Deceased estates

Once notifying us, you will need to provide the following documentation:

• Deceased Estate form
• Death Certificate
• Will or letter of administration
• Grant of Probate for estates of $15,000 or more
• Proof of identification of Next of Kin/Executor, OR Member Number if an existing customer.

We might need different documents depending on the account value and type held by the Deceased. You can provide the original documentation to a branch and we will immediately return it to you, or you can post certified copies to us at: Deceased Estates, Newcastle Permanent, PO Box 5001, HRMC, NSW 2310.

A Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration will need to be obtained when the total value of the Estate equates to $15,000 and over as of date of death.

If the Deceased did not leave a Will, the Estate becomes Intestate. It is usually the responsibility of the Next of Kin, or closest living relative, to complete all relevant documentation to finalise the accounts.

A Death Certificate is the official document issued by the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages containing the information registered when someone passes away, including the date, place and cause of death. Contact the Registry in your relevant State/Territory to obtain a copy of the certificate.

You can provide notification of death even before you receive a Death Certificate.

The only expenses that can be paid from a Deceased person’s account prior to it being finalised, are funds to pay for funeral expenses or costs to obtain Probate/Letters of Administration in order to settle the Estate.

You can apply to claim for expenses by completing section G of our Deceased Estate form. If you have already paid we will reimburse the executor only for funeral fees.

Any account held by the Deceased will be stopped immediately upon notification. Access to these funds will not be allowed unless it is to pay for funeral expenses. The account/s can be closed by completing a Deceased Estate form and providing a certified copy of the Death Certificate, along with either a certified copy of the relevant documentation (i.e. Will, Letters of Administration, or Grant of Probate) and the certified identification of all relevant Executors.

Joint deposit accounts are transferred into the surviving name automatically. Joint personal loans will be finalized from the estate and closed. Home loans will remain in joint names until the survivor has re-applied for the loan in a single name. For more information see our Deceased Estate support guide.

Once we are notified that a customer has passed away, we will cancel their credit card account, which also means that any additional cardholder(s) on the credit card account will no longer be able to use their card – these cards should be destroyed immediately.

Some transactions such as direct debits may continue and you will need to contact the merchant/service provider directly to cancel the payments. If you would like a list of the regular payments on the credit card account, please ask us. If the credit card account is in credit, we will disperse this to the nominated account.

An ‘Estate of the Late’ account is an account opened for the purpose of depositing funds from a deceased person’s Estate after the date of death. If you wish to have one opened, please select so in Part E of the Deceased Estate form.

Once the Estate has been finalised all funds will be paid to the Nominated Estate of Late or Trust Account. The Executor will also distribute assets to any beneficiaries in accordance with the Will.