Probate · 7 min read · Published
Closing a bank account after someone dies in England and Wales
When someone dies, closing their bank account follows a clear path. This guide explains small-estate limits, joint versus sole accounts, and when a grant of probate is needed.
By Aaron Johnson, Consultant Solicitor and TEP, a solicitor in Bridlington who writes every guide himself.
This guide is general information about the law of England and Wales, not legal advice. Each case is assessed on its own merits.
Guides · Probate · No. 5 of 21Published · 7 minutes
When someone dies, the practical jobs come thick and fast. Contacting their bank is one of the first to land on the family. Closing a bank account after a death follows a fairly settled path in England and Wales. Every bank dresses it up a little differently. This guide explains what happens and when you can simply close an account. It also says when you first need a grant of probate.
First steps: telling the bank
There is no need to do everything in a single afternoon. In England and Wales a death must normally be registered within five days of the medical examiner's office confirming the cause of death. Different timing applies if the coroner is involved. Once it is registered, you will have a death certificate, and that is the document banks ask to see. You can usually notify a bank by phone, in a branch, by post, or through an online bereavement form. Many of the high-street names also accept a single notification through the Death Notification Service. It passes the message to several banks and building societies at once, and saves you repeating the same conversation.
When the bank is told, it will normally freeze a sole account. That sounds alarming, but it means new spending stops. Debit cards and standing payments are halted so the account can be settled cleanly. Most banks will still pay the funeral director's invoice from the account. Many will also pay inheritance tax straight to HMRC, and some will pay certain other bills on request. Direct debits and standing orders are usually cancelled, so regular bills may need paying another way. Joint accounts are treated differently, as explained below.
When you may not need probate
This is the question families ask most: do we have to get probate just to close a bank account? Often the answer is no. Each bank and building society sets its own threshold, sometimes called a 'small estate' or 'small balance' limit. If the money held with that institution falls below it, they may release the funds to the person dealing with the estate without seeing a grant. Above the limit, they will usually ask for the grant of probate (or letters of administration, if there was no will) before paying anything out.
Two things are worth knowing. First, these limits vary widely from one bank to another and the bank can use its discretion. Ask what they require for the balance held. Second, the threshold applies per institution, so an estate can be modest overall yet still need a grant because a single account sits above one bank's limit. When a bank does release funds without a grant, it will normally ask the person receiving the money to sign an indemnity, a promise to repay if it turns out someone else was entitled.
- Ask first. Ring the bereavement team and ask outright what they need for the exact balance held. The answer is often simpler than families fear.
- It is per bank, not per estate. One large account can trigger the need for a grant even when the whole estate is small.
- Expect an indemnity form. Where money is released without probate, the bank protects itself by asking you to sign one.
Joint accounts versus sole accounts
The type of account makes a real difference. A sole account in the deceased's name alone forms part of their estate and is dealt with through the steps above. A joint account usually works differently. In most cases it passes automatically to the surviving account holder by what lawyers call 'survivorship', so the account continues in the survivor's name and no grant of probate is needed to access it. Who owns the money is a separate question. If one holder paid it all in and the other was added only to help, the survivor may hold it for the estate.
How accounts are treated on death
| Sole account | Joint account |
|---|---|
| Forms part of the estate | Normally passes to the surviving holder by survivorship |
| Usually frozen when the bank is notified | Generally stays open and usable |
| May need a grant of probate above the bank's limit | A grant is not usually needed to access it |
| Distributed under the will or intestacy rules | May still count for inheritance tax |
A simple step-by-step for sole accounts
Closing a sole account, step by step
- Register the death and get certificatesRegister within five days of the medical examiner's office confirming the cause of death, unless the coroner is involved. Order several certified copies of the death certificate.
- Notify the bankUse the bank's bereavement team, a branch, or the Death Notification Service. The account is usually frozen at this point.
- Ask what the bank needsConfirm the balance and ask whether it is within their small-estate limit or needs a grant of probate.
- Apply for a grant if neededIf the balance is over the limit, apply for probate (or letters of administration). The application fee is £526 for estates over £5,000, with extra copies of the grant £2 each ordered with the application and £16 each afterwards.
- Close the account and settleOnce the bank is satisfied, it releases the funds, usually into an executor's account, so the estate's debts and gifts can be paid in the right order.
Why getting the order right matters
It is tempting to share out the money as soon as the bank pays it across, but there is a proper order. Funeral costs and the estate's debts come before anything is passed to beneficiaries, and an executor who distributes too early can end up personally liable for a shortfall. That is why many executors place statutory notices under section 27 of the Trustee Act 1925 before paying out. The notices protect them against unknown creditors who surface later.
Most families handle the bank side themselves and do perfectly well. Where it pays to pick up the phone is the grey area: joint balances, an account that nudges over a bank's limit, or working out the right order to pay things. A quick conversation usually settles it.
Local help on the coast
Sorting out someone's affairs is hard enough without a bank's paperwork in the way. Aaron Johnson is a Consultant Solicitor and TEP (a Trust and Estate Practitioner qualified through STEP). He helps families with exactly these moments across Bridlington and the Old Town, Driffield, Filey and Hornsea. He also covers Beverley, Bempton, Flamborough and the wider East Riding. By phone, or at your kitchen table on a home visit, the first conversation is free and there is no obligation. Aaron will say plainly whether you need a grant at all. If he can save you the trouble, he will.
Written by Aaron Johnson, Consultant Solicitor and TEP · Law of England and Wales as at 18 June 2026 · Ends
