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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.
Standard Life (now part of Phoenix Group, which also owns abrdn's insurance operations) pays pension death benefits to the nominated beneficiaries outside the estate— no grant of probate is needed. For other products, Standard Life publishes no fixed probate figure; probate may be required for larger lump-sum claims, so the position is confirmed case by case. Contact Standard Life's bereavement team on 0800 028 4586 to confirm the position for the specific product held.
Standard Life is a long-established UK pension and investment provider, now owned by Phoenix Group. As of July 2026, Standard Life does not publish a fixed probate threshold; probate may be required for larger lump-sum claims, confirmed case by case.
Product-specific rules:
For context on how Standard Life's threshold compares to other providers, see our probate threshold guide for 2026–27.
Use the estate administration checklist to manage submissions across all institutions at once.
The bereavement team will guide you through the claims process and send the necessary forms. This is a key step 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.
Standard Life does not participate in the Death Notification Service (DNS). Contact Standard Life directly using the number or postal address above. The DNS covers high-street banks; pension and insurance providers such as Standard Life maintain their own bereavement processes.
Standard Life does not participate in the Direct Payment Scheme (DPS). If inheritance tax is owed, you will need to arrange payment to HMRC separately before probate can be granted. Our probate delays and IHT interest guide explains how to manage this.
Where no grant is required, fund release typically takes 4–6 weeks. Where a grant of probate is needed, add 8–12 weeks to obtain it, plus 4–8 weeks for Standard Life to process the claim. Total from death to payment is typically 9–14 months.
For a complete step-by-step timeline, see the complete UK probate guide for 2026.
Standard Life pension death benefits — from workplace pensions, personal pensions, and SIPPs — are held in trust and bypass the estate entirely. The trustees pay death benefits to nominated beneficiaries without requiring probate, often within 4–8 weeks of a complete claim.
Investment bonds and other non-pension products form part of the estate; Standard Life publishes no fixed probate figure, so confirm the requirement directly. For guidance on claiming pension death benefits, see our pension death benefit guide. For help deciding between DIY and solicitor-led administration, see our cost comparison guide.
Before you assume you need probate
Do you actually need a grant — and what would it cost?
A Standard Life 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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