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Inheriting an ISA allowance when your partner dies

If your husband, wife or civil partner had a Nationwide cash ISA, you may be able to inherit their ISA allowance. You can do this by applying for an extra ISA allowance with us.

Information:

We have plenty of practical information and a step-by-step guide to support you with money matters when someone close dies.

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What is an inherited ISA allowance?

Each year, the government sets a limit on how much you can save across all your ISAs, tax-free. This is called your ISA allowance, which for the 2025/26 tax year is £20,000.

If your husband, wife or civil partner has passed away and they had an ISA, you are entitled to an additional tax-free allowance based on the balance of their ISA.

We call this an inherited ISA allowance, or Additional Permitted Subscription (APS), because you are permitted to inherit their allowance.

When can you use an inherited ISA allowance?

You can only use an inherited ISA allowance within:

  • 3 years of your partner passing, or
  • 180 days after your partner’s estate has been settled.

Whichever date is later.

If you choose to use your inherited ISA allowance with Nationwide, you can only make one payment to pay in your allowance. You will lose any ISA allowance not used in this single payment.

Can any Nationwide ISA be inherited?

You can only register the inherited ISA allowance of your partner's Nationwide cash ISAs with us.

This includes any Nationwide ISA except for junior ISAs and Nationwide stocks and shares ISAs.

For ISAs held with other providers, you will need to contact those providers instead.

Who can apply for an inherited ISA allowance?

To apply for an inherited ISA allowance with Nationwide

You need to:

  • have a partner who passed away on or after 3 December 2014
  • have been married to, or in a civil partnership with, your partner when they passed away
  • have been living together and not been separated under a court order, a deed of separation, or in circumstances where your marriage or civil partnership had broken down
  • have an email address

How much is the inherited ISA allowance?

The value of your inherited allowance depends on when your partner passed away.

If your partner died on or after 6 April 2018

You have 2 options.

Your first option is to add the amount your partner had saved in their ISA(s) when they died to your allowance. For example, if they saved £10,000 in their ISAs, you could add £10,000 to your allowance.

Your second option is to add the balance of your partner’s ISA(s) at the earlier of:

  • the date the administration of the estate is completed
  • the date the ISA is closed
  • the third anniversary of the date of death

This option can mean you inherit a larger ISA allowance because your partner's ISA can stay open and earn interest for up to 3 years after they died.

If your partner died on or before 5 April 2018

Your extra allowance will match the amount in your partner’s ISA(s) when they passed.

Set up an inherited ISA allowance in 3 steps

Step 1: Register your partner’s death with us

You will need to share your partner’s death certificate (or a certified copy of it) with us.

You can upload a copy online, take it into any Nationwide branch or post it to our Bereavement Services team.

We will update our records and send you a letter to tell you about your partner’s Nationwide ISA(s) and how much they had saved.

How to register a death with us

Step 2: Open a new Nationwide Triple Access Online ISA

You next need to open a new 1 Year Triple Access Online ISA to save your allowance in.

Even if you already have this ISA, you will still need to open a new one.

You can only use your inherited ISA allowance in this new cash ISA.

More about our 1 Year Triple Access Online ISA

Step 3: Pay in your inherited ISA allowance in one lump sum

You can only make one payment to pay in your allowance. You will lose any ISA allowance not used in this single payment.

To pay in your allowance, you will need:

  • the sort code and account number of your new 1 Year Triple Access Online ISA. You can find this by logging in to our banking app after your ISA is open

  • the date of your marriage or civil partnership

  • your partner’s date of birth and the date they passed away

  • your partner’s permanent residential address at the time of passing

  • you and your partner’s National Insurance numbers

  • an email address

Pay in online or in branch

To pay in your allowance, you must complete our ISA allowance form. You can complete this online or at any Nationwide branch.

If you complete the form online, you must transfer the money from a Nationwide current account or non-ISA savings account that you hold.

If you complete the form in branch, you can transfer your money by cashing a cheque or transferring from a Nationwide current account or non-ISA savings account that you hold.

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Looking for more ISA support?

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Renew your ISA

If you don't use any of your ISA allowance for an entire tax year, you will not be able to pay into your ISA until you renew it.

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Learn what to do if you have received a letter or email from us saying your ISA is about to mature and how to reinvest.

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