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Saga Magazine
Two pairs of hands holding each other across a table

SAGA INSURANCE BEREAVEMENT SERVICE

We are here to help take care of your insurance needs following the loss of a loved one.

Our support team are here to help

Losing a loved one is always one of the hardest things in the world, but if you have to deal with the practicalities as well as your own grief it can feel overwhelming. 

At Saga, we have a specialist bereavement team who will be able to help you though this process, by taking care of any insurance products that are held with us. 

Our friendly and attentive staff will be on hand to make sure the service you receive from us will be as helpful as possible.

To begin with, we recommend:

1. Reading through the What do I need to know? and What do I need to do? sections below to find out how we can help and what information we need to be able to assist you

2. For car or home insurance customers, use the form that relates to the insurance held with Saga.

Car insurance Home insurance Both car & home insurance

Or if you'd like us to call you, use our call back request form and we'll be in touch within 24 hours.

Request a call back

3. If you prefer, you can call our specialist team on 0800 092 3816. Lines are open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

For further guidance, please check the wealth of information on the Government website.

Here are some support services that you may also find helpful:

Cruse

A freephone national helpline staffed by trained bereavement volunteers, who offer emotional support to anyone affected by bereavement.

Marie Curie

A free support line and a wealth of information and support on all aspects of bereavement

What do I need to know?

We understand that organising the administration of your loved one’s estate can feel like a long and difficult task, but we are committed to providing you with all the support and guidance you need through this difficult time.

To update insurance policies that belonged to a loved one, there are some details we will require, but our specialist bereavement team are here to guide you.

When we receive the initial notification that one of our policyholders has passed away, we will:

  • Stop all promotional mailings being sent via post/email (this can take three to four weeks to stop completely)
  • Amend any existing insurance policies to reflect a change in circumstances
  • Record the Executor details (please note we are only able to make changes with the Executor’s permission).

Once we have received notification that your loved one has passed away, you will be able to transfer/amend/cancel any relevant insurance policies they may have held.

What do I need to do?

It’s important that you contact us as soon as possible to ensure we can adjust any active policies accordingly to avoid any claims discrepancy.

Once we have been informed, we will update your loved one’s insurance policy with the name and address of the Executor who will administer the estate.

The named executors will then be able to transfer/cancel any policy.

Alternatively, if probate or letters of administration are required, we can continue to insure the asset (property/vehicle) until the estate has been settled.

If your loved one’s estate didn’t have any assets as such and probate is not required, we will guide you through the steps to ensure we close down any active polices.

Transferring a policy to a spouse/partner

An estate will not require probate when the property and assets are jointly owned with another person, this is most common where a husband and wife are the joint owner of home.

If you wish to transfer the name of the policy holder to a surviving spouse, please contact our specialist team on 0800 092 3816, alternatively please fill out our callback form and we will contact you.

Continuing cover during probate

We can continue cover while your loved one’s estate is going through the probate process. If a property forms part of an estate, we will continue to provide cover in our late policy holder’s name.

When is probate required?

Probate will normally be required in the following circumstances:

  • For distributing the property and assets among beneficiaries where it was owned solely by the person who died
  • Where any part of estate is disputed, and there are legal proceedings
  • Where the person owned stocks or shares in their sole name
  • Where the amount of money in financial services is over the probate threshold, which could be anywhere between £5000 and £50,000.

When is probate not necessary?

There are some situations where you will not need probate:

  • When the person owns their property and assets joint with another person, probate will not be needed. This is because the assets will be passed directly onto the other person who owns the property. This is most common where a husband and wife are the joint owner of home
  • For a small estate, many banks will not require a grant of probate to access the money. This is generally if the person had less than £5000 in their personal accounts. This is only really the case where the person had no land, property, or shares
  • Where the assets are in the form of a trust.
If you wish to continue any existing policy, please contact our specialist team on 0800 092 3816, alternatively please fill out our callback form and we will contact you.

Glossary of terms

Will

A will or testament is a legal document that expresses a person's (Testator) wishes as to how their property (Estate) is to be distributed after their death and as to which person (Executor) is to manage the property until its final distribution.

Probate

Probate is the term used to describe the legal and financial processes involved in dealing with the property, money and possessions (called ‘the assets’) of a person who has died.

Before the Executor or next of kin named in the Will can claim, transfer, sell or distribute any of the deceased’s assets they may have to apply for Probate.

Once probate has been granted, the Executor/next of kin can begin dealing with the deceased’s assets in accordance with their Will. If the deceased died without leaving a valid Will, this is known as intestacy. In this case, who inherits the deceased’s assets will be decided by following the rules of intestacy.

Saga Legal has partnered with Co-op Legal Services to provide comprehensive probate support. Find out more about the services we offer.

Letters of Administration

A grant of letters of administration may be required if your loved one died without leaving a will. It is an official court document that proves you have the authority to deal with someone’s estate.

Executor

The Executor (or Executrix) of an estate is an individual appointed as per the Will to administer an estate. The Executor's main duty is to carry out the instructions to manage the affairs and wishes of the deceased person's estate.

They also manage the deceased's unfinished and ongoing affairs, like closing bank accounts and paying debts. They also protect and maintain all of the deceased's assets and belongings.

If you need any help, contact our specialist bereavement team on 0800 092 3816, who will be more than happy to provide additional support.

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