Help and support
We want to help you manage your account and relationship with us throughout the term of your mortgage. Whether its key life events, money worries, health challenges, low financial or digital skills capability, we’re here to support you.
Supporting you through bereavement
At this difficult time, we want you to know that we're here to support you with understanding and care.
We understand that while you're processing your grief, you may also face the practical task of managing your loved one's financial affairs.
How we're here for you
We'll walk you through the process of notifying us about your loss and explain what happens to your loved one's mortgage account. To inform us of a bereavement of a customer, call us on 0344 770 8030.
There are a few things we will need to see once you have notified us, this information can be found in our FAQs below.
- We'll clearly outline the steps we will take as soon as we're informed, and you can expect regular updates throughout the process.
- As well as sorting out the mortgage, we can point you in the direction of other support to help get everything organised.
- We understand that everyone's situation is unique, and we're flexible and approachable.
Remember, you're not alone in this journey. We're here to help lighten your load during this difficult time, providing the financial support and understanding you need.
We’re very sorry for your loss. Please let us know as soon as you’re able to. Once we’ve been notified, there are a few things we’ll need to help update our records and guide you through the next steps.
What documents will you need from me?
We’ll require either:
- A copy of the death certificate, or an interim death certificate if the final version is not yet available.
We’ll also ask for:
- The name and address of the personal representatives (if known), so we know who to contact regarding the account.
- Confirmation of who will be managing the estate.
As soon as you let us know, we’ll update our records. However, until we receive the death certificate or interim certificate, all correspondence will continue to be addressed to the deceased.
What happens next will depend on how the property is legally owned, which we can confirm for you if you’re unsure. It will either be in the sole name of the customer or jointly owned.
If the property is jointly owned:
- We will transfer the mortgage into the name of the surviving account holder.
- If payments are made by Direct Debit, we’ll check that these details are still correct.
- The remaining account holder will receive written confirmation of these updates.
If the property is owned in a sole name:
- We’ll need details of the person managing the estate — this might be an executor, solicitor or next of kin.
- We’ll ask for their name and address so we can get in touch directly.
- We may also need to know whether a solicitor has been appointed, whether there’s a Will, and whether a Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration have been issued.
- We’ll check the status of the bank account we currently collect mortgage payments from.
We understand that handling practical matters after a bereavement can be difficult. The Bereavement Advice Centre is a free service offering support and practical guidance on what to do when someone dies.
You can contact them by visiting www.bereavementadvice.org or by calling 0800 634 9494.
Serious Illness and Disability
If you’ve got a serious illness or disability, this may cause day to day challenges and impact your quality of life and your wellbeing. Everyday tasks may become more difficult and accessing services may become more problematic.
We appreciate your illness or disability may also have financial implications. It may mean you’re no longer able to work, or you may have to have a temporary period off work whilst you receive treatment or make adjustments.
We'll listen to your needs and work with you to see what we can do to help, including providing any forbearance options available should you be experiencing money worries as a result. Any information you give us about your illness or disability is confidential and we'll only ever use it to help you.
Fraud and Scams
Being a victim of fraud can be devastating, both financially and emotionally. Especially, as scams relating to property as they have significant impacts. Therefore, please make sure to check you are dealing with the correct firm and person before sending any money in connection with your property transaction.
Things to look out for include:
- Being contacted by someone who claims to be your solicitor or conveyancer, advising you that the sort code and account number where you need to make a payment to has been changed.
- Being contacted by your solicitor or conveyancer on a different email address to the one you usually communicate through. You may even receive a call from someone purporting to represent your firm requesting a payment.
- Being put under pressure to make a payment urgently or risk your property transaction falling through.
Paying your mortgage can also be problematic if you become a victim to a fraud or scam. Please reach out to us if this happens, as there may be ways we can help whilst matters are sorted out.
Further details on how you can protect yourself from conveyancing fraud and other types of fraud can be found on the ‘Take Five’ Campaign to stop fraud website.
Financial Abuse
Financial abuse can happen to anyone. It can take a variety of different forms within different relationships, including partners, family members or carers. Or it might even include financial control, restriction, exploitation or sabotage, creating dependency or instability.
While financial abuse can look very different for different people, there are signs of financial abuse you can look out for, helping protect yourself or someone you know. Here’s some of the common signs that someone might be experiencing financial abuse:
- Restricted or controlled access to money and accounts.
- Restricted or controlled access to statements.
- Forced to pay someone your salary or benefit payments.
- Prevented from using a debit or credit card.
- Forced to take out credit agreement products.
If you're affected by financial abuse, we can offer you support regarding your mortgage whilst you seek help you get control of your finances again.
Mental Health and Wellbeing
At one point or another, many of us experience mental health conditions, caused by anything and can affect anyone. It can be hard to deal with money during these times, or your finances could be affecting your mental health. And if this happens, we’ll try to help. Even if it’s just calling at certain times that suit you, like times of the day you’re better able to deal with people.
We’ll listen to your needs and work with you to see what we can do to help. Any information you give us about your mental health is confidential and we’ll only ever use it to help you.
Gambling and Addiction
Gambling and other forms of addiction can affect your health, relationships, mental wellbeing and even your finances. If you have any concerns that an addiction is taking control of your life and finances, please let us know. We’ll try our best to help you with your mortgage and your account whilst you seek the support you need.
The sooner you get support, the better it will be for you and also your finances.