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Notifying banks

Telling the bank, and getting to the money

When someone dies, their bank accounts need to be told — but there's no rush in the first day or two. Most of this can wait until you're ready, and you don't need to contact every bank separately to get started.

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Take it one step at a time.

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Use the Death Notification Service first

The Death Notification Service (deathnotificationservice.co.uk) is a free way to tell several banks and building societies at once, using a single online form. Most of the big UK names are signed up. You'll need the death certificate details to hand. It saves you repeating the same conversation ten times — start here, then deal with anyone not on the list directly.

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Know what freezes — and what doesn't

Once a bank is told, it usually freezes the person's sole accounts. Money in stays put; standing orders and direct debits stop. Cards are cancelled. This is normal and protects the estate. A joint account is different: it usually passes straight to the other holder and keeps working, so wages, pensions or bills tied to it carry on. Tell the bank anyway, so the account is put into the survivor's sole name.

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Some bills can still be paid from a frozen account

Even with a sole account frozen, most banks will release money directly to pay the funeral bill — send them the funeral director's invoice and they'll usually pay it straight to the funeral home. They'll also typically release funds for the probate application fee and any inheritance tax due. You generally cannot take this money yourself; the bank pays the third party on production of the bill.

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Check whether you even need probate

Each bank sets its own threshold for releasing the balance of a sole account without a grant of probate. It's often somewhere between £5,000 and £50,000 — it varies a lot. Below their limit, many banks will pay out to the executor or next of kin once you complete their bereavement form and show the death certificate. Ask each bank its figure before assuming you need to apply for probate.

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Gather what the bank will ask for

Expect to provide: the death certificate (a certified copy, not the original is often fine — ask); proof of your own identity and address; and, if probate is needed, the grant of probate once you have it. Keep the account numbers and recent statements together. A bereavement team handles this, not the normal branch counter — they're used to it and tend to be patient.

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A short checklist for this step.

Free to use — nothing to sign up for. Work down it at your own pace.

Checklist · 8 steps

List every bank, building society and savings account in the person's name
Notify the main banks in one go via the Death Notification Service
Contact any bank or provider not signed up to that service directly
Send the funeral invoice to the bank — they'll usually pay it from a frozen account
Ask each bank its threshold for releasing money without probate
Move any joint account into the surviving holder's sole name
Cancel direct debits and standing orders the estate no longer needs
Keep certified death certificate copies — you'll be asked for them more than once

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Answered, plainly.

The quickest way is the free Death Notification Service online, which contacts several banks at once. For any provider not on it, call their bereavement team directly. You'll be asked for the death certificate details, so have them ready.

A sole account usually freezes once the bank is told. The money is safe inside it, but cards stop working and direct debits and standing orders are cancelled. A joint account normally stays open and passes to the other holder.

Usually yes. Most banks will pay the funeral bill straight from a frozen sole account if you send them the funeral director's invoice. They'll often release money for the probate application fee (£526 for estates over £5,000) and any inheritance tax too.

It normally passes automatically to the surviving account holder and keeps working — wages and bills linked to it carry on. Tell the bank so it can be put into the survivor's sole name, but you don't usually need probate for a joint account.

Not always. Each bank sets its own limit — often between £5,000 and £50,000 — below which it will release a sole account's balance without a grant of probate. Ask each bank its figure. Above it, you'll need to apply for probate first.

Notifying the bank takes minutes. Releasing money is quicker if the balance is below the bank's probate threshold — often a couple of weeks after their form is returned. If probate is needed, it follows the probate timeline, typically several weeks to a few months.

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Related next steps

↑ OverviewWhat to do when someone dies →→ StepPensions after a death →→ StepApplying for probate →→ StepTell Us Once →↓ ToolProbate timeline tool →↓ HelpGet help with the forms →

If the estate is complex — property in sole ownership, significant assets, a contested will, a business, or assets abroad — these estates benefit from early specialist involvement. Signum carries the reviewed route where a professional is needed.

When you're ready

If you're the executor and the bank, probate and pension calls are piling up, this walks you through who to contact and in what order — so you arrive prepared, not chasing paperwork.

Executor's First Hour

Informational, not legal or financial advice. This guide covers England and Wales; Scotland and Northern Ireland differ. Always confirm current rules and figures at GOV.UK before acting.