Notifying the Bank and Building Society After a Death

Once a bank or building society is told about a death, they'll freeze the account, so this is worth doing fairly early, though most families take a couple of weeks first to gather a full list of where the person banked before notifying each one.

What Happens to the Account

For a sole account, the bank freezes it as soon as they're notified. Direct debits and standing orders stop, and no money can go in or out until the estate is settled, though banks won't charge fees for any payments that bounce as a result.

For a joint account, the balance and control usually pass automatically to the surviving account holder, this happens under what's called the right of survivorship, regardless of what the will says, and probate generally isn't needed for that account.

You Can Still Pay for the Funeral

This is worth knowing early: even with a sole account frozen, most banks will release funds directly to pay the funeral invoice, before probate is granted. Give the bank a copy of the invoice and they'll typically pay the funeral director directly, rather than releasing the money to you. Many will also pay any Inheritance Tax due directly to HMRC from the frozen account, through HMRC's Direct Payment Scheme, again without needing probate first.

Small Estates Often Don't Need Probate At All

Most major banks (Barclays, Lloyds, NatWest, HSBC, Nationwide, and others) will release the full balance of a sole account without probate if it falls below their own threshold, typically somewhere between £15,000 and £50,000, though this varies by bank and isn't a legal rule, just their own policy. You'll usually need a death certificate, proof of your identity, and a completed bereavement claim form.

Use the Death Notification Service

Rather than contacting each bank individually, the Death Notification Service lets you notify more than 40 UK banks and building societies from a single free online form. It's run by Equiniti in partnership with UK Finance. It's worth knowing this is separate from Tell Us Once, which only covers government departments, banks and building societies aren't included in that service at all.

Each bank you notify through it will still contact you separately to complete their own process, the form saves you having to make the same call repeatedly, not the follow-up paperwork.

Finding Accounts You Didn't Know About

If you suspect there may be old or forgotten accounts, the free mylostaccount service searches across UK banks, building societies, and National Savings & Investments to help track them down.

What You'll Need

• A certified copy of the death certificate
• Your relationship to the person (executor, administrator, or next of kin)
• The account details, if known, account numbers speed things up but aren't always essential

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Tell Us Once notify my bank?

No. Tell Us Once only covers government departments. Banks and building societies need to be notified separately, either individually or through the Death Notification Service.

Can I access the money before probate is granted?

For joint accounts, yes, the survivor keeps access. For sole accounts, it depends on the balance and the bank's own threshold, many will release smaller estates without probate, and most will pay funeral costs directly regardless of the balance.

What if the account was held with National Savings & Investments (NS&I)?

NS&I will normally close accounts without probate if the total savings held with them come to less than £5,000.

Do I need to notify the bank before or after registering the death?

After. You'll need a death certificate to notify the bank, so registering the death comes first.

Related reading: Using the Tell Us Once Service After a Death · Notifying Utility Companies After a Death