What to do if an NS&I customer has died

The death of a loved one is always a difficult time for family and friends. We understand that when dealing with grief, the last thing you want to think about is looking after their finances. But we're here to help and support you through these difficult steps and decisions.

If you need to claim the savings of someone who has died, you can do this online, without needing to create an online account. Please make sure you have their details to hand, and you are legally entitled to claim their savings.

We will let you know if we need a Grant of Representation (also known as a Grant of Probate or Grant of Letters of Administration) once we receive your completed form. We may ask for this if the customer's total NS&I savings are £5,000 or over. The Director of Savings also reserves the right to request a Grant of Representation for savings of any value.

You’ll need the following information to hand:

• The customer’s personal details (full name, address, date of birth, date and place of death)
• Spouse name (if applicable)
• Full name of the executor(s) if there is a Will, or administrators if there is no Will (if you’re obtaining a Grant of Administration or Confirmation of Executor Dative)
• Type of NS&I account(s) the customer held
• Details of the person who is making the claim
• Bank account details to pay the money in to

How we use your information

We're committed to keeping all of your information secure, private and confidential. Please read our privacy notice for full details.

Privacy notice

Some questions you might have

• How do I find out if they had NS&I savings?

  Not sure if they had NS&I savings? We can help.

  Trace someone’s savings and investments

• What do 'Executor', 'Administrator' and 'Beneficiary' mean?

  An Executor is the person responsible for dealing with the paperwork and carrying out the wishes specified in the Will.

  An Administrator is the person appointed to deal with a person’s estate if there is no Will.

  A Beneficiary is a person entitled to money, property or other assets of the person who has died.

• Is interest still being paid on this account?

  Yes, all NS&I accounts keep on earning interest until they are closed.

• The customer who has died has won a Premium Bond prize and been sent a prize warrant – what should I do?

  Please send the prize warrant back to us and we’ll reissue it to the person entitled to the money, once we’ve completed the claim. We’ll also hold on to any other prizes the customer wins until we have completed the claim. Then we’ll send any future prizes won by warrant (like a cheque) after each prize draw to the person entitled to the money.

• If the deceased's Premium Bonds stay in the draw, which they can for up to 12 months (instead of being repaid), who will receive any prizes won?

  Once we’ve been told of the customer's death, any prizes won will be paid by warrant (like a cheque) to the person entitled to the money after we’ve completed the claim. We’ll hold on to any prizes the customer wins before then and send them once the claim is completed. Then we’ll send any future prizes won by warrant after each prize draw to the person entitled to the money.

  We can’t pay these prizes electronically or consolidate them and pay them at the end of the 12 months.

• I'm sending you important documents, can you return them by recorded delivery?

  Yes, please send the documents with a covering letter asking us to return them by recorded delivery and we will do this. If you send us original documents, we recommend you use a secure service.

• Do I need to send you the original Bond certificates?

  You can send us the originals, but photocopies are also fine.

• What is a Grant of Representation, Grant of Probate, or a Confirmation?

  These are different terms for the documents issued to give someone the legal right to deal with the savings, property and other assets of a person who has died. When a person dies, you need to apply for the legal right to deal with their money.

  Here are some other sources of information and advice you might find helpful:

  Gov.uk

  HM Revenue & Customs
  0300 123 1072
  The Probate and Inheritance Tax Helpline is open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.