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.
This guide has not been checked against its sources
We re-checked our most-read guides against GOV.UK and the other official sources in September 2026. This one was not among them, so nobody has confirmed its figures, deadlines or process steps since it was written. Treat it as a starting point and confirm anything that matters on GOV.UK before you act on it.
Sometimes, but TSB will not tell you in advance. It publishes no threshold on its bereavement page, and no official source publishes one for it. TSB lists a grant of probate, confirmation (in Scotland) or letters of administration among the documents it “may need”, and decides once it can see the accounts. The only reliable answer comes from asking TSB about these specific accounts — do not apply for a grant on the strength of a figure you have seen quoted elsewhere.
There is no published figure. TSB's bereavement page lists the documents it “may need” — the death certificate, its own bereavement form, the will, and a Grant of Probate, confirmation (in Scotland) or letters of administration — without stating a balance at which the grant becomes necessary. Bank thresholds are commercial decisions each bank sets and changes at will, and TSB has chosen not to state its.
Figures for TSB do circulate on comparison sites and law firm blogs. None of them trace back to TSB, and we are not going to repeat one here: a wrong figure in either direction is expensive. Believing a grant is needed when it is not costs an application fee and months of waiting; believing it is not needed when it is stalls the estate. Ring TSB with the account details and ask.
TSB is also no longer part of Lloyds Banking Group. It was owned by Spain's Banco Sabadell until Santander UK completed its purchase of TSB on 30 April 2026, so a notification to Lloyds, Halifax or Bank of Scotland does not reach TSB. For a full comparison of how UK banks approach probate thresholds, see our probate threshold guide for 2026–27.
When notifying TSB of a bereavement, you should provide:
Where TSB decides a grant is needed, it requires the original Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration. As with all financial institutions, ensure you order sufficient certified copies when the grant is issued.
TSB provides dedicated bereavement support via:
TSB will freeze the deceased's accounts upon notification. Our guide on notifying banks after a death provides a complete guide to managing this process.
We could not confirm that it does. TSB does not appear among the member organisations listed by the Death Notification Service (DNS), and its own bereavement page does not mention the service. Notify TSB directly — online, by phone, or in branch — and use the DNS for the banks that are members.
TSB does not name the scheme, but it does say it can use money left in the account to pay inheritance tax and probate or confirmation fees before the grant is issued. HMRC's Direct Payment Scheme itself works through form IHT423, submitted to the bank alongside the IHT400 — ask TSB whether it will accept one.
For more on IHT timing and the consequences of delays, read our guide on probate delays and IHT interest.
TSB does not publish a release timescale, and no official source publishes one for it, so this guide will not estimate one. What TSB does say is that after you have told it about the death it will “usually be in touch within a week” if it needs anything else, and will let you know when everything is complete.
Our estate administration checklist is a useful tool for tracking progress across multiple financial institutions.
For smaller balances, TSB may release the money without a grant. Because there is no published threshold, whether these accounts qualify is decided case by case — contact TSB with the account details to find out. TSB does not publish what form it asks for in that situation, or how long it takes, so ask about both on the same call.
Even where TSB does not require probate for the account balance, you may still need a Grant of Probate to deal with property or other assets in the estate. See our guide on when you don't need probate to understand the full picture.
For a full overview of the UK probate process, visit our complete UK probate guide for 2026. If you are weighing up whether to handle probate yourself, our DIY probate versus solicitor costs guide sets out the options. For inheritance tax, read our IHT guide for 2026–27.
Before you assume you need probate
Do you actually need a grant — and what would it cost?
A TSB 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.
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