Understanding a grant
Do I need probate? Check asset by asset
Written and reviewed by our experienced team. Checked against GOV.UK and the sources listed at the end on 15 September 2026. ProbateCheck is an independent service, not a law firm.
You need probate (a grant of representation) if any organisation holding the person's assets insists on seeing one. GOV.UK says you may not need it if the person only had savings, or owned money, shares or property jointly, because those pass to the surviving owner. In practice a house in the sole name always needs a grant, and each bank sets its own limit: most we checked publish £50,000, Starling £30,000, Monzo and Metro Bank £25,000, and Lloyds, Halifax and TSB publish no figure. Read on their own sites on 15 September 2026.
Check one asset at a time
Probate is needed if any single asset holder insists on a grant. Run each asset through, starting with the largest. Bank figures were read on each bank's own site on 15 September 2026 and change without notice.
Barclays's published threshold is £50,000
"If the person had more than £50,000 across their sole accounts with us, we'll need to see a grant of probate, grant of confirmation or letters of administration." "You don't need probate for joint accounts." Enter the balance to compare it.
Source: Barclays, checked 15 September 2026.
Every threshold is the institution's own decision and can change. We are not a law firm; this checker applies published rules, it does not give legal advice.
What GOV.UK says
- "Contact the financial organisations the person who died used (for example, their bank and mortgage company) to find out if you'll need probate to get access to their assets. Every organisation has its own rules."
- "You may not need probate if the person who died: only had savings; owned shares or money with others, this automatically passes to the surviving owners unless they have agreed otherwise; owned land or property as 'joint tenants' with others, this automatically passes to the surviving owners."
- "You should not make any financial plans or put property on the market until you've got probate."
Bank and building society thresholds, checked 15 September 2026
| Institution | Published threshold | How it is counted | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barclays | £50,000 | Total across all sole accounts with Barclays | Bank's own page, read 15 September 2026 |
| Lloyds Bank | No published figure | Not stated for personal accounts | Bank's own page, read 15 September 2026 |
| Halifax | No published figure | Not stated for bank accounts | Bank's own page, read 15 September 2026 |
| NatWest | £50,000 | Total balances held; a grant is needed at any balance if safe custody is held or a grant is already being applied for | Bank's own page, read 15 September 2026 |
| Royal Bank of Scotland | £50,000 | Total of all sole-name accounts; also needed if safe custody is held or a grant is already being applied for | Bank's own page, read 15 September 2026 |
| HSBC UK | £50,000 | Balance; the page does not say whether accounts are added together. £25,000 where there is no will | Bank's own page, read 15 September 2026 |
| Santander UK | £50,000 | Total of all sole-name accounts | Bank's own page, read 15 September 2026 |
| Nationwide Building Society | £50,000 | Total of sole accounts with Nationwide (figure is on its information-for-lawyers page; consumer pages give no figure) | Bank's own page, read 15 September 2026 |
| TSB | No published figure | Not stated | Bank's own page, read 15 September 2026 |
| The Co-operative Bank | £50,000 | Total of all Co-operative Bank and smile accounts | Bank's own page, read 15 September 2026 |
| Monzo | £25,000 | Account balance | Bank's own page, read 15 September 2026 |
| Starling Bank | £30,000 | Account balance | Bank's own page, read 15 September 2026 |
| Yorkshire Building Society | £50,000 | Total across all sole accounts in the YBS Group | Bank's own page, read 15 September 2026 |
| Skipton Building Society | £50,000 | Total holdings with Skipton | Bank's own page, read 15 September 2026 |
| Coventry Building Society | £50,000 | Total sole-account balances with Coventry | Bank's own page, read 15 September 2026 |
| Metro Bank | £25,000 | Balances held with Metro Bank | Bank's own page, read 15 September 2026 |
"No published figure" means the institution's bereavement pages give no amount and say it will tell you what it needs. HSBC publishes £50,000 where there is a will and £25,000 where there is not. Several institutions state that they may ask for a grant at any balance.
Thresholds change, and each bank decides
These are the banks' own published figures on the day we read them, not a legal rule. A bank can raise or lower its limit, and Coventry, HSBC and NatWest say in terms that they may ask for a grant regardless of the balance, for example where safe custody is held. Always confirm with the bereavement team before relying on a figure.
Assets that usually pass without a grant
Joint bank accounts and property held as joint tenants pass to the surviving owner (GOV.UK). Pensions and life policies written in trust are normally paid by the provider on production of the death certificate, but only the provider can confirm that for a particular policy, so ask. Property held as tenants in common is different: the deceased's share is part of the estate and a grant is usually needed to deal with it.
If probate is needed
The court fee is £526 for estates over £5,000 (see probate fees), and HMCTS took a mean of 5 weeks from application to grant in January to March 2026 (see how long probate takes). The probate process page sets out the steps in order.
Not sure whether someone else has already applied?
If a grant has already been issued for the person, it is in the public index about 14 days later. Check whether probate has been granted for free before starting an application of your own.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need probate if there is a will?+
A will on its own does not decide it. Probate is needed when an organisation holding an asset requires a grant, which is almost always the case for property in the sole name and for bank balances above the bank's own limit. GOV.UK says every organisation has its own rules.
Do I need probate for a small estate?+
Often not. If the only assets are sole-name bank balances below each bank's published limit (£50,000 at most of the banks we checked, £25,000 at Monzo and Metro Bank), the banks will usually release the money against an indemnity or closure form instead. Any property in the sole name changes the answer.
Do I need probate for a joint bank account?+
Usually not. GOV.UK says money owned with others automatically passes to the surviving owners unless they have agreed otherwise, and Barclays, for example, states plainly that you do not need probate for joint accounts.
Do I need probate to sell a house?+
Yes if the house was in the person's sole name, or held as tenants in common. GOV.UK says not to put property on the market until you have probate. A house held as joint tenants passes automatically to the surviving owner.
Will a bank release money without probate?+
Below its published threshold a bank will normally release funds to the personal representative who signs an indemnity or closure form, sometimes witnessed or countersigned by a solicitor. Above it the bank asks for the grant. Nationwide and Santander say they can release money for funeral costs, probate fees and inheritance tax before a grant.
Is there a national probate threshold?+
No. GOV.UK says every organisation has its own rules. The £50,000 figure is common because many banks chose it, but Monzo and Metro Bank use £25,000, Starling £30,000, HSBC £25,000 where there is no will, and Lloyds, Halifax and TSB publish no figure at all.
What if one bank needs probate and another does not?+
Once any asset holder requires a grant you need to apply for one, and you can then use it with every organisation. A single application covers the whole estate.
Sources checked for this guide
- GOV.UK, Applying for probate: what is probate (read 15 September 2026)
- Barclays, bereavement guidance (read 15 September 2026)
- Lloyds Bank, bereavement guidance (read 15 September 2026)
- Halifax, bereavement guidance (read 15 September 2026)
- NatWest, bereavement guidance (read 15 September 2026)
- Royal Bank of Scotland, bereavement guidance (read 15 September 2026)
- HSBC UK, bereavement guidance (read 15 September 2026)
- Santander UK, bereavement guidance (read 15 September 2026)
- Nationwide Building Society, bereavement guidance (read 15 September 2026)
- TSB, bereavement guidance (read 15 September 2026)
- The Co-operative Bank, bereavement guidance (read 15 September 2026)
- Monzo, bereavement guidance (read 15 September 2026)
- Starling Bank, bereavement guidance (read 15 September 2026)
- Yorkshire Building Society, bereavement guidance (read 15 September 2026)
- Skipton Building Society, bereavement guidance (read 15 September 2026)
- Coventry Building Society, bereavement guidance (read 15 September 2026)
- Metro Bank, bereavement guidance (read 15 September 2026)