Do you need probate for a joint bank account?
No. The account carries on in the survivor's name once the bank has seen the death certificate. It is not frozen and the money is not part of the estate that needs a grant.
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The short answer
- A joint account passes to the surviving holder automatically. The bank removes the deceased's name on sight of the death certificate. No grant, no form beyond the bank's own.
- The account is not frozen. Direct debits keep running and the survivor can keep using it. Sole-name accounts are the ones that freeze.
- Half the balance is still counted for inheritance tax (or a different share if the money was contributed unequally), even though no grant is needed.
- The one exception: an account put in joint names purely for convenience, where the money was really the deceased's, may be treated as part of the estate.
- Sole-name accounts are tested separately against that bank's limit.
What happens at the bank
Tell the bank's bereavement team. Most large banks let you do this online, by phone or through the Death Notification Service, which tells several banks at once. They will ask for an original or certified copy of the death certificate and will confirm the survivor's identity. Within a few days the account is transferred into the survivor's sole name. Cards in the deceased's name are cancelled; the survivor's card, online banking and standing orders continue.
The bank does this because a joint account is held on terms that each holder is entitled to the whole balance, and the survivor is the only holder left. It does not need a grant because it is not releasing the deceased's money to anyone; it is simply recognising who now owns the account.
Check that no payments were being made into the account that should stop: the deceased's State Pension, a workplace pension, benefits. Payments made after the date of death will be reclaimed, and it is simpler to stop them than to repay them.
No grant, but still counted for tax
For inheritance tax the deceased's share of a joint account is part of their estate even though it passes by survivorship. Usually that is half. Where one holder put all the money in (a parent adding a child's name to their savings, for example), HMRC treats the whole balance as the deceased's.
Where the survivor is a spouse or civil partner, the share is exempt. Where it is not, the share counts towards the £325,000 nil-rate band and must be declared if a grant is applied for. If no grant is needed and the estate is well below the threshold, nothing has to be reported, but keep the closing balance on file.
Accounts that were joint in name only
It is common for an elderly parent to add a child to their account so the child can manage bills. If the parent dies, the bank will still transfer the account to the child as survivor: the bank's rules follow the account's terms, not the family's intentions.
Whether the child is entitled to keep the money is a separate question. If the money was the parent's and the joint name was for convenience, the balance forms part of the parent's estate and should be distributed under the will or intestacy. Disputes between siblings on exactly this point are frequent. If you are the survivor in this situation, the safe course is to treat the balance as the estate's and account for it to the other beneficiaries.
What about the sole-name accounts?
A joint account settles nothing about any account the person held alone. Each sole-name account is frozen from the date the bank learns of the death and released only on the death certificate plus a closure form (below the bank's limit) or on the grant (above it). Most large UK banks set the limit at around £50,000 per customer, counted across all sole-name accounts at that bank. See closing a bank account.
The bank will usually pay the funeral director's invoice and the probate application fee directly from a frozen sole-name account before any grant, if you send it the invoice.
Common questions
Is a joint bank account frozen when someone dies?
No. A joint account continues in the surviving holder's name. Direct debits and standing orders keep running and the survivor can use it as normal. The bank removes the deceased's name once it has seen the death certificate. Sole-name accounts, by contrast, are frozen until the estate is dealt with.
Does a joint account form part of the estate?
For the purpose of who gets the money, no: it passes to the survivor by survivorship and is not distributed under the will. For inheritance tax, the deceased's share (usually half) is counted as part of the estate, though it is exempt if the survivor is a spouse or civil partner.
What does the bank need when a joint account holder dies?
The death certificate, original or certified copy, and confirmation of the surviving holder's identity. Some banks have a short bereavement form. Nothing more: no grant of probate, no will. The account is then transferred into the survivor's sole name.
Do you need probate for a joint account with a parent?
No, the bank will transfer it to the surviving holder. But if the money was really the parent's and the child's name was added for convenience, the balance may belong to the estate and should be shared out under the will or intestacy rules. The bank's action does not decide who is entitled to the money.
Can I keep paying bills from the joint account after my husband dies?
Yes. The account is yours and continues to operate. Do stop any of your husband's income that was being paid in, such as his State Pension, because payments after the date of death will be reclaimed.
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Important
Solace is not a firm of solicitors and does not provide legal, tax or financial advice. We are an estate administration service and we are not regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, the Financial Conduct Authority or any equivalent body. Nothing in this guide constitutes legal, tax or financial advice, and no solicitor–client relationship is created by reading it.
This article is general information only. It reflects the position in England and Wales at the date shown above; the law and the figures change, and Scotland and Northern Ireland differ in important respects. It may not apply to your circumstances. Whether a particular estate needs a grant is ultimately decided by the organisations holding the assets, and their limits change. Administering an estate carries personal legal responsibility, and you should obtain advice from a qualified solicitor, accountant or other regulated professional where appropriate. Always check current rates, fees and deadlines against GOV.UK before acting.