Do you need probate? UK bank thresholds and when a grant is required

This guide explains when probate is required in England and Wales, when it is not, and the bank thresholds that often decide the question. It is written for the person trying to work out whether they can deal with an estate directly or whether they first need to apply for a grant. If you are new to the term, our guide on what is probate covers the basics.

When someone dies, their accounts are frozen until the provider is satisfied the right person is authorised to access the money. For some estates, a grant is needed before anything moves. For others, the providers will release funds without one. Knowing which applies to you early saves weeks, because applying for probate you did not need is a common and avoidable delay.

The short answer

You usually need probate if the person owned property in their sole name, held assets above an individual provider's threshold, or held shares or investments in their own name. You usually do not need it if everything was held jointly and passes to the surviving owner, if all assets had a named beneficiary, or if the estate is small and falls below every provider's threshold.

There is no single national figure. Each bank and building society sets its own limit, and the decision ultimately rests with the institution.

When probate is usually required

Probate is normally required in these situations:

• The person owned a house or flat in their sole name, or as tenants in common. Property nearly always requires a grant before it can be sold or transferred, whatever its value.

• The total held with a single bank or building society is above that provider's threshold (see below).

• The person held shares, stocks, or investment accounts in their own name. These usually require a grant regardless of the balance.

• There are ongoing legal proceedings involving the estate.

When probate is usually not required

You can often deal with the estate without a grant if:

• Everything was held jointly as joint tenants. Joint bank accounts and property held as joint tenants pass automatically to the surviving owner by survivorship.

• All assets had a named beneficiary. A pension or life policy with a nominated beneficiary is paid directly to that person and falls outside probate.

• The estate is small. Where there is no property and everything sits below each provider's threshold, a grant is often not needed.

Even then, a provider can still ask for a grant at its discretion, particularly with a large balance or a complicated family situation.

The bank thresholds for 2026

A threshold is the balance a bank will release without a grant. Below it, the bank may pay out to the executor or next of kin on sight of the death certificate and proof of identity, often with a short declaration form. Above it, a grant is required.

As of 2026, most major banks have aligned at a £50,000 threshold, including Barclays, HSBC, the Lloyds Banking Group (Lloyds, Halifax, Bank of Scotland, Scottish Widows), Santander, and Nationwide. The NatWest Group (NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland, Ulster Bank) sits lower and is commonly cited at around £25,000, and assesses cases individually.

Three points matter in practice:

• The threshold applies per institution or banking group, not to the estate as a whole. Someone with £40,000 at Barclays and £30,000 at NatWest may fall below the limit at each, even though the combined figure is higher.

• Within a group, balances are usually combined. Lloyds, Halifax, and Bank of Scotland balances are added together because they sit inside the same group.

• The figure is the balance at the date of death. Interest added afterwards does not count toward the threshold.

These limits are commercial decisions and can change without notice. Always confirm the current figure with the provider's bereavement team before assuming a grant is or is not needed. The separate statutory small-payments figure of £5,000 is unchanged and sits well below most banks' own thresholds. NS&I and Premium Bonds use their own rules; our guide on what happens to Premium Bonds when someone dies covers those.

How to check, without guessing

Before you can apply any threshold, you need two things for each provider: confirmation that an account existed, and the balance at the date of death. That list is rarely complete from memory. Old accounts, dormant savings, a forgotten investment, or a policy nobody knew about can each tip an estate over a threshold or, just as often, sit unnoticed until much later.

The reliable route is to contact each provider's bereavement team directly and ask two questions: what is your current threshold, and is a grant required for this estate. Our guide on how to notify a bank after someone dies sets out the document requirements bank by bank. The free Death Notification Service lets you notify several major banks and building societies through a single form, which removes some of the repetition.

The harder part is knowing which providers to contact in the first place. Legacy Trail finds the accounts the person held across banks, building societies, pension providers, insurers, and other organisations, so you are working from a complete picture rather than a guess. Knowing what existed, and where, is the step that lets you answer the probate question with confidence. You can see how it works or arrange a no-obligation consultation when you are ready.

If you do need probate

If a grant is required, our guide on how to apply for probate in the UK walks through the application, the fee, and the timeline. If there is no will, see our guide on Letters of Administration.

Scotland and Northern Ireland

This guide covers England and Wales. In Scotland, the equivalent process is called Confirmation, with no fee for estates under £36,000 and a sliding scale above that. Northern Ireland runs its own system. Bank thresholds work in much the same way across all three nations, but always confirm with the provider.

Frequently asked questions

How much money can be in the bank before probate is needed? It depends on the bank. Most major banks now use a £50,000 threshold; the NatWest Group is lower, around £25,000. The limit applies per provider, to the balance at the date of death.

Do joint accounts need probate? No. A joint account held as joint tenants passes automatically to the surviving holder. The bank will usually update the account on sight of the death certificate.

Does a pension need probate? Usually not, if a beneficiary was nominated. The pension is paid directly to that person. Without a nomination, the position can be different, so check with the provider.

Can a bank insist on probate even below its threshold? Yes. The threshold is a guideline the bank chooses to apply. It can still request a grant where the circumstances warrant it.

Official sources

• What to do after a death (gov.uk): gov.uk/after-a-death

• Applying for probate (gov.uk): gov.uk/applying-for-probate

• Death Notification Service: deathnotificationservice.co.uk