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Nationwide Building Society · bereavement threshold

£50,000released without a grant of probate

Released to a bereaved executor or next of kin without waiting for a grant of probate — subject to Nationwide Building Society's own conditions below.

§1What it means

£50,000, released without probate.

On its own "Deceased customers" page (aimed at solicitors/professionals but publicly published, no login required), Nationwide states verbatim: "Where the balance of the deceased's sole accounts with Nationwide is less than £50,000 and no Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration are being applied for, the accounts may be closed upon completion of the Bereavement Request to close accounts form. For balances above £50,000 we will require a Grant of Representation together with a closure form signed by the Personal Representative in order to close the account." The £50,000 figure is the combined total across all the deceased's sole accounts with Nationwide (current, savings, ISAs, bonds etc.) — not per-account. Note: Nationwide's separate consumer-facing "Bereavement support" PDF guide does not restate this figure to ordinary customers; it only says Nationwide "will let you know" if proof of authority (i.e. a grant) is needed — the explicit number appears only on the professional/lawyers page.

What you'll need
To register the death: the original death certificate or a certified copy (a photocopy certified by the registrar, branch staff, or the notifier), or a coroner's interim certificate if the full certificate isn't ready yet — presented in branch, sent by post, or via Nationwide's online death-registration webform.
Below the £50,000 sole-balance threshold (and no grant being applied for): completion of the "Bereavement Request to close accounts form" only — no Grant of Probate/Letters of Administration required.
Above £50,000: a Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration (Grant of Representation), plus the closure form signed by the Personal Representative.
If the personal representative is not already a Nationwide customer, ID is required: a valid full UK passport or full photocard driving licence, plus a recent proof of address (utility bill or bank statement).
Nationwide explicitly states it does not need to see the will itself to close or release funds from an account.
A "Personal representative registration" form (IF20) exists for formally registering as PR on the estate with Nationwide.
Joint sole-name accounts, cards, chequebooks, Direct Debits and standing orders are handled automatically or via specific steps once the death certificate is received (detailed per product in the PDF guide).
How to notify Nationwide Building Society

Phone: 0800 464 30 18 (Mon–Fri 9am–5pm, Sat 9am–12pm, closed Sundays/bank holidays) — the dedicated Bereavement Helpdesk. Online: a secure online death-notification webform ("Tell us securely online now"). In branch: book an appointment with a trained adviser (branch phone numbers via nationwide.co.uk/branchfinder). By post: Bereavement Services, Specialist Customer Support, Nationwide Building Society, Swindon, SN38 3FN. Nationwide also participates in the free, external Death Notification Service (deathnotificationservice.co.uk), which lets a notifier inform multiple UK banks/building societies (Nationwide, Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds, NatWest, Santander, RBS, Halifax, Scottish Widows, Barclaycard etc.) in one submission; participating providers then update records and contact the notifier within 10 days. This is distinct from — and Nationwide's own guide separately directs customers to — the government's own Tell Us Once service (via gov.uk when registering the death) for DWP, HMRC, DVLA, Passport Office and the Local Authority.

What they'll pay before probate
Funeral costs — paid on production of a copy of the funeral invoice; Nationwide pays the deposit only if it's an estimate, or the full amount against a final invoice; cheque made payable directly to the funeral director (an electronic payment may be arranged in exceptional circumstances by calling).
Probate/grant court fees — via the "Request for funds to cover fees" form (IF21), signed by the personal representative; Nationwide does not need to see the bill and makes the cheque payable directly to HM Courts and Tribunals Service.
Inheritance Tax — via HMRC form IHT423 (the Direct Payment Scheme), signed by the personal representative; once received, Nationwide pays HMRC by electronic payment directly from the deceased's account.
Explicitly excluded — Nationwide states it will not release funds pre-probate for care home fees or utility bills.
Worth knowing

Nationwide states plainly it does not need to see the will to close/release an account. Debt owed to Nationwide (credit card, loan, overdraft) is handled via its named external probate partner, Phillips & Cohen Associates (UK), 0333 555 1050, who contact the personal representative directly to arrange repayment from the estate. Because Nationwide acquired Virgin Money, Virgin Money accounts are not handled by Nationwide's bereavement team at all — they're routed to a completely separate Virgin Money Bereavement Services line (0800 0121 590). Nationwide-branded investment plans go through Aegon (0345 272 00 89), life insurance through Legal & General (0345 674 07 83), and home insurance through a separate insurer line (0800 145 60 60) — none administered directly by Nationwide's own bereavement team. On a sole mortgage, once Nationwide is told of the death it automatically pauses collection of regular mortgage payments for 12 months (interest keeps accruing throughout, and this pause cannot be cancelled) specifically to give the estate time to be settled; a standing order/bank transfer can be set up to keep paying voluntarily during that window. A cash ISA retains its tax-free status until it's closed or estate administration completes, whichever is sooner; if still open after 3 years, the balance is automatically moved into a taxable savings account until the personal representative requests release. Sole bonds and e-Bonds close with no early-closure fees when the closure documents are received.

§2Common questions

Nationwide Building Society, answered.

Nationwide Building Society will release up to £50,000 to a bereaved executor or next of kin without seeing a grant of probate. On its own "Deceased customers" page (aimed at solicitors/professionals but publicly published, no login required), Nationwide states verbatim: "Where the balance of the deceased's sole accounts with Nationwide is less than £50,000 and no Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration are being applied for, the accounts may be closed upon completion of the Bereavement Request to close accounts form. For balances above £50,000 we will require a Grant of Representation together with a closure form signed by the Personal Representative in order to close the account." The £50,000 figure is the combined total across all the deceased's sole accounts with Nationwide (current, savings, ISAs, bonds etc.) — not per-account. Note: Nationwide's separate consumer-facing "Bereavement support" PDF guide does not restate this figure to ordinary customers; it only says Nationwide "will let you know" if proof of authority (i.e. a grant) is needed — the explicit number appears only on the professional/lawyers page.
Nationwide Building Society's published threshold is £50,000. Checked against Nationwide Building Society — "Deceased customers" (Information for lawyers), official Nationwide page. Cross-referenced against Nationwide's own consumer PDF: "Bereavement support — What to do when someone close to you dies" (https://www.nationwide.co.uk/-/assets/nationwidecouk/documents/help/challenging-times/bereavement/bereavement-support.pdf) on 30 Aug 2026.
Phone: 0800 464 30 18 (Mon–Fri 9am–5pm, Sat 9am–12pm, closed Sundays/bank holidays) — the dedicated Bereavement Helpdesk. Online: a secure online death-notification webform ("Tell us securely online now"). In branch: book an appointment with a trained adviser (branch phone numbers via nationwide.co.uk/branchfinder). By post: Bereavement Services, Specialist Customer Support, Nationwide Building Society, Swindon, SN38 3FN. Nationwide also participates in the free, external Death Notification Service (deathnotificationservice.co.uk), which lets a notifier inform multiple UK banks/building societies (Nationwide, Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds, NatWest, Santander, RBS, Halifax, Scottish Widows, Barclaycard etc.) in one submission; participating providers then update records and contact the notifier within 10 days. This is distinct from — and Nationwide's own guide separately directs customers to — the government's own Tell Us Once service (via gov.uk when registering the death) for DWP, HMRC, DVLA, Passport Office and the Local Authority.
Yes. Nationwide Building Society will typically pay: Funeral costs — paid on production of a copy of the funeral invoice; Nationwide pays the deposit only if it's an estimate, or the full amount against a final invoice; cheque made payable directly to the funeral director (an electronic payment may be arranged in exceptional circumstances by calling).; Probate/grant court fees — via the "Request for funds to cover fees" form (IF21), signed by the personal representative; Nationwide does not need to see the bill and makes the cheque payable directly to HM Courts and Tribunals Service.; Inheritance Tax — via HMRC form IHT423 (the Direct Payment Scheme), signed by the personal representative; once received, Nationwide pays HMRC by electronic payment directly from the deceased's account.; Explicitly excluded — Nationwide states it will not release funds pre-probate for care home fees or utility bills..
§3Related next steps

Informational, not advice — Nationwide Building Society may change its policy at any time. Confirm against Nationwide Building Society — "Deceased customers" (Information for lawyers), official Nationwide page. Cross-referenced against Nationwide's own consumer PDF: "Bereavement support — What to do when someone close to you dies" (https://www.nationwide.co.uk/-/assets/nationwidecouk/documents/help/challenging-times/bereavement/bereavement-support.pdf) before acting. Checked 30 Aug 2026.

Cite this figure: Valoren, “Nationwide Building Society — Bereavement Release Threshold,” https://valoren.uk/figures/bank-bereavement-thresholds/nationwide-building-society (checked 30 Aug 2026).

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