Do you need probate before contacting ii?

No. Contact ii first, then follow its probate instructions.

But you will often need probate, confirmation or letters of administration before ii can act on final sale or transfer instructions for estate assets. Its own help page is explicit that the sealed grant is part of the process.

If you are still working out the bigger probate picture, these guides may help:

• What Is Probate? A Simple UK Guide
• Applying for Probate in the UK
• What Happens to ISAs and Investments When Someone Dies in the UK

A practical order to follow

1. Find any ii account references, statements or emails.
2. Notify interactive investor in writing and send an original or certified copy of the death certificate.
3. Ask for date-of-death valuations and confirmation of all products held.
4. Establish who the executors or administrators are.
5. Apply for probate, confirmation or letters of administration if required.
6. Complete ii's Executor/Administrator Instruction Form.
7. Decide whether the estate should sell, transfer or distribute the investments.
8. Check separately whether any SIPP death benefits are being handled outside the estate.

Common mistakes to avoid

Assuming all assets can be released at once

They usually cannot. Estate assets, ISA holdings and pension benefits may move at different speeds.

Selling too quickly without understanding the estate

Sometimes selling is the right answer. Sometimes it creates unnecessary tax, timing or family issues. Get the valuation first.

Forgetting that all executors may need to sign

ii's guidance says it can act on signed written instructions from all executors. If there are multiple executors, plan for that early.

Treating a SIPP like a bank account

This is one of the biggest mistakes. Pension death benefits often require a separate conversation about nominations, beneficiaries and tax treatment.

Final thought

interactive investor bereavement cases are manageable, but they are paperwork-heavy for a reason. ii is not just closing an account; it is dealing with investments, tax wrappers and sometimes pension death benefits. If you notify them early, get the valuation, and move in the right legal order, you give yourself the best chance of keeping the estate administration under control.

If you are tracking several institutions at once, a tool like GetPassage can also help you keep the estate's tasks, documents and follow-ups in one place instead of scattered across email threads and paper notes.