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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.
Scottish Widows applies different rules depending on the product type. Most Scottish Widows products are pensions (workplace and personal), and these pass to nominated beneficiaries outside the estate — so no grant of probate is needed for them at all. Death benefits are paid directly at the trustees' discretion. Life insurance and investment products are different: these carry a threshold of £150,000 (raised from £50,000 in July 2023). Below this, Scottish Widows may release funds without probate; above it, a grant of probate is required. Call 0800 056 0012 to confirm the specific position.
Scottish Widows is part of Lloyds Banking Group and provides workplace pensions, personal pensions, annuities, savings bonds, and life insurance. Most of its products are pensions, which pass outside the estate. As of July 2026, the probate rules vary by product:
For an overview of thresholds across all major UK financial institutions, see our probate threshold guide for 2026–27.
For all Scottish Widows products, you will need:
For life insurance or investment products above £150,000, you will additionally need:
See the full estate administration checklist to manage documents across multiple institutions.
Scottish Widows provides a dedicated bereavement support line:
When you call, have the policy or scheme number and the deceased's National Insurance number to hand. The bereavement team will guide you through the next steps and send a bereavement pack. This is part of the wider process of 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.
Scottish Widows does not currently participate in the Death Notification Service (DNS). You must contact Scottish Widows directly using the number above. However, as Scottish Widows is part of Lloyds Banking Group, if the deceased also held a current account or savings account with Lloyds Bank or Halifax, those accounts can be notified through the DNS.
Scottish Widows does not participate in the Direct Payment Scheme (DPS). If inheritance tax is due, you will need to arrange payment to HMRC separately before the grant of probate can be issued. Our guide on probate delays and IHT interest explains how to manage this.
Timescales vary by product:
For a full timeline covering the entire probate and estate administration process, see our complete UK probate guide for 2026.
The most important distinction with Scottish Widows is between pension assets and non-pension assets. Pension death benefits — whether from a workplace pension, personal pension, or annuity — are held in trust and fall outside the estate. This means:
Non-pension products such as life insurance and investment bonds do form part of the estate and are subject to the £150,000 threshold described above. If you are unsure whether to handle the estate yourself, see our DIY probate versus solicitor cost comparison.
Before you assume you need probate
Do you actually need a grant — and what would it cost?
A Scottish Widows 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.
Free to check · 2 minutes · No account needed · £179 for your full Farra plan
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