Probate Letters Explained: A Plain English Guide (UK 2026)

Fee change: The probate application fee in England and Wales rose from £300 to £526 on 13 July 2026 — an increase of more than 75%. Estates valued at £5,000 or less still pay nothing.At a glance

• Probate is the legal permission to deal with someone's money, property and possessions after they die.
• If there's a will, you apply for a Grant of Probate. If there isn't, it's Letters of Administration. Both do the same job.
• The court fee is £526 for estates over £5,000 (nil below that), and you'll want several sealed copies.
• Inheritance tax usually only bites above £325,000, plus up to £175,000 more if a home passes to children or grandchildren — both frozen until April 2031.
• Most estates are settled in six to twelve months. A letter that arrives slowly is normal, not a sign something has gone wrong.
• Not legal or financial advice: This article explains the rules in plain English. For your specific situation, speak to a solicitor or Citizens Advice.

Bereavement arrives with paperwork. Not immediately — for a week or two, people are kind and nothing official happens. Then the letters start, and they keep coming: from the probate registry, from HMRC, from banks, pension providers, insurers, utility companies and the DWP. Each one uses a vocabulary nobody has ever explained to you, at a moment when concentrating on anything is difficult.

This guide walks through the letters you're most likely to receive, roughly in the order they turn up, and translates them. It won't make the process pleasant. It should make it less bewildering.

First: what probate actually is

When someone dies, their bank accounts freeze. Their house can't be sold. Their shares can't be transferred. Somebody has to be given legal authority to unlock all of it, distribute what's there, and settle what's owed. That authority is what probate provides.

It comes in two flavours, depending on whether there's a valid will:

• Grant of Probate — there is a will, and it names one or more executors. The grant confirms their authority.
• Letters of Administration — there is no valid will, or the named executors can't or won't act. A close relative applies instead and becomes the administrator. The order of who may apply is set by law, not by preference.

Together these are called a grant of representation. If a letter uses that phrase, it means either of the above.

Not every estate needs one. Where everything was jointly owned with a surviving spouse or partner, and the accounts are small, banks will often release funds without a grant. Each bank sets its own threshold, typically somewhere between £5,000 and £50,000. It's always worth asking before you apply.

The letters, in the order they arrive

1. Bank and provider "bereavement team" letters

Once you notify banks, pension schemes and insurers, each sends a letter acknowledging the death and telling you what they need. Most will ask for a death certificate and, above their threshold, a sealed copy of the grant.

Watch for the phrase "we have frozen the account". This is routine. Direct debits stop, but funeral costs can usually be paid directly from the deceased's account to the funeral director before any grant exists — ask, because banks rarely volunteer it.

2. The Tell Us Once confirmation

Tell Us Once is a government service, usually offered by the registrar when you register the death. It notifies HMRC, the DWP, DVLA, the Passport Office and the local council in one go. You'll get a confirmation letter listing who was told. Keep it — it saves repeating yourself later.

3. HMRC inheritance tax correspondence

This is the letter people dread, usually unnecessarily. Most estates pay no inheritance tax at all.

The key numbers: each person has a nil-rate band of £325,000. If a home passes to children, stepchildren or grandchildren, a residence nil-rate band of up to £175,000 may apply on top. Anything unused by a spouse or civil partner who died first can normally be transferred, so couples can often reach £1 million between them. Both thresholds are frozen until April 2031, which quietly pulls more estates into scope each year.

Above the threshold, the rate is 40% on the excess — reduced to 36% if at least 10% of the net estate goes to charity. Anything left to a surviving spouse or civil partner is generally exempt regardless of value.

Letters here typically reference form IHT400 (the full account, for estates that owe tax or are complex) and mention a code you'll need before the court will process your probate application. HMRC and the probate registry talk to each other, but slowly — a gap of several weeks between the two is normal.

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4. The probate registry's acknowledgement

After you apply — online, or on form PA1P (with a will) or PA1A (without) — HM Courts and Tribunals Service acknowledges receipt and gives you a case reference. Nothing to do here except keep the reference somewhere findable.

5. A "stopped application" letter

Unsettling wording for something usually mundane. A stop means the registry needs something before it can continue: a missing original will, an inconsistent name or date, a signature in the wrong place, or confirmation from HMRC that hasn't landed yet.

The letter will say what's needed. Respond promptly — stopped cases sit in a separate queue and delays compound.

6. The grant itself

When it arrives, the grant is a single sealed document. This is what banks, the Land Registry and share registrars want to see. Order several sealed copies with your application — institutions each want their own, and ordering more later costs time you won't want to spend.

7. A caveat notice

Rare, and serious. A caveat is a formal block someone has placed on the grant being issued, usually because they dispute the will's validity or who should administer the estate. It lasts six months and can be renewed. If you receive notice of one, get legal advice — this is not a DIY situation.

8. Creditor and claim letters

Debts don't die with the person; they're paid from the estate before anything is distributed. You may receive letters from lenders, card providers, or the DWP recovering an overpayment.

Executors can protect themselves by placing a section 27 notice — an advertisement in The Gazette and a local paper inviting unknown creditors to come forward. If you distribute the estate after the notice period expires and an unknown debt surfaces later, you generally aren't personally liable. Without it, you can be.

Words that keep appearing

• Estate — everything the person owned, minus what they owed.
• Residue — what's left after debts, taxes, expenses and specific gifts. The residuary beneficiaries get this.
• Intestate — died without a valid will. Fixed statutory rules then decide who inherits, and they may not match what anyone expected.
• Estate accounts — the final summary of everything in, out and distributed. Residuary beneficiaries are entitled to see them.
• The executor's year — the convention that executors have roughly twelve months before beneficiaries can reasonably press for distribution. It's a guideline, not a deadline.

What to do next

1. Order more death certificates than you think you need. Copies from the registrar are far cheaper than chasing later, and every institution wants one.
2. Ask each bank whether a grant is actually required. Small estates often don't need one at all.
3. Work out the inheritance tax position early. It determines which forms you file and how long the whole thing takes.
4. Keep a single folder and a running list. Who was notified, when, what they asked for, what you sent.
5. Get advice if anything is contested, the estate is insolvent, or a caveat appears. Those three situations are worth paying for.

Handling an estate means reading dozens of documents you've never seen before — bank letters, pension statements, HMRC forms, the will itself. Clarify keeps them all in one place and answers questions in plain English, with every answer tied back to the document it came from.

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Frequently asked questions

How long does probate take in the UK?

The grant itself typically takes a few months from application, longer if inheritance tax forms are involved or the case is stopped. Settling the whole estate usually takes six to twelve months, and longer where property has to be sold.

Do I always need probate?

No. Jointly owned assets normally pass automatically to the survivor, and banks often release modest balances without a grant. Ask each institution their threshold before applying.

What does the probate application cost?

£526 in England and Wales for estates over £5,000, from 13 July 2026. Estates at or below £5,000 pay nothing. Extra sealed copies of the grant cost a small amount each and are worth ordering upfront.

Can I do probate myself?

Yes, and many people do — the online service is reasonably clear. Straightforward estates with a valid will are manageable. Disputes, insolvency, business assets or trusts are where professional help earns its fee.

Who inherits if there's no will?

Statutory intestacy rules decide, and they favour spouses and blood relatives in a fixed order. Unmarried partners inherit nothing automatically under these rules, however long the relationship lasted.

Am I personally liable for the deceased's debts?

Not for the debts themselves — they're paid from the estate. But an executor who distributes the estate before settling known debts can become personally liable for the shortfall, which is what a section 27 notice guards against.

What if I've been left out of a will?

Certain people — spouses, children, and others who were financially dependent — may be able to claim under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975. Time limits are short, usually six months from the grant, so take advice quickly.

Does inheritance tax have to be paid before probate?

Broadly, yes — HMRC generally wants the tax before the grant is issued, which creates an awkward chicken-and-egg problem when the money is locked in the estate. There are routes around it, including paying directly from the deceased's bank under the Direct Payment Scheme, or instalments where property is involved.

Related articles

• Reading a Lasting Power of Attorney in Plain English
• What Your Pension Statement Actually Means
• Understanding Your DWP Benefits Letter
• Decoding HMRC Letters: Every Reference Code and What to Do Next

General information only, current at the time of writing, and focused on England and Wales — Scotland and Northern Ireland have different procedures. This article is not legal or financial advice and does not create a professional relationship. For guidance on your own circumstances, contact Citizens Advice or a qualified solicitor.