Bereavement

What to do if an HL client has died

To let us know that someone has died either call our Bereavement Team on 0117 906 7806 or send us the death certificate. You’ll also need to register the death through the government website www.gov.uk/register-a-death so that a death certificate can be issued. 

If you’re going to be dealing with the person’s HL accounts, there are other steps explained below, that we’ll need to guide you through depending on the type of account held. If you're not sure what was held, don’t worry, we can let you know once we’ve received a copy of the death certificate. 

HL ISA/LISA/Fund and Share account

1. Send us the original or a certified copy of the death certificate by post, along with a covering letter confirming your full name, date of birth and current address so that we can verify your identity before we progress. Please send everything to HL Estates, Sunderland, SR43 4FZ. 
2. We will freeze the account(s) 
   Once we’ve been notified of the death, we will freeze the HL accounts held by that person. All existing investments and their values will continue to be affected by market movements. Dividends will continue to be paid from investments and interest will be applied to any cash held. But any instruction to sell can only be made by the person dealing with the estate (the nominated executor(s) or self-nominated administrator).
3. We will send you a valuation and our estates application pack 
   We’ll return the death certificate along with a probate valuation and an estates application pack. The valuation will confirm the type of accounts held and the value of assets as at the date of death. This means that the valuation figures and final values distributed may differ. The estates application pack lets us know what should be done with the assets held. 
4. You send us the completed estates application pack and other required documentation 
   You return the estates release forms included in the application pack along with an original Grant of Probate. If the total value of assets held with HL (excluding pensions) is below £50,000 and probate is not being applied for, we will require a certified copy of the Will. (From 2027, where an estate is valued over the inheritance tax threshold, some pensions may be subject to inheritance tax.) 
5. We will action any requested trades and distribute assets as instructed 
   Once we’ve confirmed who has authority to deal with the estate, we can action their requests. Confirmation of these actions will usually be sent to the nominated executor(s) or self-nominated administrator of the estate. This includes confirmation of any bank payments made, new accounts set up on behalf of beneficiaries and the closure of the account(s). 

HL Self-Invested Personal Pension/Drawdown pension

1. Send us the original or a certified copy of the death certificate by post, along with a covering letter confirming your full name, date of birth and current address so that we can verify your identity before we progress. Please send everything to HL Estates, Sunderland, SR43 4FZ. 
2. We will freeze the account(s) 
   Once we’ve been notified of the death, we will freeze the HL accounts held by that person. All existing investments and their values will continue to be affected by market movements. Dividends will continue to be paid from investments and interest will be applied to any cash held. But any instruction to sell can only be made by the person dealing with the estate (the nominated executor or self-nominated administrator). 
3. We will send you a valuation and our ‘request for information form’ 
   We’ll return the death certificate along with an account valuation and our request form. The form is needed to confirm the details of any potential beneficiaries and the valuation will be as at the date of death. This means that the valuation figures and final values distributed may differ. 
4. You return the completed form and other required documentation 
   You return the completed request form along with a copy of the Will and a Marriage certificate (if applicable). 
5. Our HL Trustees Committee will conduct a review 
   As the assets held within HL pension accounts don’t usually form part of a person’s estate, a review of how the assets should be distributed is required. When deciding this, the committee will consider any named SIPP beneficiaries we hold on record, as well as any instructions left in the Will (if applicable), or potential beneficiaries provided on the ’request for information form’. 
6. We will send a ‘Settlement of benefits form’ to each SIPP beneficiary 
   Once the committee has confirmed the beneficiaries of the SIPP, we will send an 'options form' to each appointed beneficiary, asking what they would like to do with the assets they’ve inherited. Any beneficiary can choose to have the assets they inherit paid out to them as a lump sum. Many beneficiaries will also have the option to transfer the assets into a self-invested drawdown pension in their own name, or exchange the value for a secure income (an annuity). 
7. Beneficiaries return their completed benefit form, and we distribute assets as instructed 
   Confirmation of these actions will usually be sent to the acting representative. This includes confirmation of any bank payments made, or new accounts set up on behalf of beneficiaries, and account closure. Depending on the option selected, beneficiaries may be required to complete additional forms before assets can be distributed. 

How to tell us about your needs

Complete our form online 

Log in to your account to complete our two-page form.  
 
Page one will allow you to select your support options. Page two will ask you to tell us more about your personal circumstances.

Call our helpdesk

If you do not have an online account or prefer to talk to someone directly, call our Helpdesk.

What to expect when you tell us about your needs

• The information you give us will go to our specialist team. They'll use it to look at the ways we can support you. 
• We'll add your notes to our records, so you won't need to tell us again. 
• You can ask us to update or remove this information at any time. 
• The information is kept on your client record and is confidential. It cannot be seen by anyone other than approved HL staff. 
• We won't usually need to, but if you complete the form online and we have questions about your circumstances or believe we might be able to offer you more support, our specialist team may contact you. If you’d rather we did not contact you, call us at a time that suits you to speak to us directly. 

Information that may be relevant

What to do when someone dies 

Our Seven Steps Guide can help you to figure out who you need to contact first, what legal and financial things you need to sort, and how to get authority to deal with the estate. 

Inheriting an HL account 

If you’ve been left any money or investments held in an HL account, it’s important you understand your options so you can make the best choices for your situation. 

The HL Guide To Inheriting Money could help. 

Organisations that can offer support

It’s important to make sure you have the support you need. These National and specialised charities can help: