How to Notify Tandem Bank After a Death in the UK

How to Notify Tandem Bank After a Death in the UK

If someone who has died held savings with Tandem Bank, the executor or personal representative should contact Tandem and ask for the bereavement process to begin. Tandem’s published guidance says it may need proof of death, executor identity documents and, where required, probate or letters of administration before it can close the account and release funds.

This guide explains what to prepare, what Tandem’s own support pages say, and how to keep the process calm and organised while you are dealing with everything else after a death.

What Tandem accounts this usually affects

Tandem is a UK digital bank with savings products such as instant access savings and fixed-term savings. Its bereavement guidance is aimed at Tandem savings customers and refers to sole and joint accounts.

The exact process can depend on:

• whether the account was in the person’s sole name or held jointly
• whether there is a will
• who has authority to act for the estate
• whether Tandem asks for a grant of probate or letters of administration
• whether the money is in an instant access account or a fixed-term saver

Do not assume you can move the money immediately, even if you know the app login details. Banks need to protect the estate, stop fraud and make sure funds are released to the right person.

Step 1: Contact Tandem’s support team

Tandem’s savings FAQ says an executor can notify them using the listed contact routes. The public contact details shown on Tandem’s support material include:

• customer service phone support for savings
• email at customercare@tandem.co.uk
• in-app chat if you are also a Tandem customer
• postal contact details shown on Tandem’s own bereavement information

When you contact them, keep the first message simple. You can say:

I need to notify Tandem that an account holder has died. Please tell me what documents you need and how you want them sent.

You do not need to explain every detail in the first call or email. Your aim is to start the case, get the correct reference, and confirm the document route.

Step 2: Gather the account information Tandem may ask for

Tandem’s bereavement FAQ says it may ask for information to identify the account. Prepare as much of this as you can:

Information	Why it helps
Full name of the person who died	Matches Tandem’s records
Address	Confirms identity and correspondence history
Phone number	Helps locate the customer record
Account number if known	Speeds up account matching
Date of death	Helps Tandem update the account correctly
Your name and role	Shows whether you are executor, administrator or next of kin

If you cannot find the account number, still contact Tandem. Banks can usually search using other details, but they may need enough information to be confident they have found the right person.

Step 3: Send proof of death

Tandem’s published savings FAQ says it requires proof of death before it can provide account information. It refers to a certified death certificate.

In practice, this usually means one of the official death certificates bought from the register office, or a properly certified copy if Tandem confirms it will accept that. If there is an inquest and you only have an interim death certificate, ask Tandem whether it can start the process with that while the final certificate is pending.

Send documents only by the method Tandem confirms. If you are emailing scans, check whether they must be certified. If you are posting documents, avoid sending irreplaceable originals unless Tandem has specifically told you to.

Step 4: Prove who has authority to act

For a sole account, Tandem may need to know who is legally allowed to give instructions. If there is a will, that is usually the executor named in the will. If there is no will, it may be the administrator of the estate.

Tandem’s guidance refers to documents such as:

• death certificate
• grant of probate or letters of administration
• proof of identity for named executors
• proof of address for named executors
• a letter signed by the executors giving account instructions

Not every estate needs probate, but banks can set their own internal thresholds and evidence rules before releasing funds. If Tandem asks for probate, ask exactly what it needs and whether a certified copy is acceptable.

Step 5: Decide where funds should be paid

Tandem’s FAQ says it does not make payments by cheque and that payments are made by electronic bank transfer. It also says you should provide details of where the deceased customer’s funds should be sent, with evidence of the account, such as a recent bank statement or voided cheque.

For estate administration, it is usually cleaner to have money paid into an executor account or estate account rather than into someone’s personal account. If that is not possible, keep very clear records of any money received and where it later goes.

Do not distribute funds to beneficiaries until you are confident all debts, taxes, funeral invoices and administration costs have been considered.

What if it was a joint Tandem account?

Joint accounts are often handled differently from sole accounts. In many UK banking situations, the surviving account holder may continue to own or control the account, but the bank still needs to update its records and remove the deceased person’s name.

Contact Tandem before making assumptions. Ask:

• whether the account can continue in the surviving holder’s name
• whether a death certificate is enough
• whether any interest or tax reporting needs to be updated
• whether any linked bank account details need changing

If the joint account was used as part of wider estate planning, take legal advice before treating the money as automatically outside the estate.

Fixed savers and timing

Fixed-term savings can add an extra layer because the account may normally be locked until maturity. Tandem’s savings FAQ explains that fixed saver funds are usually locked for the duration of the term, but bereavement is a special situation and should be discussed directly with Tandem.

Ask them:

• whether the fixed saver can be closed early after death
• whether interest is paid up to the closure date
• what happens if the account matures during the estate process
• what evidence is needed before funds can be released

Write down the answer. If several executors are involved, share the same written note so everyone works from one version of the facts.

Keep a simple paper trail

Bereavement administration becomes easier when every organisation is tracked in one place. For Tandem, record:

• date you notified them
• contact route used
• reference number
• documents requested
• documents sent
• date Tandem acknowledged receipt
• expected next step
• date funds were released or account closed

GetPassage can help you organise these institution-by-institution tasks, so you are not relying on memory during a difficult period.

If Tandem letters or emails keep arriving

Tandem’s guidance says it will stop further communications to the account holder, but that this can take a short while to arrange. This is normal with banks and can be upsetting.

If messages keep arriving after a reasonable period, contact Tandem with the case reference and ask them to suppress marketing or routine account communications. Keep one copy of important statements or closure confirmations for the estate file.

When to get extra help

Consider asking a solicitor or probate specialist for help if:

• there is a dispute between executors or beneficiaries
• Tandem asks for probate and you are unsure how to apply
• the estate includes several banks, investments or debts
• there are overseas assets
• you are not sure whether money belongs to the estate or to a surviving joint holder

For most straightforward estates, the practical approach is simple: notify Tandem, provide proof of death, prove your authority, give safe payment instructions, and keep records until the account is closed.