How we can support you if someone with a Monzo account dies

Making financial arrangements on behalf of a loved one who’s died can feel overwhelming. To help, we have produced this practical guide.

Our bereavement specialists are here to support you and make closing the Monzo account of someone who’s died as simple as possible.

Once you have gathered the information and you need to let us know someone with a Monzo account has died, you can get in touch by emailing us on [email protected] or calling us on 0800 802 1281 (or +44 203 872 0620 from abroad).

To help us find their account, we’ll ask you to give us some information. This could be:

Please also share  a scanned copy or clear photograph of their death certificate.

We understand that death certificates vary across the UK and abroad. We accept most formal records. If the document is not in English or doesn’t have an English language key we may require additional documents.We can let you know what documentation we accept when you reach out. 

Anyone can notify us of a bereavement, but we can only return any money following instructions from the executor of Probate, next of kin or from solicitors on behalf of the executor or next of kin. 

Next of kin can be:

The government website and Citizen’s Advice have support available to help with inheritance.

This form is an agreement between you as the next of kin and Monzo that outlines what Monzo is responsible for and what you are responsible for during account closure. 

If you are relying on using any money in the account to pay towards funeral costs or settle an invoice, we can work directly with next of kin to be able to transfer money directly to the funeral directors. For this we will need a copy of the funeral service invoice from the funeral director. 

We’ll also close any Savings Pots they opened with one of our partner banks through Monzo. And where available, we’ll send any money from savings back to their next of kin.

We will also close any membership plans and make sure we correct any recent automated fee charges.

Once that’s done, we can close their bank account.

You can also tell us that someone with a business or joint account with Monzo has died in exactly the same way. If you are aware of any instructions for the business on how the account will be managed, please let us know. 

There's some helpful advice and next steps here about closing a limited company

If you’re the other person on the joint account, you’ll have to move any money into your personal account, and switch over any Direct Debits or standing orders. We’ll reach out to let you know the process. Please contact us if you have any questions. 

If they had any outstanding debts or an overdraft with Monzo, our bereavements specialists will be able to discuss the repayment and settlement options available with you.

If the person who’s died was a crowdfunding investor, you’ll need to contact Crowdcube to discuss their shares in Monzo. You can contact them via their website here and let them know of the situation. 

If their account balance is below £5,000, we’ll need you (the next of kin) to show us a form of ID, and complete our indemnity form where you give us details of the bank account you’d like us to return the outstanding money to.

If their account balance is more than £5,000, we’ll need a copy of a grant of probate or letters of administration before we can release the money. We can help you understand how to get the right probate documents if you’re not sure how.

Once we have a death certificate, a completed indemnity form and any additional documents we may require, we can transfer any money left in the account to the account details given by the next of kin.

After we get this information, it normally takes us 5 working days to return the money to the account you’ve asked us to.

We understand how distressing it can be to have to repeat the same process with many organisations. In place of individual notifications with each service and going through each organisation’s process, there are several free services that can help. 

Death Notification Service allows you to notify a number of member organisations of a person's death, at the same time. 

Settld allows you to notify a range of services (financial, household, utilities social media) about a death, at the same time.

Tell Us Once lets you report a death to most government organisations in one go. 

Our bereavements specialists can also point you to support from a range of charities, depending on your circumstances. 

We often signpost to the following organisations; 

Cruse, a bereavements charity specialising in advice, support, and information for people across the UK. 

The Bereavement Advice Centre supports and advises people on what they need to do after a death.

Mind have a team that provides information on a range of topics including: types of mental health problems, where to get help, medication and alternative treatments. They can also signpost you to services offering help and support in your local area.

We’re really sorry for your loss, and we’re here to do what we can to support you.

For any questions about bereavements, please contact us via email, on the phone, or through the Monzo app if you’re a customer.