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.
Tesco Bank asks for a grant only where the total value of the accounts is more than £50,000 and they are held in the sole name of the person who died. Below that it does not ask for one. The grant means a Grant of Probate, Letters of Administration or — in Scotland — a Certificate of Confirmation. Tesco Bank is now a trading name of Barclays Bank UK PLC, and covers credit cards, loans, savings accounts and ISAs.
£50,000, in Tesco Bank's own words: the requirement for a grant “only applies if the total value of the account(s) is more than £50,000 and they're held in the sole name of the person who has passed away”. Two conditions, then, not one — the balance has to be over £50,000 and the accounts have to be in a sole name.
Tesco Bank does not publish what it asks for instead where the balance is under £50,000, so the estates team is the place to find that out rather than a form named in advance. For context on what other institutions publish, see our guide to the 2026–27 UK probate threshold.
If you are unsure whether probate is needed for the estate at all, see our guide on when you don't need probate.
For sole accounts under £50,000:
For sole accounts totalling more than £50,000:
Our guide to documents needed for probate and the estate administration checklist can help you manage the paperwork across multiple institutions.
Tesco Bank has a dedicated bereavement team that can be reached through the following channels:
Tesco Bank will freeze the account upon notification and send out a bereavement support pack. For guidance on notifying multiple financial institutions efficiently, see our guide on notifying banks after a death.
Tesco Bank participates in the Death Notification Service (DNS). This means you can notify Tesco Bank through the free DNS portal at the same time as other participating banks and building societies. This is particularly useful if the deceased held accounts at multiple institutions.
A DNS submission freezes the account and initiates Tesco Bank's bereavement process — but you will still need to submit the required documents separately to progress the estate claim.
Tesco Bank does not say on its bereavement page whether it takes part in the Direct Payment Scheme, and HMRC publishes no list of the banks and building societies that do. Ask the estates team directly rather than assuming.
Where a bank does take part, the scheme lets inheritance tax be paid to HMRC straight from the deceased's accounts before the grant is issued, using HMRC's form IHT423. Our guide on probate delays and IHT interest explains why timing matters. See our 2026–27 inheritance tax guide for the current rates and allowances.
Tesco Bank does not publish a timescale for releasing funds, and no official source publishes one for it. The order of events is what you can rely on: where a grant is needed, Tesco Bank cannot deal with the claim until the grant has been issued and sent to it, so the wait for the grant comes first and the bank's own processing follows.
Our complete UK probate guide for 2026 provides detailed timeline information and explains what to expect at each stage.
Tesco Bank's £50,000 figure means many estates will not need a grant for the Tesco accounts alone. What Tesco Bank asks for instead is not published, so do not assume it is a sworn statutory declaration or any other named form until the estates team tells you.
Even where Tesco Bank does not require probate, other institutions in the estate may. Because Tesco Bank is now a trading name of Barclays Bank UK PLC, any Barclays accounts still have to be dealt with separately — telling one does not tell the other. Check each institution's threshold separately. Our guide on when you don't need probate sets out the full range of situations. If probate is needed for other reasons, our DIY probate vs solicitor cost comparison can help you decide on the most practical approach.
Before you assume you need probate
Do you actually need a grant — and what would it cost?
A Tesco Bank 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.