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

Leeds Building Society: bereavement contact and probate limit

Last reviewed 29 September 2026

Leeds Building Society publishes its own line: below £50,000 it closes a deceased customer’s accounts against its forms, and from £50,000 it wants to see a grant. Here is how to reach the bereavement team, what each tier requires, and what it can pay before probate.

Bereavement line

03452 682 642

Grant needed from

£50,000

Checked

29 September 2026

How to tell Leeds Building Society about a death

Call the Leeds Building Society bereavement team on 03452 682 642 (Monday to Friday 8am–6pm, Saturday 9am–5pm). You can also report the death by emailing the death certificate to its customer care address, or through the Death Notification Service. Branch staff can start the process in person.

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

Once notified, Leeds 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 Leeds Building Society releases without probate

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

Balance held	What Leeds asks for
Below £50,000	Account closure form, with the will (or grant) and ID for the executor signing. Without a will, ID for the first-named personal representative.
£50,000 and above	Account closure form plus an original or certified copy of the grant, and ID for each executor.

An older Leeds indemnity form carried a £40,000 cap. The current table on the society’s bereavement page uses £50,000.

What Leeds can pay before the grant

Leeds says it can arrange payment of inheritance tax, probate fees and funeral costs from the deceased’s accounts. This is worth using if the estate needs cash for the funeral or to clear inheritance tax before probate can be issued.

Leeds Permanent accounts

Accounts opened with the old Leeds Permanent Building Society are not held by Leeds Building Society. Leeds Permanent merged with the Halifax in the 1990s, so those balances are registered with Halifax.

Questions

What is the Leeds Building Society bereavement phone number?+

03452 682 642, Monday to Friday 8am–6pm, Saturday 9am–5pm.

How much can Leeds Building Society release without probate?+

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

My relative had a Leeds Permanent passbook. Who do I contact?+

Halifax. Leeds Building Society directs Leeds Permanent bereavements there.

Does the Leeds limit apply to the whole estate?+

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

Official sources

Leeds Building Society — bereavement support GOV.UK — Applying for probate GOV.UK — Tell Us Once

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