You can email, call or write to us to inform us that a shareholder has died.
Please note: for employee share plans, the employer will
notify Equiniti who will then write to the deceased's
representative(s).
Online
Please ensure that you include the shareholder's full name and registered
address along with the company name(s) in which the shares are held. It will
also help to provide details of any previous addresses at which the shareholder
has lived; to help identify all shareholdings.
Our standard response time is to deal with your request within 5 business days
from receipt.
Phone
Please call our Bereavement Helpline on:
0371 384 2793
(Overseas holders need to ring: +44 121 415 0875).
If calling by Textel/Minicom, please call: 0371 384 2255. Lines are open Monday
to Friday, 8.30am to 5.30pm; excluding UK Bank Holidays.
When you call, please quote the Shareholder Reference; this can be found on
the share certificate/statement or on any previous correspondence sent. Please
also be prepared to provide details of any previous addresses at which the
shareholder has lived; to help identify all shareholdings.
Post
You can send us written notification of the death of shareholder to:
Equiniti
Aspect House
Spencer Road
Lancing
West Sussex
BN99 6DA
UK
Please ensure that you include the shareholder's full name and registered
address along with the company name(s) in which the shares are held. It will
also help to provide details of any previous addresses at which the shareholder
has lived; to help identify all shareholdings.
Our standard response time is to deal with your request within 5 business
days from receipt.
What happens next?
Details of the shareholder's death, and contact details of the notifier, will
be placed as a temporary notification on the share register. This temporary
restriction will remove any mandate instructions and cancel any dividend
re-investment plans. All future dividend payments will also be held by us;
pending the formal registration of the death. At this stage, we will provide you
with details of the Registration of Death procedure along with any forms that
you need to complete.
For further information, please refer to our Guidance Notes here.
If the shares are held in joint names, we can simply re-register them in the name(s) of the remaining shareholder(s).
The information we need from you depends on whether the shares are held in a certificated format (you have physical share certificates) or electronically in a Corporate Sponsored Nominee (you get annual statements).
Certificated shares
Please write to us at the address below with the shareholder's full name, registered address and the companies in which the shares are held. Please include the original Death Certificate or Grant of Representation (we cannot accept Death Verification Forms).
Corporate Sponsored Nominee (CSN) shares
Please write to us at the address below with the original Death Certificate or Grant of Representation (we cannot accept Death Verification Forms) and a completed Transfer of Joint Holding Form, which you can download below.
We can also send the form to you in the post if you contact us using the details on the right of this page.
Banco Santander Transfer of Joint Holding Form and Guidance Notes For shares held in Banco Santander.
Equiniti Transfer of Joint Holding Form and Guidance Notes For shares held in all other companies.
- - If the shares are held jointly with the same people in more than one company, write one holding on the form and mention the others in your covering letter.
- - If the shares are held jointly with different people, please fill in a separate form for each holding.
- - If the shares are held jointly in certificated and CSN holdings, you just need to fill in a Transfer of Joint Holding Form for the CSN holding(s) and confirm the certificated holding(s) in your covering letter.
Please send any documents to us at
Equiniti
Aspect House
Spencer Road
Lancing
BN99 6DA
UK
All original documents will be returned to you by first class mail within three days of receipt. Our standard response time is to deal with your request within five days of receipt.
If a UK Grant of Representation is not being obtained our Small Estate Service can be used by the Next of Kin or Executor(s) of the deceased holder. We are able to offer this service where the value of the holding(s) in each company, (shares and/or outstanding payments) was less than £20,000 at the date of death and when no Inheritance Tax is payable on the deceased’s UK estate.
Using the Small Estate Service in the capacity of Next of Kin
Next of Kin is defined as being married to, or blood relative of, the deceased. The recognised order of precedence is;
- Husband, Wife or Civil Partner of the deceased
- Son or Daughter of the deceased (including formal adoption)
- Father or Mother of the deceased
- Brother or Sister of the deceased
- Grandparent or Grandchild of the deceased
Not recognised are any further relations by marriage e.g. Son/Daughter-in-law, Step-son/daughter.
Where the Small Estate Declaration and Indemnity form is being completed in the capacity of Next of Kin we will also require a copy of the Death Certificate and any fee payable.
On receipt of a fully completed Small Estate Declaration and Indemnity form the shares will be transferred into the name of the Next of Kin listed on the form. Where the form is completed by more than one Next of Kin the shares will be transferred into their joint names (N.B. a bank account in joint names will be necessary).
Using the Small Estate Service in the capacity of Executor named in a Will
Where the Small Estate Declaration and Indemnity is being completed in the capacity of Executor, the form must be completed and returned with a copy of the Death Certificate, the Will or foreign Grants of Probate and any fee payable.
Where there is only one Executor named in the Will the shares will be transferred and payments made to the sole Executor.
Where there is more than one Executor named in the Will and all persons wish to act, the details and signatures of all named Executors must be entered on the form. The shares will be transferred to and all payments made in the joint names (N.B. a bank account in the joint names will be necessary). For shares held in joint names the address given for the first named Executor will be recorded as the registered address for all future communications.
Where there is more than one Executor named in the Will and the shares are to be transferred to only one, we will require only his/her details and signature on the form. This must be supported by a signed letter of authority from the remaining Executors giving agreement that the named Executor can act on their behalf. The shares will be transferred and payments made to that named Executor.
To request the Small Estate Service:
Once you have notified us of the death and know that you would like to use the Small Estate Service, you can either:
1) Download and complete the relevant form from below – suitable if you are clear on the fees that will be expected for this service (as calculated from the fee table also presented below) or
2) Contact us for a Small Estate Declaration and Indemnity form which details any fees payable.
Download our generic forms from below:
Equiniti Small Estate Declaration and Indemnity form
To be used when the Estate is made up of one or more shareholding(s). This form should not be used for sole holdings in Banco Santander.
Santander Small Estate Declaration and Indemnity form
To be used when the Estate is made up of one or more shareholding(s) in just Banco Santander.
The downloaded Small Estate Declaration and Indemnity form should be used for one company only. For multiple companies please complete the Additional Holding form (SAYE schemes must also be included). This can be found on the link to the relevant Small Estate Declaration and Indemnity form. If you are unsure of the Shareholder Reference for any holdings please contact us.
Nationality Declaration Form
For holdings in BAE Systems Plc, easyJet Plc, QinetiQ Group Plc and Thomas Cook Group Plc, a Nationality Declaration form will also need to be completed by each Next of Kin or Executor who is receiving the shares. Please download, complete and return the appropriate form below with the Small Estate Declaration and Indemnity form.
BAE Systems Plc
easyJet Plc
QinetiQ Group Plc
Thomas Cook Group Plc
Small Estate charges
Completed Equiniti and Santander forms have to be countersigned by Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance plc. This is something we arrange on your behalf. Please note that we will not accept countersignature from any other financial institution. A fee of £34.50 is payable for each company. There is also one fixed administration charge of £45.00 for this service. You will need to calculate the total fee payable for the use of this service. To do so, please refer to the following table:
| Number of Companies |
Administration Fee |
Countersignature Fee |
Total |
| 1 |
£45.00 |
£34.50 |
£79.50 |
| 2 |
£45.00 |
£69.00 |
£114.00 |
| 3 |
£45.00 |
£103.50 |
£148.50 |
| 4 |
£45.00 |
£138.00 |
£183.00 |
| 5 |
£45.00 |
£172.50 |
£217.50 |
| 6 |
£45.00 |
£207.00 |
£252.00 |
| 7 |
£45.00 |
£241.00 |
£286.00 |
| 8 |
£45.00 |
£279.00 |
£324.00 |
| 9 |
£45.00 |
£210.00 |
£355.00 |
| 10 |
£45.00 |
£345.00 |
£390.00 |
Where a holding in each company (shares and/or outstanding payments) is valued between £100 and £200 at the date of death – only countersignature is payable.
Where a holding in each company (shares and/or outstanding payments) is valued at under £100 at the date of death – all fees are waived.
We can accept payment via Bank Transfer, details of how and where to make the payment can be found on the Small Estates form.
If the payment is being made by way of a Cheque, Cheques need to be made payable to ‘Equiniti Limited’ expect in the instances below.
For shareholdings only consisting of Banco Santander: Cheques need to be made payable to ‘The Registrar for Banco Santander’.
Please send the completed form(s) and, if applicable, the cheque to us at:
Equiniti
Aspect House
Spencer Road
Lancing
West Sussex
BN99 6DA
UK
Our standard response time is to deal with your request within 7 business days from receipt.
Alternatively, you can contact us for a Small Estate form with the total fee pre-presented on it for you. You can contact us in any of the following ways:
Online
Click
here to send an email to request a Small Estate Declaration and Indemnity form.
Our standard response time is to deal with your request within 7 business days
from receipt.
Phone
Please call our Bereavement Helpline on:
0371 384 2793
(Overseas holders need to ring: +44 121 415 0875).
If calling by Textel/Minicom, please call: 0371 384 2255. Lines are open Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5.30pm; excluding UK Bank Holidays.
When you call please quote the Shareholder Reference. This can be found on the share certificate/statement or on any previous correspondence sent. Please also be prepared to provide details of any previous addresses at which the shareholder has lived to help identify all shareholdings.
Post
You can write to us to request a Small Estate Declaration and Indemnity form at:
Equiniti
Aspect House
Spencer Road
Lancing
West Sussex
BN99 6DA
UK
Our standard response time is to deal with your request within 7 business
days from receipt.
Please note:
The Small Estate Service cannot be used for Royal Dutch Shell shareholdings where the Dutch equivalent of the Grant of Representation has or will be obtained. Only if you have, or will be applying for Dutch equivalent documentation, please click here for further guidance (this does not usually apply to shareholders resident outside The Netherlands).
Please note the companies below also have additional requirements.
Please click here for more details.
Ferguson Plc
Genel Energy Plc
Man Group
Petrofac Limited
Sanne Group
Trufin Plc
If a UK Grant of Representation is being obtained we will need to see the original or a sealed office copy (we are not able to accept certified copies). If you have the new style Grant we need to see the original with the coloured hologram. A Grant could be one of the following:
- Grant of Probate;
- Letters of Administration;
- Certificate of Confirmation (Scotland);
- A Grant of Representation issued by a Commonwealth country/territory if it has been resealed in the UK High Court of Justice.
Please note the companies below also have additional requirements.
Please click here
for more details.
Ferguson Plc
Genel Energy Plc
Man Group
Petrofac Limited
Royal Dutch Shell
Sanne Group
Trufin Plc
Royal Dutch Shell: Only if you have, or will be applying for Dutch equivalent documentation, please click here for further guidance (this does not usually apply to shareholders resident outside The Netherlands).
Send the chosen documentation along with a covering letter that includes; the shareholder's full name and registered address
along with the company name(s) in which
the shares are held, to:
Equiniti
Aspect House
Spencer Road
Lancing
BN99 6DA
UK
All original documents will be returned to you, by 1st class mail, within 3
days of receipt. Our standard response time is to deal with your request within
5 days of receipt.
Fees
There will be no charge when registering the death using a Grant of
Representation.
This paid-for service can be used if you need to calculate the value of shareholdings owned by the Estate of a deceased shareholder. The Share Valuation will only include shares of the companies for whom Equiniti act as Registrar. Values can be provided as at the date of death. This service is in-line with HMRC’s guidelines (found at www.hmrc.gov.uk) for the valuation of shareholdings belonging to an Estate.
For Share Valuations for the Estate of the deceased, Executors, Legal Representatives and Next of Kin can use this service.
For more information on the Share Valuation service and how to submit a request please click here
If the sole shareholder or one of the joint shareholders has died, the death will need to be formally registered before the Postal Share Dealing service can be used to sell the shares. This can be done at the same time as submitting the Postal Share Dealing Form, with an additional fee being deducted from the sale proceeds. Full details can be found in the ‘Useful Information’ section of the Postal Share Dealing Form. This additional charge can be avoided if you formally register the death before submitting your sale instruction. For full details of our Postal Dealing service you will need to click on the link below.
Find out more about
the Postal Dealing service.
Once the shares have been transferred to the beneficiary, shares can also be
traded via our Shareview Dealing service.
Find out more about our
Shareview Dealing service