Accessing a Deceased Person’s Bank Account: UK Process

Knowing a deceased person's PIN or online-banking password does not give you legal authority to use their sole bank account.

The proper route is to notify the bank, establish who is administering the estate and follow the provider's bereavement process. The documents needed depend on the account, estate and UK jurisdiction. If you do not yet know which banks the person used, start with how to find bank accounts belonging to someone who died.

For a sole account:

1. notify the bank's bereavement team;
2. provide the death certificate or other evidence it requests;
3. ask for the date-of-death balance and the bank's release requirements;
4. check whether probate, letters of administration or Scottish confirmation is required;
5. ask separately about paying the funeral invoice or Inheritance Tax directly from the account; and
6. once authority is established, move estate funds into an appropriate estate/executorship account where suitable.

GOV.UK says every financial organisation has its own rules about whether probate is required. There is no single UK bank-balance threshold that applies to all providers.

The bank will record the death and normally restrict access to a sole account.

That protects the estate while the bank establishes who is entitled to give instructions.

Existing cards and online access should not be used as a shortcut. MoneyHelper specifically warns against accessing the deceased person's individual account simply because you know the PIN or login details.

The bank may also explain how it will deal with:

• Direct Debits;
• standing orders;
• incoming payments;
• interest;
• credit balances;
• overdrafts; and
• linked savings accounts.

Our broader guide explains what happens to bank accounts and savings after death.

That depends on the estate.

England and Wales

Where a grant is needed, an executor named in the will normally applies for probate. If there is no will, the appropriate person may need letters of administration.

GOV.UK describes probate as the legal right to deal with a person's property, money and possessions after death.

Scotland

The equivalent authority is confirmation.

The Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service explains that confirmation is a court document giving the executor authority to uplift money or other property belonging to the deceased and administer the estate.

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland has its own probate process through the Probate Office.

No.

GOV.UK tells executors to contact each financial institution because every organisation has its own rules.

A bank may release a smaller sole-account balance under its own bereavement process without a full grant. Another provider may require formal authority at a different level.

That is why online lists of "the probate threshold" are misleading. There is no universal threshold across UK banks.

Ask each provider:

• what documents it needs;
• whether it aggregates several accounts held with that banking group;
• whether a grant or confirmation is required;
• who it can release funds to; and
• how long the process normally takes.

Requirements vary, but commonly include some combination of:

• death certificate or acceptable interim evidence;
• the deceased person's name and account details;
• your identification;
• your contact details;
• the will, where relevant;
• probate or letters of administration;
• Scottish confirmation; and
• bank-specific bereavement forms.

You may not know every account number. If records are missing, see how to find an old bank account number.

Often, yes.

MoneyHelper says a bank or building society can sometimes pay essential funeral bills directly from the deceased person's account. It will normally want a death certificate and funeral invoice, and may ask for identification.

The payment is typically made to the funeral provider, rather than releasing unrestricted cash to a relative.

Ask the bank before paying the entire funeral personally if you are relying on estate funds. Provider rules differ about reimbursement.

Funeral costs are estate expenses, but the mechanics of getting the invoice paid can matter to your own cashflow.

Yes, where the provider participates in HMRC's Direct Payment Scheme.

GOV.UK says banks, building societies and investment providers can pay some or all of the Inheritance Tax due directly from the deceased person's accounts before probate or Scottish confirmation.

The process uses form IHT423 for each participating account.

This helps solve the circular problem that some estates face: Inheritance Tax may need to be paid before the grant is issued, while much of the cash is still in the deceased person's accounts.

Operationally, joint accounts are usually handled differently from sole accounts.

MoneyHelper says a surviving joint account holder can generally continue to access the joint account.

But do not confuse bank access with the final legal or tax ownership of every pound in the account.

This is especially important in Scotland. HMRC guidance explains that, under Scots law, a survivorship destination on a joint bank account does not by itself determine beneficial ownership of the money. Who contributed the funds and the legal arrangements can still matter.

If the sums are significant, disputed or tax-sensitive, get estate advice rather than relying only on who can log into the account.

Once a sole account is restricted, outgoing payments can stop.

Create a list of:

• energy;
• council tax;
• mortgage or rent;
• insurance;
• subscriptions;
• care costs;
• phone and broadband; and
• any debt repayments.

Some agreements end on death; others need to be transferred, cancelled or paid by the estate.

Do not keep using the deceased person's bank card to "keep things going". Contact the service provider and explain the death.

For anything more than a very simple estate, keeping estate money separate from your own money is good administration.

MoneyHelper recommends a separate estate or executorship account because it makes it easier to track:

• assets received;
• debts paid;
• tax;
• expenses; and
• distributions to beneficiaries.

GOV.UK also notes that personal representatives dealing with an estate together should agree where financial assets will be held and the rules for withdrawals.

Start with:

• paper statements;
• email;
• tax records;
• Direct Debit information;
• cards;
• the person's phone or filing system where lawfully accessible; and
• the free tracing routes for lost accounts.

Our guide on tracing lost savings accounts covers My Lost Account and dormant assets.

Do not pay an "asset finder" before checking the free routes.

When calling a bereavement team, ask:

1. Have you recorded the death?
2. What accounts are held under this customer record?
3. Can you provide the date-of-death balance and interest?
4. What documents do you need from me?
5. Do you require probate, administration or confirmation?
6. Can funeral costs be paid directly?
7. Do you participate in HMRC's Direct Payment Scheme?
8. What happens to Direct Debits and standing orders?
9. Where will released funds be sent?
10. What reference should I use when I call again?

Record the answers provider by provider.

Browse all our savings guides.

• GOV.UK — Applying for probate
• GOV.UK — Dealing with the estate of someone who's died
• GOV.UK — Paying Inheritance Tax from the deceased's account
• Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service — Dealing with a deceased's estate
• MoneyHelper — Help paying for a funeral
• HMRC — Joint money accounts in Scotland

Related: Inheritance and Savings After Death | Find an Old Bank Account Number | Lost Savings Accounts.