Estate admin · Account reference
The reference that tells a building society which account a payment belongs to — and where to find it on a passbook, a statement, or a deceased person's paperwork.
A building society roll number is the reference that identifies one member's account inside a society that routes every payment through a single shared sort code and account number. It goes in the reference field of a transfer, not the account-number box. You'll usually find it on the passbook, a statement, in the online account or app — or by asking the society. Some societies, including Nationwide, don't use one at all.
The roll number does the job an account number does at a bank.
Banks give every account its own sort code and account number. Many building societies don't. They route all incoming payments through one collection account shared across their members, then use the roll number to work out which member the money is for. That's why the roll number belongs in the reference field — it's doing the job the account number does at a bank. It isn't a second password or a secret; it's simply an account label.
| Identifier | Length | What it identifies |
|---|---|---|
| Sort code | 6 digits | The society (and sometimes the branch) |
| Account number | 8 digits | Often a shared collection account, not yours alone |
| Roll number | Varies | Your individual account within the society |
Four places it's written down.
- On your passbook — printed on the front or inside cover.
- On a statement — any savings or mortgage statement shows it.
- In your online account or the society's app — listed with your account details.
- By asking the society — the fastest route if the paperwork's gone. If you're dealing with a bereavement, ask for the bereavement team; they'll locate it from the deceased's records.
Not every society uses roll numbers. Nationwide, for example, runs its own clearing centre, so a plain sort code and account number reach the account without one. If your society issued you a normal account number, you probably don't need a roll number at all.
Formats differ — always confirm against your own statement.
These are the common ones. Societies change them and older accounts can carry a different style, so read yours off your own paperwork before relying on a length.
| Society | Roll number | Where it shows |
|---|---|---|
| Yorkshire (YBS) | 10 digits | Statement · online · app |
| Skipton | Your 9-digit account number, used as the reference | Statement · online |
| Nationwide | Not used — sort code + account number is enough | — |
| Coventry / Leeds / Principality / Newcastle | Varies — confirm with the society | Passbook · statement |
The roll number is on the passbook — keep it with the closure form.
If you're an executor or administrator closing a deceased person's building society account, the roll number is on their passbook or statements — keep those together before you start. You'll be asked for it on the society's account-closure form after bereavement. What the society needs alongside it depends on the balance:
- Under £50,000 — usually the death certificate, the closure form, and your ID.
- £50,000 or more — usually the grant of representation (grant of probate, or letters of administration), the closure form, and your ID.
Thresholds vary between societies; the closure form states each society's own limit. Once released, the balance transfers to the estate account or a bank account you nominate.
Roll numbers, answered.
Keeping the estate's accounts in one place.
A building society passbook is exactly the kind of record that's easy to miss until you need it. Valoren's estate bank-account brief walks through opening the account the estate's money moves through, and what each bank and society asks an executor for.
Informational, not advice. Roll-number formats vary and change — always confirm against your society's own statement or website before acting.