When someone dies, their bank accounts are frozen almost immediately after the bank is notified. For many families, this creates an urgent practical problem. The money needed to pay for the funeral, cover household bills, or keep things running is suddenly locked behind a legal process that can take weeks or months. Understanding how this process works, and what options are available in the meantime, can make a stressful period much easier to manage. Families in this situation often benefit from professional probate support to help them move through the process efficiently and avoid unnecessary delays.

The reason banks freeze accounts is straightforward. Once someone dies, their assets become part of their estate. The bank has a legal obligation to protect those assets until a grant of probate (or letters of administration, if there is no will) confirms who has the legal authority to deal with them. Until that grant is issued, no individual has the right to withdraw funds, even if they are named in the will or are the next of kin.

The Small Estates Exception

There is one important exception. Most major UK banks will release funds without a grant of probate if the amount held with them falls below a certain threshold. This is not a single legal limit set by statute; each bank sets its own policy.

As of 2026, the thresholds for the major banks are broadly aligned at £50,000 per institution. Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds, NatWest, Santander, and Nationwide all operate around this figure. Some smaller providers set lower limits: Starling’s threshold is £10,000, and National Savings and Investments (NS&I) will release up to £5,000 across all products without a grant.

The key detail is that each bank applies its threshold independently. If the deceased held £40,000 at Barclays and £30,000 at HSBC, both banks may release the funds without probate, because neither individual holding exceeds the £50,000 threshold. But this does not remove the need for probate if the total estate exceeds the inheritance tax threshold or if there are other assets, such as property, that require a grant to be transferred.

To request release under the small estates route, you will typically need to provide the death certificate (original, not a copy), proof of your identity, and evidence of your relationship to the deceased or your role as executor. Some banks also ask for an indemnity form, which is your agreement to return the money if it turns out you were not entitled to it.

Joint Accounts: The Survivorship Rule

Joint bank accounts work differently. When one account holder dies, the balance usually passes automatically to the surviving holder under the principle of survivorship. The bank does not need to wait for a grant of probate to release these funds.

However, the bank may temporarily restrict the account while it verifies the death and updates its records. This can take a few days to a couple of weeks. During this period, some banks allow the surviving holder to continue using the account for essential payments, while others freeze it completely until the administrative change is made.

Even though joint account funds pass to the survivor outside of probate, they may still be relevant for inheritance tax purposes. HMRC may consider the deceased’s share of the joint account as part of their estate when calculating whether IHT is due, particularly if the deceased was the sole contributor to the account.

Hardship Payments and Bereavement Support

Some banks offer early release of limited funds for essential expenses, even before probate is granted. These are sometimes called hardship payments or bereavement payments. They are discretionary, meaning the bank is not obliged to make them, but many will consider releasing money to cover:

• Funeral costs (often paid directly to the funeral director rather than to the family)
• Essential household bills for a surviving spouse or dependant
• Care home fees if the deceased was funding someone’s care

The amounts are typically modest, and you will need to provide evidence of the expense. A funeral director’s invoice, for example, or copies of utility bills. Each bank handles this differently, so it is worth calling their bereavement team directly to ask what they can do.

The Grant of Probate: What It Takes

For accounts above the bank’s threshold, or for estates with property and other assets, you will need a grant of probate. This is the legal document issued by the Probate Registry confirming that the executor has the authority to deal with the estate.

The application fee is £300 for estates valued over £5,000 (increased from £273 in January 2025). Estates valued at £5,000 or under pay no fee. You will also need sealed copies of the grant to send to each institution holding the deceased’s assets, and these now cost £16 per copy following a fee increase in November 2025. Ordering five or six copies at the time of application is standard practice, since each bank or institution will want to see an original sealed copy.

Processing times have improved considerably since the severe backlogs of 2023. Straightforward online applications are currently being processed in around six to eight weeks, though paper applications still take considerably longer. Complex estates, particularly those involving inheritance tax, overseas assets, or disputes, can take much longer from start to finish.

Practical Steps to Speed Things Up

If you are waiting for a grant of probate and need to access the deceased’s bank accounts, there are several things you can do to reduce delays.

Apply online rather than by paper. The HMCTS online probate service is faster and allows you to track your application’s progress. Gather all financial information before you apply, because incomplete applications are a common cause of delays. Notify all banks of the death as early as possible, even before you have the grant, so they can begin their internal processes. And order enough sealed copies of the grant to send to multiple institutions simultaneously rather than sequentially.

The period between a death and the release of funds is one of the most practically difficult stages for families. Bills do not stop arriving because someone has died, and funeral costs are typically the largest immediate expense. Knowing your options, from small estate releases to hardship payments to the formal probate process, helps you plan around the delay rather than being caught off guard by it.