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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.
Prudential pension plans and PruFund investments pass to the nominated beneficiaries outside the estate— no grant of probate is needed to release pension death benefits. For investment bonds, M&G publishes no fixed probate limit: whether a grant of probate or letters of administration is required is confirmed case by case. Prudential UK's life and pensions business is now part of M&G plc — start at mandg.com bereavement support to notify them and find the current phone number for the policy held.
Prudential is a major UK insurance and investment group; its life and pensions business is now part of M&G plc, and some wealth products have been rebranded under M&G Wealth. As of July 2026, M&G does not publish a fixed probate threshold for Prudential investment bonds; whether a grant of probate is needed is confirmed case by case.
The rules by product type:
For a cross-institution overview of thresholds, see our probate threshold guide for 2026–27.
Our estate administration checklist helps you manage document submission across multiple institutions simultaneously.
Prudential UK's life and pensions business is now operated by M&G plc, and the pru.co.uk site redirects to mandg.com. Use the M&G bereavement service:
Contacting Prudential promptly is one of the important steps in notifying financial institutions after a death.
Not sure if you need probate?
1 in 3 applications are sent back. In under 2 minutes, we'll tell you whether you need it and what to do next.
Prudential does not currently participate in the Death Notification Service (DNS). You must contact Prudential directly. As an insurer, Prudential handles bereavement notifications through its own dedicated process rather than the DNS banking network.
Prudential does not participate in the Direct Payment Scheme (DPS). If inheritance tax is owed on the estate, you will need to fund this separately before probate is granted. See our guide on probate delays and IHT interest for practical advice on managing this.
Where no grant is required, fund release typically takes 4–6 weeks from receipt of all documents. For estates that require probate, add 8–12 weeks to obtain the grant, plus a further 4–8 weeks for Prudential to process the release.
For the full timeline from death to fund distribution, see the complete UK probate guide for 2026.
Prudential pension death benefits — from personal pensions, PruFund, and workplace pension schemes — are held in trust and bypass the estate. No probate is required, and the trustees (Prudential) pay the benefit to nominated beneficiaries. If no valid nomination exists, the trustees exercise discretion.
Investment bonds and with-profits bonds form part of the estate; M&G publishes no fixed probate limit, so confirm the requirement directly. For guidance on claiming pension death benefits, see our pension death benefit guide. Our DIY probate versus solicitor cost guide can help you decide on your approach.
Before you assume you need probate
Do you actually need a grant — and what would it cost?
A Prudential balance is only part of the picture. Whether the estate needs probate at all depends on the whole picture — property, other accounts, and how everything was owned — not a single threshold. It is worth checking before you start filling in forms.
Guide reviewed July 2026. Bank thresholds change and can vary by account type — always confirm the current figure with the provider before relying on it.
1 in 3 probate applications are sent back.
Answer 5 questions in under 2 minutes. We'll tell you whether you need probate, which route to take, and the mistake most people make at this stage.
Where they normally lived, even if they died somewhere else.
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