Farra is a death administration assistant for UK families. Get step-by-step guidance for registering a death, applying for probate, notifying banks, and managing bereavement admin. From essential documents to practical checklists, Farra simplifies estate paperwork and funeral-related tasks so you can focus on what matters.
NS&I (National Savings and Investments) is a government-backed savings organisation that millions of people in the UK use — often without telling their family. After a death, you can contact NS&I directly to find out what was held and start the process of claiming it. This guide walks you through it step by step.
NS&I is the government-backed savings organisation. The most common products are:
Many people hold NS&I accounts without telling anyone. If you are not sure whether your loved one had one, it is worth checking — NS&I offers a free tracing service.
NS&I offers a free tracing service. You can contact them in three ways:
You will need to provide: the deceased's full name, date of birth, last address, and National Insurance number if you have it. NS&I will search all their systems and tell you what accounts were held.
A note on probate thresholds: NS&I's figure is £5,000, and it applies to the customer's total NS&I savings, not to each product separately. NS&I's wording is that it “may ask” for a grant at £5,000 or over, and that it “reserve[s] the right to request a Grant of Representation for savings of any value”. Ask NS&I what these particular holdings need.
Not sure whether you need probate? Our probate guide explains when it is and is not required.
Premium Bonds have a specific rule that many people do not know: they continue to take part in prize draws for 12 months following the date of death, unless they are cashed in before that. This means your loved one's Premium Bonds could still win prizes after they have died.
The Bonds leave the draw when they are cashed in, which is when the claim for repayment is settled — not automatically on the day probate is granted. Prizes won before the claim completes are held and sent once it does; prizes won afterwards are sent individually by warrant after each draw, because NS&I says it cannot consolidate them or pay them electronically. Keep a record of the holder's number so you can check for prizes in the meantime.
For a full guide to Premium Bonds specifically, see our Premium Bonds after death guide.
In 2026, NS&I revealed that the search process it used when handling bereavement claims had failed to find all the accounts a person held, so estates received some — but not all — of the money owed.
As at 19 May 2026, NS&I put the figure at up to 34,000 estates with a total value of approximately £367 million — revised down from an earlier estimate, and expected to fall further. NS&I began writing to affected estates from 27 May 2026 and expects payments to conclude in the first half of 2027. It is explicit that there is nothing families, beneficiaries or executors need to do: the letter it sends carries a dedicated phone number, and NS&I says there is no need to spend money on a claims management company or a solicitor.
The Minister for Pensions confirmed in Parliament on 19 May 2026 that holdings returned to affected estates carry a full inheritance tax exemption. For the full story on this issue, see our NS&I missing savings guide.
| Situation | Typical timeframe |
|---|---|
| Reply to a bereavement enquiry | 14 days is NS&I's standard; eight weeks is its stated current response time |
| Claim requiring probate | Longer — you must wait for the grant first (several months in England and Wales) |
| Missing savings repayments (2026 remediation) | NS&I expects payments to conclude in the first half of 2027 |
Probate currently takes several months in England and Wales. For current waiting times, see our probate waiting times guide.
For guidance on ordering death certificates, see our death certificate copies guide.
Not always. NS&I says it may ask for a grant of representation where total NS&I savings are £5,000 or over — that is across all NS&I products combined, not per product — and that it reserves the right to ask for one at any value. Call NS&I on 08085 007 007 and they will tell you what is needed.
Premium Bonds continue to take part in prize draws for 12 months following the date of death, unless they are cashed in before that. They leave the draw when the repayment claim is settled.
NS&I's standard is to reply within 14 days, but it says its current response time for a bereavement enquiry is eight weeks following a change to its claims process. If a grant is needed first, the overall process will take longer.
Yes. NS&I offers a free tracing service — just give them the deceased's name, date of birth and last address and they will search all their records.
Yes, NS&I savings count as part of the taxable estate. The Minister for Pensions confirmed in Parliament on 19 May 2026 that holdings returned to estates under the NS&I tracing-error remediation carry a full inheritance tax exemption.
Ask for written confirmation. Also check old bank statements or paperwork — people often have a Premium Bonds holder number on letters from NS&I. You may also find reference to NS&I on old tax returns or bank statements.