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.
Royal London applies a threshold of approximately £36,000for investment bonds and life insurance policies not written in trust. Below this, probate is generally not required. Above £36,000, a grant of probate or letters of administration is needed. Pension death benefits bypass probate in all cases. Contact Royal London's bereavement team on 0345 602 1089 to confirm the specific position.
Royal London is the UK's largest mutual insurer and a major provider of pensions, life insurance, and investment bonds. As of 2026, the probate threshold for Royal London investment bonds is approximately £36,000.
Product-specific rules:
For a comparison of thresholds across all major UK providers, see our probate threshold guide for 2026–27.
Our estate administration checklist helps you track all documents needed across multiple institutions.
Contacting Royal London is one of the steps in notifying financial institutions after a death. The bereavement team will send you a pack with all necessary claim forms.
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Royal London does not currently participate in the Death Notification Service (DNS). You must contact Royal London directly. The DNS primarily covers high-street banks and building societies; insurers and pension providers maintain separate bereavement processes.
Royal London does not participate in the Direct Payment Scheme (DPS). If inheritance tax is due on the estate, you will need alternative funding to pay HMRC before probate can be granted. Our guide on probate delays and IHT interest explains the practical steps to manage this.
For investment bonds below the £36,000 threshold, Royal London typically releases funds within 4–6 weeks of receiving all documents. For larger estates requiring probate, add 8–12 weeks for the grant of probate plus 4–8 weeks for Royal London to process the release.
See the complete UK probate guide for 2026 for a full timeline from death to distribution.
Royal London pension death benefits — from workplace pensions, personal pensions, and group schemes — are held under trust arrangements and bypass the estate entirely. The trustees exercise discretion to pay the death benefit to nominated beneficiaries, typically within 4–8 weeks of a complete claim submission.
As the UK's largest mutual insurer, Royal London is known for a responsive bereavement service. Investment bonds and non-trust life policies form part of the estate and are subject to the £36,000 threshold. For guidance on pension death benefits specifically, see our pension death benefit guide. For help deciding on your administration approach, see our DIY probate versus solicitor cost guide.
1 in 3 probate applications are sent back.
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