Closing a Coventry Building Society Account After Death

Coventry Building Society is the third largest building society in the UK by assets and is headquartered in Coventry. It is a mutual organisation and offers savings accounts, cash ISAs, and mortgages to members across the country. If the person who has died held an account with Coventry Building Society, you will need to notify them so that accounts can be frozen, a date-of-death balance obtained, and funds eventually released to the estate.

How to notify Coventry Building Society of a death

Coventry Building Society can be notified by telephone, in branch, or potentially online:

• By telephone: Call Coventry's bereavement team. The team can freeze accounts immediately and advise on what documents to send. A number commonly associated with their service is 0800 121 8899, but you should confirm the current bereavement number at coventrybuildingsociety.co.uk before calling, as contact details can change.
• In branch: You can visit a Coventry Building Society branch with the death certificate and your identification. Branch staff will take the notification and refer it to the bereavement team.
• Online: Check the Coventry Building Society website for an online notification option.

Record the date of your notification, the name of anyone you speak to, and any case reference number given. Request written confirmation that the account has been frozen.

If the deceased held accounts at multiple institutions, the free Death Notification Service (deathnotificationservice.co.uk) lets you notify Coventry and other participating organisations through a single online submission. You will still need to follow up with Coventry directly to provide physical documents.

Documents you will need

Coventry Building Society will ask for documents at two stages: to confirm the death and freeze accounts, and later to release funds. Have the following ready:

• Original death certificate or a certified copy from the register office. Order at least eight copies when you register the death. They are cheaper to obtain at registration than to request individually later.
• Proof of your identity: a current passport or driving licence.
• Proof of your address: a utility bill or bank statement dated within the last three months.
• The original will (if one exists): Coventry may ask to confirm your status as executor, particularly if the balance is near or above their threshold.
• Passbook or account details: If a passbook was issued, this can help locate the account quickly.
• Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration: required if the total balance across all Coventry Building Society accounts exceeds their probate threshold.

The Grant of Probate is not needed to make the initial notification. It only becomes relevant when you are ready to close the account and release funds, and only if the balance exceeds the threshold.

Coventry Building Society's probate threshold

Coventry Building Society sets its own internal figure for the amount it will release without a Grant of Probate. Below this, funds can typically be released on sight of the death certificate, your identification, and a small estates declaration. Above it, accounts remain frozen until a sealed Grant of Probate is produced.

Coventry Building Society does not publish its threshold prominently. You should confirm the current figure with their bereavement team when you first make contact. Different account types or circumstances can also affect what Coventry requires, so asking directly is the most reliable approach.

For a comparison of approximate thresholds across major UK banks and building societies, see our guide to bank probate thresholds.

Joint accounts

If the deceased held an account jointly with another person, the account ordinarily passes to the surviving holder by right of survivorship. Coventry Building Society will update the account to the survivor's sole name on receipt of the death certificate. The surviving holder retains access to the funds throughout the notification process.

The notification still needs to be made formally. The surviving account holder should contact the bereavement team with the death certificate and their own identification.

ISAs held with Coventry Building Society

A cash ISA held in the deceased's sole name forms part of the estate. If the ISA balance, together with any other Coventry accounts, takes the total above the probate threshold, the ISA will remain frozen until the Grant of Probate is produced.

A surviving spouse or civil partner may be entitled to claim an Additional Permitted Subscription (APS), allowing them to invest an extra amount into their own ISA equal to the value of the deceased's ISA at the date of death, without counting against their annual ISA allowance. Raise this with Coventry's bereavement team early in the process, as there is a time limit for making the claim.

How long does it take

The timescale depends on whether the balance is above or below Coventry's probate threshold:

• Below the threshold: Once all required documents are received, Coventry typically processes the account closure and fund release within a few weeks.
• Above the threshold: Accounts remain frozen until the Grant of Probate is issued. Applying for probate can take several months. Once Coventry receives the sealed grant, account closure should follow within a few weeks.

If you have not had an update within four weeks of sending documents, follow up with Coventry's bereavement team using your case reference number.

Coventry Building Society bereavement contact details

Contact the bereavement team rather than general customer services. They have the authority to freeze accounts and progress the case.

• Telephone: 0800 121 8899 (verify this number at coventrybuildingsociety.co.uk before calling, as it may have changed)
• Online: coventrybuildingsociety.co.uk/bereavement
• Post: Economic House, PO Box 9, High Street, Coventry CV1 5QN
• In branch: Visit any Coventry Building Society branch with the death certificate and your identification.

Contact details and processes can change. Always check the Coventry Building Society website for current information before getting in touch.

For a full walkthrough of closing accounts across multiple institutions, see closing bank accounts after death. For the notification process, see notifying banks after death. For a complete list of documents, see documents to close a bank account after death.