How to Notify Shawbrook Bank After a Death in the UK

How to Notify Shawbrook Bank After a Death in the UK

If someone who has died had savings, a loan, asset finance or a mortgage with Shawbrook, you can notify Shawbrook either through the free Death Notification Service or by contacting Shawbrook’s bereavement team directly. Shawbrook says it will check for accounts across its product range, update its records and then contact you about the next steps.

This guide explains what to do, what information to gather and how to avoid duplicating work while you are dealing with the wider estate.

Before you contact Shawbrook

You do not need to have the whole estate sorted before making the first notification. The early aim is simply to make Shawbrook aware of the death so the account can be handled sensitively and the right bereavement process can begin.

Gather what you can, without delaying unnecessarily:

Information	Why it helps
Full name of the person who died	Helps Shawbrook find the right records
Date of death	Needed for the bereavement notification
Last known address	Helps match savings, borrowing or mortgage records
Shawbrook account or reference numbers	Useful if you have statements or letters
Your name and contact details	Shawbrook needs to know who to write back to
Death certificate	Needed if notifying Shawbrook directly

If you do not know every product the person held, still make the notification. Shawbrook’s public bereavement guidance says that when it is notified through the Death Notification Service it will check for accounts across its range of products.

Option 1: use the Death Notification Service

Shawbrook works with the Death Notification Service, often shortened to DNS. This is a free online service that lets you notify participating banks and financial organisations in one place.

This is usually the simplest route if you are contacting several financial companies. You submit one notification and select the organisations you want informed. Shawbrook says the DNS will let it know, after which Shawbrook will check for accounts and get in touch about next steps.

The DNS is separate from Tell Us Once. Tell Us Once is for government organisations. The Death Notification Service is for participating private-sector organisations, including banks and financial providers. In many estates, you may need both.

Use DNS when:

• you are not sure how many participating banks need to be told
• you want to reduce repeated phone calls
• you have enough basic details to complete the online form
• you are happy for Shawbrook to contact you after the notification is passed on

The Death Notification Service says participating organisations normally contact the notifier with next steps where a live account is found. If no account is found, you may not receive a reply from that organisation.

Option 2: contact Shawbrook directly

You can also notify Shawbrook directly. Shawbrook lists a dedicated bereavement team and says you can email a copy of the death certificate to bereavement@shawbrook.co.uk.

Shawbrook’s published contact details are:

Route	Details
Phone	0330 123 2734
Email	bereavement@shawbrook.co.uk
Post	The Bereavement Team, Shawbrook Bank, Floor 10, 40 Leadenhall Street, London, EC3A 2BJ
Team hours	Weekdays, 9:30am to 4:30pm, excluding public holidays

Direct contact can be better if there is an urgent issue, such as a mortgage payment, a loan, a property sale or funeral costs that may need to be paid from savings.

What happens to Shawbrook savings

If the person who died held savings with Shawbrook, Shawbrook says the account can usually be transferred or closed, depending on the circumstances and who is entitled to deal with the money. It also says it can arrange to pay funeral costs directly from the account where needed.

Do not assume this means all funds can be released immediately. Banks normally need evidence of death and proof of who has authority to act for the estate before releasing savings. Depending on the balance and the estate, this might involve a will, executor details, grant of probate or letters of administration.

If funeral costs are pressing, ask Shawbrook specifically whether it can pay the funeral director directly from the account. Many banks have a separate process for this because funeral invoices are treated differently from general estate distributions.

What if there was borrowing, finance or a mortgage?

Shawbrook’s bereavement guidance refers not only to savings, but also personal loans, finance used to purchase something and mortgages. These should be handled carefully because the next step depends on the type of product.

For a loan or finance agreement, ask:

• whether payments should continue temporarily
• whether any insurance or protection policy is linked to the borrowing
• whether interest or charges continue after notification
• what correspondence the executor or administrator will receive
• whether Shawbrook needs probate before discussing settlement

For a mortgage, the situation can affect a surviving partner, joint owner or family member still living at the property. Tell Shawbrook early if the property remains occupied, if it is being sold, or if there is a risk of missed payments. Do not cancel direct debits until you understand the consequences.

Documents Shawbrook may ask for

The first notification does not always settle the account. It starts the bereavement process. Shawbrook may then ask for further documents depending on what products existed and who is handling the estate.

Likely documents include:

Document	When it may be needed
Death certificate	To confirm the death, especially if notifying directly
Will	To identify executors and beneficiaries, where relevant
Grant of probate	Where formal authority is required for estate assets
Letters of administration	Where there is no will and an administrator is appointed
Executor or administrator ID	To verify the person dealing with the account
Funeral invoice	If asking for funeral costs to be paid from savings

If you are still waiting for probate, say so. The bereavement team can normally explain what can be done now and what must wait.

Step-by-step checklist

1. Find any Shawbrook statements, emails or loan paperwork.
2. Decide whether to use the Death Notification Service or contact Shawbrook directly.
3. Make the initial notification with the date of death and your contact details.
4. Keep a note of any reference number and the date you notified them.
5. Ask whether there are savings, borrowing, finance agreements or a mortgage.
6. Confirm what documents Shawbrook needs before it can release funds or close accounts.
7. Keep copies of all documents sent.
8. Do not distribute estate money until you understand debts, tax and probate requirements.

GetPassage can help you keep a single checklist of which banks have been notified, what evidence each one requested and which tasks are still waiting for probate.

Common mistakes to avoid

The biggest mistake is assuming that Tell Us Once covers Shawbrook. It does not. Tell Us Once is for government bodies. Shawbrook must be told separately, either directly or through the Death Notification Service.

Another mistake is closing a current household payment route too quickly. If a Shawbrook loan or mortgage payment is still being made from the deceased person’s bank account, check the position before cancelling all direct debits.

Finally, avoid sending original documents unless Shawbrook specifically asks for them and you are comfortable with the postal process. Where certified copies are accepted, they can reduce the risk of losing key paperwork.

When to get legal or financial advice

Consider advice if the estate includes a property, a business, multiple debts, disputed beneficiaries or uncertainty about probate. You should also get help if you are unsure whether you have authority to deal with the account.

Shawbrook can explain its process, but it cannot decide who should inherit or whether an executor is acting correctly. For those questions, speak to a solicitor or an appropriate probate professional.

The practical first move is simple: notify Shawbrook, keep the reference, ask what products exist, then work through the document requests one by one.