Dealing with the financial affairs of someone who has died

How to deal with the property of a person who has died

Everything owned by a person who has died is known as their estate. The estate may be made up of:

• money, both cash and money in a bank or building society account

• money owed to the person who has died

• shares

• property, for example, their home

• personal possessions, for example, their car or jewellery

If the person who died owes money to other people, for example, on a credit card, for fuel, for rent or a mortgage, this comes out of the estate.

The estate of the person who has died is usually passed to surviving relatives and friends, either according to instructions in the will, or if the person dies without leaving a will, according to certain legal rules called the rules of intestacy.

For information about wills, see Wills.

For information about the rules of intestacy, see Who can inherit if there is no will – the rules of intestacy.

The person dealing with the estate of the person who has died is called an executor or an administrator. An executor is someone who is named in the will as responsible for dealing with the estate. An executor may have to apply for a special legal authority before they can deal with the estate. This is called probate.

An administrator is someone who is responsible for dealing with an estate under certain circumstances, for example, if there is no will or the named executors aren't willing to act. An administrator has to apply for letters of administration before they can deal with an estate.

Although there are some exceptions, it is usually against the law for you to start sharing out the estate or to get money from the estate, until you have probate or letters of administration.

What does the executor or administrator do

The executor or administrator (also called the personal representative) takes responsibility for dealing with all of the estate. This involves:

• finding all the financial documentation belonging to the person who died

• sending a copy of the death certificate to the organisations that hold the money of the person who has died. Ask them for confirmation of the value of the money held at the date of death and the amount of income received during the last tax year up to the date of death. Also ask them to freeze the bank accounts so no one can take money out without the correct legal authority

• opening a bank account on behalf of the estate

• finding out details of money owed to the estate

• finding out details of money owed by the person who has died

• preparing a detailed list of the property, money and possessions and debts in the estate

• working out the amount of inheritance tax due and arranging to pay it

• preparing and sending off the documents required by the probate registry and HM Revenue and Customs

• when probate or letters of administration has been granted, collecting in money belonging to the estate from banks, insurance companies, pension funds and building societies

• paying debts, expenses and fees, such as solicitors' fees and probate fees

• sharing out the estate, as set out in the will or according to the rules of intestacy.

If it appears that there are not enough assets in the estate to cover outstanding tax, expenses, bills and other liabilities, you should seek the advice of a solicitor. Administering an insolvent estate can be complicated and if you're the executor you're responsible for doing it correctly. You might have to pay for any mistakes.

Tax and benefits

When someone dies, it's important to sort out their benefits, tax and National Insurance as soon as possible. There may be tax to pay, or their estate might be owed some tax back.

You need to tell the tax office, and each government office that was paying benefits to the person who has died, about their death. You need to do this as soon as possible after the death.

Depending where the person who has died was living, you may be able to tell several government services about the death in one contact by using the Tell Us Once Service. For more information about this service, see What to do after a death.

If you need to report the death to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), you can telephone the DWP Bereavement Service. They can deal with all the DWP benefits that were being paid to the person who died. They can also check whether the next of kin is entitled to any benefits. For more information about this service, see What to do after a death.

Check if you need to pay tax

Some assets are still taxed during the administration period. The estate needs to pay income tax for income it gets during this time - for example bank interest or rent. If you sell an asset, you might have to pay capital gains tax. Check how much the asset was valued at in probate. If you sell the asset for more than its probate value, you’ll have to pay capital gains tax.

If you need help to prepare trust or estate accounts, you should get specialist tax advice. Get help finding tax advice.

Inheritance tax

You have to inform HMRC of the death, in case inheritance tax needs to be paid. You do not have to do this if the estate is an ‘excepted estate’. You can check the type of estate at GOV.UK.

Check if you have to pay inheritance tax

Inheritance tax might have to be paid if the estate is valued at more than £325,000. There are some exceptions to this rule, for example, if the husband, wife or civil partner inherits the estate.

If the person who died owned their home, or a share in it, another £175,000 might be tax free. The extra £175,000 is tax free if the estate is worth less than £2 million and they leave their home to their:

• children - this includes adopted, foster or stepchildren

• grandchildren

If you have to pay inheritance tax

Some of the tax must be paid before probate or letters of administration is granted. Once probate or letters of administration has been granted, the final tax bill will be sorted out.

You must pay by the end of the sixth month after the person died. You might have to pay a penalty charge if you haven’t paid after six months. For example, if the person died in January, you must pay inheritance tax by 31 July. 

If the estate can’t afford to pay all the tax at once, you could ask to pay in instalments. 

How to pay

You need to get an inheritance tax reference number on GOV.UK. You should do this at least 3 weeks before you need to make your report to HMRC.

If you don’t have a solicitor, you can ask HMRC to work out how much inheritance tax is owed. They have to tell you how much is owed before probate can be granted.

Tax can be paid directly from the bank account of the person who died. To ask for this you will need to complete Form IHT423. Get Form IHT423 on GOV.UK.

Debts

The person who has died may have left debts, for example, an overdraft on their account or a credit agreement that has not been paid off.

When someone dies you should try to contact all their creditors. You should place a notice on The Gazette website. This is the official public record of legal notices in the UK. You should also put a notice in a local paper where the deceased person lived or worked. These notices tell creditors they can make a claim against the estate to pay off the debt. If you don't place a notice and creditors come forward after you've paid out the estate, you might have to pay off the rest of the debt with your own money.

In general, if there is not enough money in the estate of the person who has died to pay their debts their creditors cannot recover the amount still owed from anyone else, including that person's surviving relatives. You should check whether that person had any kind of insurance policy that would pay off any of their debts on their death, for example, a payment protection insurance policy taken out at the same time as a loan.

In some cases the debt may have been a joint one, for example, an overdraft on a joint account or an amount owed on a credit agreement taken out in joint names. If this is the case, the debt can still be recovered from the surviving person. In addition, if you lived with someone who has died you may still be liable for debts that relate to the property, such as council tax or water bills.

Probate and letters of administration

Probate

If you are named in someone's will as an executor, you may have to apply for probate. This is a legal document which gives you the authority to share out the estate of the person who has died according to the instructions in the will. You do not always need probate to be able to deal with the estate.

If you've been named in a will as an executor, you don't have to act if you don't want to. Check what to do if you don’t want to be an executor on GOV.UK.

Letters of administration

In some circumstances, someone who wants to deal with the estate of someone who has died will have to apply for letters of administration, rather than probate. This person is called an administrator. You have to apply for letters of administration if:

• there is no will

• a will is not valid

• there are no executors named in the will

• the executors cannot or are unwilling to act.

There are strict rules about who can be an administrator. If there is a valid will, you can apply for letters of administration if:

• the person who died left all of their estate to you in the will, and

• the executors are not named, or cannot or are unwilling to act.

If there is no valid will, and you are the next-of-kin, you can apply to be an administrator in the following order of priority:

1. you are the married partner or civil partner of the person who has died

2. you are the child of the person who has died

3. you are the grandchild of the person who has died

4. you are the parent of the person who has died

5. you are the brother or sister of the person who has died

6. you are the nephew or niece of the person who has died

7. you are another relative of the person who has died.

If you're an unmarried partner, or same-sex partner who has not registered a civil partnership and who has not been named in a will as an executor, you won't usually be able to act as an administrator.

You do not always need letters of administration to be able to deal with the estate of someone who has died.

Check if you need probate or letters of administration

You usually need probate or letters of administration to deal with an estate if it includes property such as a flat or a house. Otherwise, you may not need probate or letters of administration if:

• the estate is just made up of cash (that is, bank notes and coins) and personal possessions such as a car, furniture, and jewellery

• all the property in the estate is owned as beneficial joint tenants This property automatically becomes wholly owned by the other owner

• you had a joint bank account

• the amount of money is small

• you discover that the estate is insolvent, that is, there is not enough money in the estate to pay all the debts, taxes and expenses

• there are certain life insurance policies and pension benefits in the estate.

Residential property

When someone dies, another person inherits or buys their property. You’ll need to update the property records to show who now owns the property. You can update property records on GOV.UK.

If you sell the property you’ll probably need the help of a conveyancer. A conveyancer is a legal professional who specialises in transferring property. You can:

• find a conveyancer on the Law Society website

• check if you can get free or affordable legal help

If one person owned the property

Someone could inherit the property or it could be sold.

A person inheriting the property is called  ‘the beneficiary’.  If you inherit the property, you need to update the property records to become the owner.

To do update the records you need to fill in:

• a ‘change the register’ form, also called form AP1

• a ‘Whole of registered title: assent’ form, also called form AS1

• A ‘Verify identity: citizen’ form, also called form ID1

Download these forms and check what other documents you need on GOV.UK.

Who inherits if the property was jointly-owned

Couples may jointly own their home. There are two different ways of jointly owning a home. These are beneficial joint tenancies and tenancies in common.

If the partners were beneficial joint tenants at the time of the death, the surviving partner will automatically inherit the other partner's share of the property. There is no need for probate or letters of administration unless there are other assets that are not jointly owned. The property might have a mortgage.

However, if the partners are tenants in common, the surviving partner does not automatically inherit the other person's share. Probate or letters of administration will be needed so the personal representative can pass to whoever will inherit the share of the property, according to the will or the rules of intestacy. The property might have a mortgage.

Example

Ayodele and Olujimi are not married. They have one grown-up daughter called Ife. Ayodele and Olujimi own their home as tenants in common. Ayodele dies without leaving a will. Olujimi doesn't have the right to apply for letters of administration but Ife does. She inherits the half share of the home under the rules of intestacy. Olujimi keeps his half share.

For more information about beneficial joint tenancies and tenancies in common, see Buying with someone else in Buying a home. For more information about the rules of intestacy, see Who can inherit if there is no will – the rules of intestacy.

If there is a mortgage on the property

If the property is to be inherited by someone and there is still an outstanding mortgage on it, the mortgage company will either require the mortgage to be paid immediately, or ask the person who inherits the property to take over the mortgage.

If there is a mortgage on the property, there might be a life insurance policy, an endowment policy, or mortgage protection policy which will pay the outstanding mortgage if the person with the mortgage dies. In this case, you should write to the company, asking for a final statement.

If the property is to be sold, the mortgage will be paid out of the sale of the property.

Joint bank accounts

Couples may also have joint bank or building society accounts. If one dies, all the money will go to the surviving partner without the need for probate or letters of administration. The bank might need to see the death certificate in order to transfer the money to the other joint owner.

Probate or letters of administration may still be needed if there are other assets that are not jointly owned.

If the amount of money is small

The estate may be made up of a relatively small amount of money held:

• in a bank or building society account

• in a pension fund

• by an insurance company.

If, after the funeral expenses have been paid, the amount of money held by the organisation is under a certain amount, they might be prepared to release it to you without you having to apply for probate or letters of administration. This amount may vary from one organisation to another, so you will need to check with each one.

Some banks and building societies will release quite large amounts without the need for probate or letters of administration. Also some banks and building societies will release money needed to pay for a funeral, probate fees and inheritance tax but nothing else until you have been granted probate or letters of administration.

This depends entirely on the policy of the organisation in question. They do not have to release anything, however small the amount of money. If the organisation refuses to release money without probate or letters of administration, you must apply for probate or letters of administration even if it is not otherwise needed.

Do you need a solicitor

Many executors and administrators act without a solicitor. However, if the estate is complicated, it is best to get legal advice. You should always get legal advice if, for example:

• the terms of a will are not clear

• part of the estate is to pass to children under the age of 18

• the person who died has left money or property in a trust

• the person who died owned land or property abroad

• the person who died owned a business

• anyone is likely to dispute the will.

The legal fees can be paid for from the estate.

If there are any problems with the way that executors or administrators deal with the estate, for example, if there is unreasonable delay or if the executors or administrators misuse their legal powers, you will need legal advice.

You can find out how to get free or affordable legal advice.

How long it takes to get probate or letters of administration

You’ll usually get probate within 16 weeks of applying. It could take longer if you need to give extra information. Applying by post takes longer than applying online.

You might need to apply to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) before applying for probate, even if the estate is not taxable. This will delay your probate application. You have to wait 20 working days from submitting your application to HMRC before you can apply for probate.

Check how to apply for probate or letters of administration

You can usually apply for probate online or by post.

In some situations you might only be able to apply by post. The online application process will tell you if you have to apply by post.

Applying for probate online

You can apply online if you’re the executor of the will and:

• the person who died lived permanently in England or Wales or was planning to return there  

• you have the original will and the death certificate (or interim death certificate) from the coroner

• you’ve already reported the value of the estate of the person who died (this includes their money, property and possessions) to HMRC

If you need to report the value of the estate of the person who died to HMRC, you must do this before you apply online.

You can apply for probate online at GOV.UK. You’ll need to sign a statement of truth online and send documents to the probate registry after you’ve finished the application. You’ll be told what you need to send.

Applying for probate or letters of administration by post

To apply for probate or letters of administration by post, you'll need to fill in a number of forms. 

You’ll need PA1P if the person left a will and PA1A if they didn’t. These forms ask for details about the person who died, their surviving relatives, and the personal representative. If you’re filling in form PA1P you’ll need to answer some questions about the will.

You'll need to fill in other forms depending on what's in the estate and how much it's worth.

You can get the PA1P and PA1A forms on GOV.UK. You can also get them by calling the HMRC Probate and Inheritance Tax Helpline. They can help with filling out the form.

Inheritance Tax and probate

Telephone: 0300 303 0648

Welsh language helpline: 0300 303 065

Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm

Sending your forms

Make sure you keep copies of the forms and anything else you have had to send with the forms.

You’ll need to send some documents with the forms, including:

• the original will (if there is one) and three copies

• the death certificate

• the probate fee

Send the forms and documents to the probate registry at:

HMCTS Probate PO Box 12625 Harlow CM20 9QE

They won’t send the will back to you. If you would like a certified copy of the will, you can ask the probate registry for one.

Probate fee

The fee for applying for probate or letters of administration depends on the value of the estate. You won’t pay a fee if the value of the estate is less than £5,000.

If the estate is valued at £5,000 or more the fee is £300. An extra fee of £1.50 is added for each copy of the grant you need. This is the same for both post and online applications.  

If you’re on a low income or having financial problems you can apply to pay a reduced fee or not fee at all. You can apply online or download a form to print off on GOV.UK at www.gov.uk.

After probate or letters of administration has been granted

Once tax has been paid, probate or letters of administration will be sent to you in the post. It includes details of the gross and net estate - the value of the estate before and after debts have been deducted.

Both the probate/letters of administration and the will are public documents and can be examined by anyone who wants to see them.

Once you have got probate or letters of administration, you can begin to deal with the estate and share out the property. You can find out what to do after you get probate (also called a grant of representation) on GOV.UK.

If you don't want to be an executor

Even if you've been named as an executor in someone's will, you might not want to or be able to act to act as an executor. Check what to do if you don’t want to an executor on GOV.UK.

If you choose not to be an executor, you shouldn’t do anything that is an executor’s responsibility. For example, you shouldn’t sell assets of the person who died or run their business. You can still arrange the funeral.

Challenging an executor

You might think an executor isn’t doing things properly, for example not following the will correctly.

First talk to the executor and tell them what the problem is. It’s best to do this in writing. Keep a copy of the letter in case you need it as evidence later.

If you can’t agree, you could try mediation. You might have to pay a charge for this. You can find a mediator on the Civil Mediation Council website.

If you’re finding things difficult

Your mental health is as important as your physical health. You should talk to your GP if you are struggling with your mental health.

You can find other ways to get help with your mental health on the Mind website.

If you need help with grief

You can call the Cruse Bereavement Care helpline or get help on their website.

Cruse Bereavement Care

Helpline: 0808 808 1677 

Monday 9.30am to 5pm

Tuesday, 1pm to 8pm

Wednesday to Friday, 9.30am to 5pm

www.cruse.org.uk

If you need someone to talk to

You can speak to a trained volunteer at organisations like Samaritans or Shout.

Samaritans

Helpline: 116 123 (Monday to Sunday at any time)

Welsh Language Line: 0808 164 0123 (Monday to Sunday 7pm to 11pm)

Calls to Samaritans are free.

You can find other ways to get in touch with Samaritans on their website.

Shout

You can also text 'SHOUT' to 85258 to start a conversation with a trained Shout volunteer. Texts are free, anonymous and confidential from anywhere in the UK.

If you think it's an emergency

If you think your life or someone else’s is at risk, you should call 999 or go to A&E if you can.

You can also find a list of urgent mental health services on the Mind website.