Do you need probate to close a bank account?
For a sole-name account, it depends on the balance and the bank. Below the bank's limit, the bereavement team closes it on the death certificate and a form. Above it, the bank waits for the grant.
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The short answer
- Every bank has a limit below which it will release a deceased customer's sole-name balance without a grant. Most large UK banks and building societies set it around £50,000; some are higher, some smaller institutions lower.
- The limit is per bank, across all sole-name accounts there. Two accounts at one bank are added together; accounts at different banks are assessed separately.
- Below the limit: death certificate, closure form, your identification, sometimes the will. Paid to the executor or entitled relative within a few weeks.
- Above the limit: the account stays frozen until the bank sees the grant. It will still pay the funeral and the probate fee from it.
- Joint accounts are different: they pass to the survivor and are never frozen.
How the limits work
When a bank learns that a sole-name customer has died it freezes the account: no withdrawals, no direct debits, no card. What happens next depends on the total the customer held at that bank. If it is below the bank's published limit, the bereavement team will close the account and pay the balance to the person entitled, on the strength of the death certificate and a signed closure form. If it is above the limit, the bank will not release the money until it sees a grant of probate or letters of administration.
The limits are set by each bank as a matter of policy and are not fixed by law. They have risen steadily; most of the large high-street banks and building societies now sit at around £50,000, some at £75,000 or higher, and a number of smaller building societies, credit unions and online banks lower. Ask the bereavement team for the current figure at the outset. It is the single most useful question you can ask, because it decides whether the whole estate needs a grant.
Two points about counting. The limit is applied to everything the person held in their sole name at that institution: current account, savings, ISA and fixed-term bonds together. Brands within one group may be assessed together or separately; ask. And the limit is applied per institution, not per estate: a person with £40,000 at each of three banks needs no grant from any of them.
What the bank will ask for
- Notification. By phone, in branch, online, or through the Death Notification Service, which tells several banks in one go. The bank will freeze the account and send its bereavement pack.
- The death certificate. An original or a certified copy from the registrar. Most banks accept a copy through the Death Notification Service.
- The closure form, signed by the executor named in the will, or by the closest relative under intestacy, confirming their entitlement and indemnifying the bank.
- Identification of the person signing.
- The will, or a copy, in some cases, to confirm who the executor is.
- The grant, above the limit.
Payment is by transfer to an account in the name of the executor or of the estate, or by cheque payable to the estate. Most banks complete this within two to four weeks of receiving a complete pack.
What the bank will do before the grant
Even from a frozen account, banks will pay certain things on request:
- The funeral director's invoice, paid directly to the funeral director.
- The probate application fee (£526), paid to HMCTS.
- Inheritance tax, paid directly to HMRC under the Direct Payment Scheme, where tax is due before the grant can be issued.
- Information: the date-of-death balance, a statement of interest to the date of death for the tax return, and a list of direct debits so you can tell the payees.
Direct debits stop, so mortgage, insurance and utility payments will lapse unless the executor makes other arrangements. Money paid in after death (a pension or salary) will be recovered by the payer; do not treat it as the estate's.
Joint accounts
None of this applies to a joint account, which passes to the surviving holder and continues to operate. The bank removes the deceased's name on sight of the death certificate. See joint bank accounts.
Common questions
How much can a bank release without probate?
It depends on the bank. Most large UK banks and building societies release balances up to around £50,000 in sole-name accounts without a grant, some go higher, and a number of smaller institutions set lower limits. The figure applies to everything held at that bank, and each bank is assessed separately. Ask the bereavement team.
Can I withdraw money from a deceased person's account?
Not with their card or online banking, which must not be used after death. The bank freezes the account and releases the balance to the entitled person through its bereavement process: on the death certificate and a closure form below its limit, or against the grant above it. It will pay the funeral invoice directly in the meantime.
Do you need probate to access a bank account with under £5,000?
No. Every bank's limit is well above £5,000, so a balance at that level is released on the death certificate and a closure form to the executor or the closest relative. If there is no other reason for a grant, none is needed.
What documents does a bank need to close an account after a death?
The death certificate (original or certified copy), a signed closure form confirming who is entitled and indemnifying the bank, identification of the person signing, and sometimes sight of the will. Above the bank's limit it will also need the grant of probate or letters of administration.
Will the bank pay the funeral before probate?
Yes. Banks pay the funeral director's invoice directly from a deceased customer's frozen account on request, without a grant. They will also pay the probate application fee to HMCTS and inheritance tax to HMRC directly.
How long does a bank take to release money after a death?
Once the bank has a complete bereavement pack, typically two to four weeks for a balance below its limit. Above the limit, the clock starts when the bank receives the grant, which with digital applications currently takes around five weeks from submission.
Related guides
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.