Does this threshold apply to the whole estate?

No. It applies only to the balance held with NatWest at the date of death, not to the estate as a whole.

Bereavement · Bank thresholds

first direct: bereavement contact and probate limit

Last reviewed 29 September 2026

first direct publishes two limits: with a will it needs a grant of probate from £50,000, and without one it needs letters of administration from £25,000. Here is how to reach the bereavement team, what it asks for below those amounts, and what it can pay before probate.

Bereavement line

0113 276 6669

Grant needed from

£50,000

Checked

29 September 2026

How to tell first direct about a death

Call the first direct bereavement team on 0113 276 6669 (Monday to Friday 8am–10pm, weekends 8am–7pm). You can also report the death using its online notification form, or at any HSBC branch. Branch staff can start the process in person.

By post: first direct Bereavement Support Team, 40 Wakefield Road, Leeds LS98 1FD.

first direct accepts notifications through the free Death Notification Service, so one form can reach it alongside other participating banks and building societies.

Once notified, first direct freezes accounts held in the deceased’s sole name and tells you which documents it needs. Joint accounts pass to the surviving holder.

How much first direct releases without probate

first direct publishes its threshold: a grant of representation is needed once the deceased’s sole balances with the bank reach £50,000. The figure applies to the total held with first direct, not to the estate as a whole.

Balance held	What first direct asks for
With a will	Grant of probate needed from £50,000.
Without a will	Letters of administration needed from £25,000.
Below those amounts	Death certificate, ID for the personal representative, and a signed closure authority form.

Older tables list first direct at £20,000 or ‘case by case’. Its bereavement page now publishes £50,000 (will) and £25,000 (no will).

What first direct can pay before the grant

first direct can pay funeral costs from the account against an invoice, reimburse costs already paid, and pay inheritance tax before a grant from an IHT423. This is worth using if the estate needs cash for the funeral or to clear inheritance tax before probate can be issued.

Two limits, not one

first direct is one of the few banks to publish a lower limit for intestate estates: £25,000 where there is no will, against £50,000 where there is. It also says it may still ask for a grant below those amounts.

Questions

What is the first direct bereavement phone number?+

0113 276 6669, Monday to Friday 8am–10pm, weekends 8am–7pm.

How much can first direct release without probate?+

Up to £50,000 of sole balances, against its own forms. From £50,000 it needs a grant of representation.

Is first direct the same as HSBC for probate?+

first direct is a division of HSBC UK and you can notify it at an HSBC branch, but it publishes its own limits. Check HSBC separately.

Does the first direct limit apply to the whole estate?+

No. It applies only to what was held with first direct at the date of death. Property in the deceased’s sole name usually needs a grant regardless.

Official sources

first direct — bereavement support GOV.UK — Applying for probate GOV.UK — Tell Us Once

Sources. first direct bereavement page, checked 29 September 2026: threshold, forms, phone line and hours as published by the bank. Figures change; confirm with the bereavement team before relying on them.