How to Notify Secure Trust Bank After a Death in the UK

How to Notify Secure Trust Bank After a Death in the UK

To notify Secure Trust Bank after a death, contact its bereavement team by phone, post or email using its Notification of Death process. Secure Trust says it will stop further transactions on the account, confirm what documents are needed, and explain the next steps for closing or releasing funds.

This guide focuses on Secure Trust Bank savings accounts and the practical documents families are most often asked to provide.

What Secure Trust Bank asks you to do first

Secure Trust Bank describes its bereavement process in three stages: inform the bank, provide the documents it asks for, then release funds once checks are complete.

The first stage is simply telling the bank about the death. You can do this by phone, by post using its Notification of Death form, or by email if you are sending certified documents in an accepted format.

Secure Trust Bank’s public bereavement details include:

Route	Details
Phone	0330 303 0092, option 1
Post	Freepost SECURE TRUST BANK
Email	savingsbereavement@securetrustbank.co.uk
Form	Notification of Death form BT02

If you email documents, Secure Trust says documents must be in .jpg, .png or PDF format and that screenshots or photographs of a screen will not be accepted. It also says documents that require certification can be certified by accepted professional people, including the Post Office, an accountant, a solicitor or barrister, or a doctor.

What happens after notification

Secure Trust Bank says it will stop further transactions on the account to prevent unauthorised withdrawals or deposits. It also says the account will continue to earn interest.

That matters. A death notification is not the same as closing the account. The bank is protecting the account while it works out who has authority to deal with the money. Communications may also be stopped, although Secure Trust notes that something already on its way may still arrive.

For families, the practical result is:

• the bank has a record of the death
• the account should not be used as normal
• interest may continue while paperwork is checked
• the executor, administrator or relevant representative will be told what is needed

Keep a note of when you notified the bank and how. If you speak by phone, write down the date, the number called and any reference given.

Documents Secure Trust Bank may need

Secure Trust Bank’s guidance lists several documents it may need when processing the Notification of Death form.

Document	Purpose
Notification of Death form BT02	Starts or supports the bereavement process
Death certificate	Confirms the death
Extract of Entry into the Register of Death	Alternative evidence of death
Coroner’s Certificate of the Fact of Death	Can be used where relevant
Grant of Probate	Shows executor authority where required
Letters of Administration	Shows administrator authority where there is no will
Account closure form BT14	Used to close and release funds

Secure Trust says that if the total balance of the account or accounts is under £50,000, it can accept a copy of the will instead of a Grant of Probate. If you do not know the balance, tell the bank. Its guidance says it will contact you to advise which documents are required.

Do not treat the £50,000 figure as a general probate rule for all banks. It is Secure Trust Bank’s stated approach for its own process and can depend on the circumstances.

What if it is a joint account?

Secure Trust Bank says that for a joint account it only requires an original or certified copy of the death certificate. The account then becomes a sole account in the name of the remaining account holder.

That is different from a sole account in the deceased person’s name. A joint account is normally dealt with through survivorship rather than distributed under the will, although the value may still be relevant when calculating the estate for tax or reporting purposes.

If the surviving account holder relies on the account for day-to-day money, contact the bank promptly and ask what will happen to access, interest and statements.

Probate, letters of administration and balances

Probate is the legal authority to deal with someone’s estate when there is a will and executors are appointed. Letters of administration are the equivalent authority when there is no valid will or no executor able to act.

Secure Trust Bank may require one of these documents before funds can be released, especially where the balance is above its internal threshold or the estate is more complex.

If probate has not been granted yet, you can still notify Secure Trust Bank. The bank can tell you what it will need later. This is often better than waiting months and leaving the account unflagged.

Inheritance tax and IHT423

Secure Trust Bank’s bereavement guidance says that if funds are needed to pay inheritance tax, it may require evidence of death and an IHT423 form. IHT423 is the form used when asking a bank or building society to pay inheritance tax directly to HMRC from the deceased person’s account.

This can matter because inheritance tax may need to be paid before probate is granted. If you think inheritance tax is due, use GOV.UK guidance or professional advice rather than guessing. The executor is responsible for getting this right.

ISAs and Additional Permitted Subscription

Secure Trust Bank says it does not offer APS accounts, but that a surviving spouse or civil partner can use an APS allowance with another provider. APS stands for Additional Permitted Subscription. It can allow a surviving spouse or civil partner to make an extra ISA subscription linked to the value of the deceased spouse or civil partner’s ISA.

Secure Trust says the new ISA provider should request the APS transfer, after which Secure Trust will provide a transfer declaration.

If the person who died had an ISA, do not ignore this point. Even where the ISA itself is being closed, the surviving spouse or civil partner may want to ask another ISA provider about using the APS allowance.

Step-by-step checklist

1. Find any Secure Trust Bank statements, app details or account numbers.
2. Contact the bereavement team by phone, post or email.
3. Complete the Notification of Death form if required.
4. Provide evidence of death in the form Secure Trust accepts.
5. Ask whether the account is sole or joint.
6. Ask whether probate or letters of administration are required.
7. Complete the account closure form when the bank asks for it.
8. If there is an ISA, ask about APS before closing your notes.
9. Keep copies of everything sent.

GetPassage is useful here because bank tasks tend to split into several smaller actions: first notification, death evidence, probate evidence, closure form, tax payment and final release. Keeping those separate prevents missed follow-ups.

Avoid these common errors

Do not keep using the deceased person’s savings account. Once someone has died, accounts should be handled through the bank’s bereavement process.

Do not assume probate is always required or never required. Secure Trust’s own guidance gives a balance-based route, but the exact documents depend on the account and circumstances.

Do not send casual screenshots of documents by email. Secure Trust is explicit that screenshots or photographs of a screen are not accepted. Use the formats and certification requirements it asks for.

When to get help

Speak to a solicitor or probate professional if there is no will, family disagreement, a large estate, inheritance tax, foreign assets or uncertainty about who can act. Speak to HMRC or a tax adviser if inheritance tax may be due.

For the bank itself, the next action is clear: notify Secure Trust Bank, ask what it needs, and move one document at a time.