One phone call to tell all banks of death

GRIEVING families will be able to inform all banks about the death of a loved one by filling in a single form, after a Money Mail campaign.

In a move that will spare hundreds of thousands a year the heartbreak of having to ring dozens of firms after a death, a pioneering service is being launched by Britain’s biggest banks.

The scheme follows a three-year Money Mail campaign which highlighted how those winding up the estate of a family member often needed to produce dozens of copies of documents and spend hours on the phone.

From today, the bereaved will be able to register a death by filling out a form online or over the phone – and then information about the bereavement will be passed on all firms signed up to the Death Notification Service.

Initially the scheme will involve Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds Banking Group, Nationwide, Royal Bank of Scotland and Santander. This includes brands such as First Direct, Halifax, M&S Bank and Scottish Widows. Together they represent 85 per cent of the current account market.

The service was developed by trade body UK Finance. Banks may still request a copy of the death certificate to confirm the customer has died.