At Summerland, you will find compassionate support and practical guidance for finalising the accounts of a deceased loved one. Summerland is here to help you every step of the way.

Estate settlement – supporting you through this challenging time

At Summerland, we understand that losing a loved one can be an incredibly difficult time. Our team offers compassionate support and practical guidance to help you manage the finalisation of your loved one’s accounts. We will guide you through the process, making it as simple and stress-free as possible.

Step 1 – Inform us

To begin the process, you will need to notify us of the death of your loved one. You can do this by visiting your local branch or telephoning our Contact Centre. Please provide the following information when you notify us:

1. Full name of the deceased
2. Date of birth and date of death
3. Account number(s) (if known)
4. Your relationship to the deceased
5. Your contact details
6. The name and contact details of the best contact moving forward
7. Details of solicitor if one is appointed

After you have informed us that a loved one has passed away, we will take steps to secure the accounts. This includes:

• Restricting access to the accounts to protect the estate’s assets
• Summerland loans and associated insurance payments will continue.

We will collect a variety of information and documents needed to finalise accounts. We require these documents to confirm the death, who has the authority to act on behalf of the deceased’s estate and validate the correct steps in managing the estate. These documents may include:

• Death certificate
• The Will, if available
• A Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration
• Proof of identity documents

To protect the privacy of our customers, we can only disclose account details to approved representatives of the estate. The representative of a deceased estate may be the estate executor, administrator, or approved next of kin. The above documents assist us in confirming the identification of the appropriate representative.

When the identity of the estate representative has been verified, we are able to provide:

• Balances of accounts
• Transaction listing, including direct debits and credits

Step 2 – Request payment of urgent expenses

Summerland can release funds from the estate to cover reasonable funeral expenses. You will need to provide an invoice or receipt from a funeral home.

Step 3 – Closure of accounts

After receiving notification and documents from you, we will contact other appropriate departments within Summerland on your behalf. We will require you to fill out a Claim for a Deceased Member’s Accounts form, and we will inform you if any additional paperwork or documents are required. Once we have received all the necessary instructions and documents, we will commence the settlement of the deceased person’s estate held with Summerland, which involves releasing their money.

Contact Details

Dealing with the loss of a loved one is never easy. At Summerland, we care about your wellbeing and are committed to providing you with the support and resources you need during this challenging time. You can get in touch with Summerland by calling our Contact Centre or visiting us in branch:

Phone: 1300 728 728

Email: [email protected]

Mail: Payments Team, PO Box 657, LISMORE NSW 2480