FAQ’s
Frequently asked questions
Here you will the answers to our most frequently asked questions. We have broken these down by topic to help with searching.
User Registration
You need to create an account by clicking this link – create an account – and then we need some basic information about who you are.
We need to pass your details on to the companies that are being notified both for their records and to contact you if necessary
Yes, simply use any device and login using your email address and password
An individual account is for when you are registering as a person who is registering a single death or life. A professional account is for the likes of solicitors, IFAs or probate services who might be dealing with multiple cases at the same time.
Identity Verification
It helps us protect you and the notified companies against fraud, by verifying you against a Government ID (passport or driving licence) to make sure they match
It’s really simple, click on the ID verification tab in your account, and then follow the instructions. You will need to upload a Government-issued ID to your computer or mobile device. The identity provider we work with will check credit reference agency data to match your name and date of birth to the address you have entered.
We will store these securely on our servers while you still have an active account, these will only be passed on to companies who actively state that they need a copy of the identity (usually banks and building societies) and then only if actively requested.
Registering a Death
The first thing you need to do from your dashboard is to select ‘Register a Death’ and from then enter the details of the deceased
This is something we pass on to all the companies so that they don’t disturb you so that you can concentrate on grieving
Yes. We need either a copy of the death certificate, interim death certificate, or medical certificate of cause of death as a proof of death.
You can create your account, and add all the details needed to notify companies so all the information is ready to go. As soon as you have any of the certificates mentioned above, you can upload it and press send on all the notifications.
Sometimes when one partner dies, they might have utility accounts or insurance cover in their sole name. In order for the surviving partner to receive uninterrupted service or cover we can request that the companies look to transfer or switch accounts or cover into the partner’s name.
Most companies don't need a copy of the Will, however, some financial services companies and asset managers might request a copy. It isn't essential to upload, but it might save you a little bit of time later on and it means they won't need to request a copy from you. Again, we only send it to those companies that absolutely need it.
That doesn't matter. You can always come back to it later and upload it into the Registered Death documents section.
Executors are the legal administrators of the deceased's estate - so if we have these details we can pass them on to the companies being notified so they can send out final balances and bills.
If you don't have the executors' details you can always come back later on and upload them into the collaborator's section of the death you registering.
To comply with GDPR we need to notify any person whose details we hold on our site and in our database.
Registering a Life
You can register either yourself or someone else so that you can start bringing all their account information into one place so that on death the account can be transferred into a registered death and all the notifications will be ready to send. It’s a little bit of forward thinking to remove the administrative burden after your or their death, and allows the relatives more time to grieve properly.
From our homepage select ‘Register a Life’ and then if you already have an account login, and if not set up a new account. Then once you’re in, choose the option to register yourself and the fields will prepopulate.
Then you will need to enter their details into the system. If they have an email address, we will then notify them that you have registered their life on Life Ledger and they will be invited to login and view their registered life. They will only be able to view the information and won’t be able to make any changes unless they ask you to upgrade their permissions.
Sometimes when one partner dies, they might have utility accounts or insurance cover in their sole name. In order for the surviving partner to receive uninterrupted service or cover we can request that the companies look to transfer or switch accounts or cover into the partner’s name.
You absolutely don’t need to upload a copy of the Will. We only ever send it out to companies who require it as part of the probate process where there are largish sums of money held by a bank or building society. Uploading it just minimises the amount of contact they will need to have.
You simply need the account or policy number (and sort code in the case of a bank), or username – we never ask for passwords as we don’t need access to your account. So, all your information is secure.
We suggest you add collaborators (your next of kin or executors) to your account so they have access to the information. They can then easily convert the registration to send notifications when you’re gone.
Registering a death with us is free of charge.
To Register a Life, the first three companies that you add to your dashboard are free, beyond that we have a small annual charge of £12. For this we keep all your information securely stored for the year, and when it comes to renewal we prompt you to check that all your information is still correct and you haven’t transferred accounts to another company.
Sending Notifications
Simply, go to your dashboard and click on Add Service Provider from the top right. Then select the sector (Financial Services, Insurance etc) and then select the sub sector (Pet, Travel, Life, Health insurance) and the company. Then enter the account number or reference and click Add.
We are aiming to be a private sector Tell Us Once, a one-stop platform from which you can notify most of the companies you have accounts with. They will include:
- Banks
- Building Societies
- Credit Cards
- Insurance (Car, pet, health, life, travel)
- Loyalty cards
- Pensions
- Social media
- Streaming services
- Subscription services
- Utilities (electricity, gas, water, broadband, TV, mobile phone)
Life Ledger simply acts as a conduit between you and the companies you need to notify. We provide a platform for you to do it quickly, simply and efficiently. You are the notifier of death and the companies will liaise with you should they require any additional documents or information.
Until we have certain bits of information we can’t send the notifications. These are:
- Deceased’s details
- Copy of the death certificate
We also need to have verified your identity before we can send the notifications.
Just start again and resubmit a notification for that company adding in the correct details
The company in question will receive a notification from us with all the data they need to close, freeze or switch the account. Once they have processed the data they will send us back a reference number which will appear on your dashboard. You will receive an email from us saying that the company has processed the notification.
We resend the notification to the company after 7 days, and after 14 days we make a manual intervention and talk directly to the company on your behalf.
Yes, you can take as much time as you need to make notifications. Once your account is set up and ID verified, you can make notifications whenever it suits you and come back to the portal as and when you need to. Notifications can be sent individually or all at once.
It’s free of charge for you to use Life Ledger to notify all the companies you need to
Then simply click the 'Can't find your provider? Make a new request link at the bottom of the notification and we will try our best to add them to our system.
Security
We have built the system to a security by design standard. All the data is encrypted and we undergo regular security and penetration testing to ensure the highest level of security.
We are Cyber Essentials certified, and are undergoing ISO27001 certification, which is the international standard on how to manage information security.
Uploading Documents
You can add a death certificate, copy of the Will or Grant of Representation into the platform
On your dashboard click on the Documents tab and select the document type you wish to upload, then either drag the file onto the upload box or select from the files on your computer.
Closing Accounts and Deleting Data
As set out in our Privacy Notice, we may hold the personal data of several individuals in relation to one registered death or life. This means that what we need to keep and what we are able to delete will vary depending on whether you have your own Life Ledger account or not and what your role in any death or life registration is.
If you have a Life Ledger account and are not associated with any registered death or life, please contact us at privacy@lifeledger.com if you would like us to delete your account.
If you have a Life Ledger account and are only associated with a registered life, please contact us at privacy@lifeledger.com if you would like us to delete your account.
For life registrations that you pay for, if you do not renew a subscription, we will keep your information for 6 years after the renewal date. This is in case you decide to reactivate the life registration or use one of our other services.
If you have a Life Ledger account and are associated with a registered death in any way, what we can delete depends on whether any notifications have been sent or not and what your specific role in the death registration is.
If you have been invited to create a Life Ledger account by being named as a collaborator on a registered death set up by someone else, but have not yet done so, what we can delete also depends on whether any notifications have been sent or not and what your specific role in the death registration is.
If any notifications have been sent, and you are the notifier, or a collaborator whose details have been passed onto any of the notified companies, we can make your account inaccessible, but we will need to archive and keep your data for a further 7 years. This is because it provides an evidence trail of who notified which companies of what details about the deceased. This is in case we are challenged by anyone connected to the deceased or if the authority of the notifier is questioned. In some cases, it may be possible to delete an account rather than make it inaccessible. Please contact us at privacy@lifeledger.com if you would like us to delete your account and we will explain what we can and can’t do.
I’m afraid not the subscription that you take is for a year paid in advance and is non-refundable
Working with Others
Go to your dashboard and click on the tab that says ‘Collaborators’ and you will be able to add in friends, family members or professionals to help you register a life or death.
If you add a collaborator and select ‘Read Only’ they will only be able to view the account and see what you have done on the platform. They can’t add anyone else, or send notifications.
If you select ‘Full Access’ they can add service providers, other people to work on the account or upload documents. However, like you they can’t send notifications until we have verified their identity.