Bereavement & probate
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Practical UK information for after a death — Tell Us Once, what happens to bank accounts, Inheritance Tax and the IHT400, and intestacy rules when there's no will.
- Bereavement
Tell Us Once after a death — what it covers
Tell Us Once is a free government service that, after a death is registered, notifies HMRC, DWP, DVLA, the Passport Office, the local council and several other public bodies in one phone call or online session. The registrar gives a unique reference number when the death is registered; the service is then accessed at gov.uk/tell-us-once or by phone on 0800 085 7308.
- Bereavement
What happens to bank accounts after someone dies
When a UK bank is told someone has died, they freeze sole accounts and stop standing orders/direct debits. Joint accounts usually pass to the surviving holder automatically. Each bank or building society sets its own limit for releasing money without a Grant of Probate, so ask each one what it needs. The Death Notification Service (deathnotificationservice.co.uk) covers most major UK banks in one form.
- Bereavement
Inheritance Tax and the IHT400 form — the basics
UK Inheritance Tax is charged at 40% on the value of an estate above the £325,000 Nil-Rate Band. An extra Residence Nil-Rate Band of up to £175,000 applies where the family home passes to direct descendants. Both thresholds are frozen until April 2031. Inheritance Tax is due within 6 months of the end of the month of death; IHT400 is the full account most estates above the threshold use.
- Bereavement
Intestacy rules: what happens when there's no will
When someone dies without a valid will ('intestate'), the law decides who inherits. In England & Wales a surviving spouse/civil partner gets the first £322,000 plus personal possessions, then half the residue, with the other half going to children. Unmarried partners inherit nothing under intestacy. Scotland and Northern Ireland use different statutory orders.