The Standard Index · Valoren

Every figure on this site is watched.

Q: Why should I trust the figures on this site?

Because you can check our work. Every figure Valoren publishes is held in a register alongside its current value, and every change to it is written into a dated log that anyone can read. We do not quietly correct a number and move on: the value it left behind, the value that replaced it, and the date all stay on the record.

Q: How often are the figures checked?

Weekly, against the body that sets them. Court fees, HMRC thresholds and OPG fees are read back against the departments that publish them every week. Market figures — what a solicitor charges, what a funeral costs — have no single official publisher, so each one is checked by hand on its own schedule, from every 3 months to every year depending on how quickly that number tends to move.

Q: What happens when a figure moves?

It is logged the day it is found, then corrected everywhere it appears. The entry records the old value, the new value and the date. The correction is then run through every page, guide and prepared document that quotes that figure.

Q: Do the documents I already hold get updated?

A document you already hold is a record of what was true on the day it was prepared, and it does not change in your hands. What changes is the live version: when a figure moves, the correction reaches the pages and the documents we prepare from that day forward.

Q: Where do the figures come from?

From the bodies that set them. Statutory figures come from GOV.UK, HMRC, the Office of the Public Guardian and HM Courts & Tribunals Service. Market figures come from named published sources — a firm's own price list, a published guideline rate, a market survey — and each one carries the source it was last checked against, linked in the table above.

Valoren publishes 404 government figures and 106 market benchmarks — fees, thresholds, deadlines and rates that move without announcement. Each one is held in a register, read back against the body that sets it every week, and re-stated the day it changes.

When a number moves, we write it down — the old value, the new value, and the date.

Read the log See what we watch

Last entry in the register · 17 September 2026

§1

The practice

This is not a promise, it is a routine. The same three steps run every week, in the same order, on every figure in the register — and each step leaves a record you can read.

Checked weekly

Every figure in the register is read back against the body that sets it. GOV.UK, HMRC, the Office of the Public Guardian, HM Courts & Tribunals Service — not a sample of the register, the whole of it, every week.

Logged when it moves

A change is written into the log the day it is found. The entry carries the date, the value that has been left behind, and the value that replaced it. The log only ever grows — an entry is never quietly edited away.

Corrected everywhere

One figure can sit in a dozen places at once — a guide, a form walkthrough, a letter, a prepared document. The log is what drives the correction through all of them, so the site never carries two versions of the same number.

§2

What we watch

Two registers, kept apart because their sources are different. The first holds the statutory figures — the fees, thresholds and deadlines set by government. The second holds market benchmarks: what a solicitor charges, what a funeral costs, what a comparable service is priced at.

Government and statutory figures

404 in the register · reviewed 18 Aug 2026

Checked weekly against the departments that publish them — GOV.UK, HMRC, the Office of the Public Guardian and HM Courts & Tribunals Service.

Figure	Current value
LPA registration fee (per document)	£92
OPG Scotland — registration of a continuing and/or welfare power of attorney (per document)	£99
Gazette deceased estates notice (s.27 TA 1925), online submission	£115.86 inc VAT (£96.55 + VAT)
Full new State Pension (weekly)	£241.30
IHT threshold freeze end date	2031
Probate application fee (estates over £5,000)	£526
IHT nil-rate band	£325,000
IHT residence nil-rate band	£175,000
NHS-funded nursing care (FNC) standard weekly rate	£267.68
Sealed copy of the probate grant, ordered concurrently with the application	£2
Certified copy of a death certificate (GRO / registrar), England & Wales	£12.50
GRO priority (next-working-day) certificate service, England & Wales	£38.50
Court of Protection — deputyship application fee	£432
Court of Protection deputyship fees (application / hearing / appeal / copy of document)	£432 / £266 / £272 / £8
Care-charging reform status (Dilnot cap / £100k / £20k)	cancelled
OPG Lasting Power of Attorney registration processing time (submission to registration)	8 to 10 weeks (OPG published timescale, includes the statutory 4-week waiting period; assumes no errors in the application)
IHT annual gift exemption	£3,000 per tax year (annual exemption; unused amount can carry forward one tax year only)
IHT potentially-exempt-transfer (PET) 7-year survival/taper period	7 years
IHT gift/trust-charge cumulation lookback period (14-year rule)	14 years (maximum lookback: chargeable lifetime transfers made up to 7 years before a failed PET, which itself can be up to 7 years before death — HMRC IHTM14514)
Reduced IHT rate for estates giving 10%+ of baseline to charity	36% — the reduced Inheritance Tax rate. ⛔ THIS ROW'S REGEX WATCHES 36% ONLY ((?<![\d£.])36\s?%): the 40% standard rate is IHT_STANDARD_RATE and the 10% qualifying test is IHT_CHARITABLE_BASELINE_THRESHOLD. In force since 6 April 2012, unchanged.

20 of 404 shown

Market benchmarks

106 in the register · reviewed 7 Aug 2026

A market figure has no single official publisher, so each one is checked by hand against a named source on its own schedule. The schedule and the source are shown here; a benchmark is only quoted on the site once it has been checked.

Benchmark	Checked	Last checked	Source
Solicitor hourly rate (private client / probate)	Every 6 months	8 Sept 2026	Source ↗
Full solicitor / professional estate administration (straightforward estate)	Every 6 months	8 Sept 2026	Source ↗
Solicitor probate fee as % of estate value	Every 6 months	19 Jul 2026	Source ↗
Grant-only professional help (get the grant, executor administers the rest)	Every 6 months	8 Sept 2026	Source ↗
Contested / disputed probate (litigation)	Every year	19 Jul 2026	Source ↗
Simple solicitor-drafted will (single)	Every 6 months	8 Sept 2026	Source ↗
Mirror wills, solicitor-drafted (a couple)	Every 6 months	8 Sept 2026	Source ↗
Complex solicitor will (trusts / business / foreign assets)	Every year	19 Jul 2026	Source ↗
Online will service (generic, non-named)	Every 6 months	19 Jul 2026	Source ↗
Average UK funeral cost	Every 6 months	26 Jul 2026	Source ↗
Direct cremation cost	Every 6 months	26 Jul 2026	Source ↗
UK private-client mean estate administration fee	Every year	21 Aug 2026	Source ↗
National Will Register (Certainty) search fee	Every 3 months	19 Jul 2026	Source ↗
Estate administrator hourly rate (correspondence)	Every year	19 Jul 2026	Source ↗
Probate solicitor charge per drafted letter	Every 6 months	21 Aug 2026	Source ↗
Bank pre-probate funeral-cost release cap	Every year	21 Aug 2026	Source ↗
Share registrar small-estate probate threshold (Equiniti/Computershare)	Every year	21 Aug 2026	Source ↗
Farewill — will price + corporate facts	Every 3 months	19 Jul 2026	Source ↗
Which? Wills — tiers + price	Every 3 months	19 Jul 2026	Source ↗
Court of Protection gifting application (DEP-04) — court timeline	Every 6 months	19 Jul 2026	Source ↗

20 of 106 shown

The register records what each figure is, not what it means for a particular estate. It is information, not legal or financial advice. Figures are stated for England and Wales; Scotland and Northern Ireland differ in several places.

§3

The log

612 entries since June 2026, of which 65 record a figure that actually moved. Newest first. Each entry carries the date it was written, the figure it concerns, and — where a value changed — what it was and what it became.

25 Sept 20265 entries

Changedfamilyhandover.com Family Estate Preparedness Pack

€47 one-off (~£40), Shopify digital£30 one-off shown to UK visitors ("VALUE: £90.00 TODAY'S PRICE: £30.00"; €29.90 to EU visitors), labelled a U.S. Edition, Shopify digital

ChangedNokbox Lite (physical estate-organizer box, UK price)

US $59 single unit (72 double-sided checksheets; folders/box NOT included). No UK storefront, GBP price or UK stockist exists (Amazon.co.uk/Etsy UK checked 2026-08-21) — the prior ~£38–£46 UK band is unsupported and must not be cited.US $69 single unit (72 double-sided checksheets; folders/box NOT included). No UK storefront, GBP price or UK stockist exists (Amazon.co.uk/Etsy UK checked 2026-08-21)

the prior ~£38–£46 UK band is unsupported and must not be cited.

ChangedRemento keepsake-book subscription (memory-book comparator)

$99/yr (or $12.99/mo) incl. 1 hardcover ≤200pp; extra copy $69; +$30 for 380pp; auto-renews $99/yr; ships UK free$99/yr (or $12/mo) incl. 1 hardcover ≤200pp, shipped free in the US; extra copy $69; +$30 for 380pp; auto-renews $99/yr

ChangedStroke Association contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0303 3033 100, Monday to Friday: 9am to 5pm0303 3033 100, Monday to Friday: 9am to 5pm; Saturday: 10am to 1pm

ChangedPersonal Independence Payment Centre (Northern Ireland) contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0800 012 15730800 587 0932, existing claims and enquiries; new claims 0800 012 1573; Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm, excluding public holidays

21 Sept 202622 entries

Added to the registerScotland prior rights on intestacy — dwelling house (or its value) to the surviving spouse or civil partner

£473,000

Added to the registerScotland prior rights on intestacy — furniture and plenishings to the surviving spouse or civil partner

£29,000

Added to the registerScotland prior rights on intestacy — cash sum to the surviving spouse or civil partner where the deceased left issue

£50,000

Added to the registerScotland prior rights on intestacy — cash sum to the surviving spouse or civil partner where the deceased left no issue

£89,000

Added to the registerScotland prior rights — interest on the s.9 cash sum from death until payment

4 per cent per annum

Added to the registerScotland — sheriff court commissary fee for a dative petition (appointment of an executor-dative)

£23

Added to the registerScotland — certificate of confirmation ordered with the inventory

£10

Added to the registerScotland — minimum age to make a will

Added to the registerScotland — minimum age of the witness for the s.3 presumption of subscription

Added to the registerEngland & Wales intestacy — surviving spouse/civil partner's window to require the dwelling-house to be appropriated to their share

12 months from the date representation is first taken out

Added to the registerEngland & Wales — limitation period for a claim to the personal estate of a deceased person (the reason estate records are kept twelve years)

12 years from the date the right to receive the share accrued (6 years for arrears of interest on a legacy)

Added to the registerNorthern Ireland intestacy — statutory legacy to the surviving spouse or civil partner where the deceased left issue

£250,000

Added to the registerNorthern Ireland intestacy — statutory legacy to the surviving spouse or civil partner where no issue but parents or siblings survive

£450,000

Added to the registerNorthern Ireland — interest on the intestacy statutory legacy from death until payment

6 per cent per annum

Added to the registerNorthern Ireland intestacy — days a spouse or civil partner must survive the intestate to inherit

28 days

Added to the registerNorthern Ireland — the year after death before proceedings for failure to distribute can be brought without leave

one year from the date of the death

Added to the registerNorthern Ireland — statutory creditor notice before distribution (Belfast Gazette once + two NI daily newspapers twice each), minimum period

not less than two months

Added to the registerNorthern Ireland — Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) (NI) Order 1979 claim window from the grant

six months from the date representation is first taken out, except with the permission of the court

Added to the registerNorthern Ireland — qualifying cohabitation period for a 1979 Order applicant

the whole of the two years ending immediately before the death

Added to the registerNorthern Ireland — Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) (NI) Order 1979 art.11(1): long-stop for an application in respect of a severable share of a joint tenancy

the earlier of six months from the grant and 18 months from the death

Added to the registerMental Capacity Act Code of Practice in force (a revised MCA/LPS code has been in prospect since 2022)

the 2007 Code

Added to the registerMental Capacity Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 ss. 11 and 99 — advance decision provisions not in force

not in force

17 Sept 202666 entries

Added to the registerThe People's Pension — death claim position (Trustee discretion; no grant figure published)

The page does not say whether a grant is needed; the lump sum is paid at the Trustee's discretion, guided by any expression of wish, outside the estate; no timescale is put on a death claim

Added to the registerVitality (VitalityLife) — death claim position (pays to the estate unless trustees/beneficiaries nominated; no grant figure published)

The page does not say whether a grant is needed; VitalityLife plans pay out to the owner's estate except where trustees or beneficiaries were nominated; claims by phone 0345 601 0072 or lifeclaims@vitality.co.uk

Added to the registerZurich — death claim position (online form, two by policy prefix; trust paid in line with the trust; no grant figure published)

The page does not say whether a grant is needed; it asks for the policy number, the original death certificate or coroner's interim report and details of the estate; a policy held in trust is paid in line with the trust

Added to the registerDirect burial, total (UK average)

£4,002

Added to the registerAssent of property (form AS1) — what UK firms charge

£299 to £720 inc VAT, plus HM Land Registry's own Scale 2 fee in every case

Added to the registerHMRC Trust Registration Service — what firms charge to do it for you (HMRC itself charges nothing)

£240 to £360 inc VAT for professional help; HMRC charges nothing to register

Added to the registerOPG Scotland — registration of a continuing and/or welfare power of attorney (per document)

£99

Added to the registerHM Land Registry fee for an AS1 assent to a beneficiary — Scale 2, banded on property value

£45–£305 by post; £20–£140 via the portal (Scale 2, banded on value)

Added to the registerHM Land Registry fee to register the death of a joint proprietor (DJP) — no fee payable

£0 — no fee payable (LRFO 2024 Sch 4 para (6))

Added to the registerHM Land Registry price of a title register (or title plan) — online copy vs official copy by post

£7 online (title register or title plan); £11 per official copy by post

ChangedFull estate-administration duration — 6–12 months straightforward · 12–18 with property to sell / IHT to agree (Valoren timeline model on HMCTS 2026 grant data; NOT statutory)

9–18 months, typical full administration (attributed practitioner norm)6–12 months straightforward · 12–18 months with property/IHT · longer if contested (house figure, ruled 2026-09-15)

Added to the registerAdministration of Estates (Small Payments) Act 1965 — statutory small-payments limit

£5,000

Added to the registerHMCTS probate — second-application fee

£22

Added to the registerHMCTS probate — help with fees (form EX160)

EX160

Added to the registerfirst direct — bereavement account limit where there is NO will (Letters of Administration route)

£25,000

Added to the registerMetro Bank — lower edge of the Deceased Estates Indemnity Form band (£5,000.01 to £25,000.00)

£5,000.01

Added to the registerMetro Bank — without a will, the asset total below which Metro Bank can still help collect the estate

£15,000

Added to the registerSkipton Building Society — savings total below which a scanned, emailed document copy may be accepted

£5,000

Added to the registerOVO Energy — account credit above which a photo of the meter reading is needed (bereavement)

£599

Added to the registerScottish Power — refund above which photographic ID of the person claiming may be asked for (bereavement)

£600

Added to the registerPayPal UK — amount below which an executor's indemnity form is needed (above it, a grant)

£5,000

ChangedTypical unoccupied-property insurance policy unoccupancy trigger period

Commonly 30 or 60 consecutive days (some insurers 45); varies by insurer and policy wordingCommonly 30 consecutive days; some insurers allow 45 or 60

varies by insurer and policy wording

Added to the registerDeceased joint proprietor title update (form DJP) — what UK firms charge to lodge it (HM Land Registry itself charges nothing)

£240 to £400 inc VAT for a solicitor or conveyancer to prepare and lodge form DJP; HM Land Registry charges no fee

Added to the registerAlzheimer's Society (Dementia Support Line) contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0333 150 3456, Monday to Wednesday: 9am – 8pm; Thursday and Friday: 9am – 5pm; Saturday and Sunday: 10am – 4pm

Added to the registerCare Quality Commission (CQC) contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

03000 616161, Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5.30pm, excluding bank holidays

Added to the registerCarers Trust contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0300 772 9600, Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm

Added to the registerIndependent Age contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0800 319 6789, Monday to Friday 8:30am to 5:30pm

Added to the registerLiving Made Easy contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0300 999 0004, Monday to Friday, 9.00 am to 5.00 pm

Added to the registerMacmillan Cancer Support contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0808 808 00 00, Monday to Sunday - 8AM-8PM

Added to the registerMarie Curie support line contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0800 090 2309, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm, Saturday and Sunday 10am to 4pm

Added to the registerMind contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0300 123 3393

Added to the registerRethink Mental Illness contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0808 801 0525, 9.30am - 4pm, Monday to Friday, excluding Bank holidays

Added to the registerSamaritans contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

116 123, Open 24 hours a day

Added to the registerShelter contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0808 800 4444, Mon to Fri, 8am to 5pm

Added to the registerStroke Association contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0303 3033 100, Monday to Friday: 9am to 5pm

Added to the registerCare Inspectorate Wales (CIW) contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0300 7900 126

Added to the registerCarer's Allowance Unit contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0800 731 0297, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm

Added to the registerCrossroads (Northern Ireland) contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

02891 814455

Added to the registerCruse Bereavement Care contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0808 808 1677, Mon, Wed, Thu, Fri 9.30am-5pm; Tue 1pm-8pm; closed Sat & Sun

Added to the registerDisability Service Centre (PIP claims) contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0800 121 4433, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm

Added to the registerDementia Carers Count contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0800 6521102

Added to the registerDisability and Carers Service (Northern Ireland) contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0800 587 0912

Added to the registerHealthcare Inspectorate Wales (HIW) contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0300 062 8163, Our phone lines are open between 10am – 3pm, Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays)

Added to the registerHourglass contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0808 808 8141, 24/7 ("247 Helpline")

Added to the registerPersonal Independence Payment Centre (Northern Ireland) contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0800 012 1573

Added to the registerRegulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

028 9536 1990, Mon-Fri 10am-4pm; any calls received after 4pm will receive a callback within 24 hours from a member of the Guidance Team

Added to the registerAge Scotland contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0800 12 44 222, Monday to Friday, 9am - 1pm

Added to the registerAge NI contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0808 808 7575, Free to call 9am – 5pm (Mon - Fri)

Added to the registerNHS 111 contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

111, 24 hours a day (textphone confirms: "Call 18001 111 using text relay, 24 hours a day.")

Added to the registerDementia UK Admiral Nurse Dementia Helpline contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0800 888 6678, Monday to Friday 9am-9pm (9am-8pm for British Sign Language services); Saturday and Sunday 9am-5pm; Bank holidays 9am-5pm, except 25th December

Added to the registerPension Credit claim line contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0800 99 1234, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm

Added to the registerLocal Government and Social Care Ombudsman contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0300 061 0614, Monday - 10am to 1pm; Tuesday - 10am till 1pm; Wednesday - 1pm till 4pm; Thursday - 10am till 1pm; Friday - 10am till 1pm

Added to the registerCare Rights UK contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

020 7359 8136, Monday to Friday 9.30am - 1pm; Thursday evenings 6pm - 8pm. We are closed on public holidays.

Added to the registerThe Silver Line contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0800 4 70 80 90, Open 24 hours a day, every day

Added to the registerBeacon (NHS Continuing Healthcare) contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0345 548 0300

Added to the registerSociety of Later Life Advisers (SOLLA) contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0333 2020 454

Added to the registerCarers Scotland contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0808 808 7777, Monday to Friday, 9am – 6pm (including Bank Holidays)

Added to the registerCarers Wales contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0808 808 7777, Monday to Friday, 9am – 6pm

Added to the registerCarers NI contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0808 808 7777, Monday to Friday, 9am – 6pm (including Bank Holidays)

Added to the registerOffice of Care and Protection (Northern Ireland) contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0300 200 7812, 9.00 am to 1.00 pm (Monday to Thursday)

Added to the registerCare Inspectorate (Scotland) contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0345 600 9527, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 09:00-16:00; Wednesday, 09:00-14:00

Added to the registerPublic Services Ombudsman for Wales contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0300 790 0203, 10am-4pm Monday – Friday

Added to the registerScottish Public Services Ombudsman contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0800 377 7330, Monday: Closed; Tuesday: 1pm – 5pm; Wednesday: 9am – 1pm; Thursday: Closed; Friday: 9am – 1pm

Added to the registerNI Public Services Ombudsman contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

02890 233821, Our offices are now open to the public from 10am – 12pm, Monday to Friday. Please contact us for an appointment.

Added to the registerAdvice NI contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0800 915 4604

Added to the registerAdult social care contact lines by UK authority (src/data/councilAdultSocialCareIndex.js) — the dataset behind the council row Caring for a Parent prints from the parent's postcode

212 authorities; 167 with an adult social care line read from the authority's own page; checked 2026-09-16 to 2026-09-16

16 Sept 202644 entries

Added to the registerAlzheimer's Society (Dementia Support Line) contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0333 150 3456, Monday to Wednesday: 9am – 8pm; Thursday and Friday: 9am – 5pm; Saturday and Sunday: 10am – 4pm

Added to the registerCare Quality Commission (CQC) contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

03000 616161, Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5.30pm, excluding bank holidays

Added to the registerCarers Trust contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0300 772 9600, Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm

Added to the registerIndependent Age contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0800 319 6789, Monday to Friday 8:30am to 5:30pm

Added to the registerLiving Made Easy contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0300 999 0004, Monday to Friday, 9.00 am to 5.00 pm

Added to the registerMacmillan Cancer Support contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0808 808 00 00, Monday to Sunday - 8AM-8PM

Added to the registerMarie Curie support line contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0800 090 2309, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm, Saturday and Sunday 10am to 4pm

Added to the registerMind contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0300 123 3393

Added to the registerRethink Mental Illness contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0808 801 0525, 9.30am - 4pm, Monday to Friday, excluding Bank holidays

Added to the registerSamaritans contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

116 123, Open 24 hours a day

Added to the registerShelter contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0808 800 4444, Mon to Fri, 8am to 5pm

Added to the registerStroke Association contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0303 3033 100, Monday to Friday: 9am to 5pm

Added to the registerCare Inspectorate Wales (CIW) contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0300 7900 126

Added to the registerCarer's Allowance Unit contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0800 731 0297, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm

Added to the registerCrossroads (Northern Ireland) contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

02891 814455

Added to the registerCruse Bereavement Care contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0808 808 1677, Mon, Wed, Thu, Fri 9.30am-5pm; Tue 1pm-8pm; closed Sat & Sun

Added to the registerDisability Service Centre (PIP claims) contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0800 121 4433, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm

Added to the registerDementia Carers Count contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0800 6521102

Added to the registerDisability and Carers Service (Northern Ireland) contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0800 587 0912

Added to the registerHealthcare Inspectorate Wales (HIW) contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0300 062 8163, Our phone lines are open between 10am – 3pm, Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays)

Added to the registerHourglass contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0808 808 8141, 24/7 ("247 Helpline")

Added to the registerPersonal Independence Payment Centre (Northern Ireland) contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0800 012 1573

Added to the registerRegulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

028 9536 1990, Mon-Fri 10am-4pm; any calls received after 4pm will receive a callback within 24 hours from a member of the Guidance Team

Added to the registerAge Scotland contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0800 12 44 222, Monday to Friday, 9am - 1pm

Added to the registerAge NI contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0808 808 7575, Free to call 9am – 5pm (Mon - Fri)

Added to the registerNHS 111 contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

111, 24 hours a day (textphone confirms: "Call 18001 111 using text relay, 24 hours a day.")

Added to the registerDementia UK Admiral Nurse Dementia Helpline contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0800 888 6678, Monday to Friday 9am-9pm (9am-8pm for British Sign Language services); Saturday and Sunday 9am-5pm; Bank holidays 9am-5pm, except 25th December

Added to the registerPension Credit claim line contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0800 99 1234, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm

Added to the registerLocal Government and Social Care Ombudsman contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0300 061 0614, Monday - 10am to 1pm; Tuesday - 10am till 1pm; Wednesday - 1pm till 4pm; Thursday - 10am till 1pm; Friday - 10am till 1pm

Added to the registerCare Rights UK contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

020 7359 8136, Monday to Friday 9.30am - 1pm; Thursday evenings 6pm - 8pm. We are closed on public holidays.

Added to the registerThe Silver Line contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0800 4 70 80 90, Open 24 hours a day, every day

Added to the registerBeacon (NHS Continuing Healthcare) contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0345 548 0300

Added to the registerSociety of Later Life Advisers (SOLLA) contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0333 2020 454

Added to the registerCarers Scotland contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0808 808 7777, Monday to Friday, 9am – 6pm (including Bank Holidays)

Added to the registerCarers Wales contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0808 808 7777, Monday to Friday, 9am – 6pm

Added to the registerCarers NI contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0808 808 7777, Monday to Friday, 9am – 6pm (including Bank Holidays)

Added to the registerOffice of Care and Protection (Northern Ireland) contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0300 200 7812, 9.00 am to 1.00 pm (Monday to Thursday)

Added to the registerCare Inspectorate (Scotland) contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0345 600 9527, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 09:00-16:00; Wednesday, 09:00-14:00

Added to the registerPublic Services Ombudsman for Wales contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0300 790 0203, 10am-4pm Monday – Friday

Added to the registerScottish Public Services Ombudsman contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0800 377 7330, Monday: Closed; Tuesday: 1pm – 5pm; Wednesday: 9am – 1pm; Thursday: Closed; Friday: 9am – 1pm

Added to the registerNI Public Services Ombudsman contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

02890 233821, Our offices are now open to the public from 10am – 12pm, Monday to Friday. Please contact us for an appointment.

Added to the registerAdvice NI contact line, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0800 915 4604

212 authorities; 167 with an adult social care line read from the authority's own page; checked 2026-09-16 to 2026-09-16

ChangedTypical unoccupied-property insurance policy unoccupancy trigger period

Commonly 30 or 60 consecutive days (some insurers 45); varies by insurer and policy wordingCommonly 30 consecutive days; some insurers allow 45 or 60

varies by insurer and policy wording

15 Sept 20264 entries

Added to the registerDirect burial, total (UK average)

£4,002

Added to the registerAssent of property (form AS1) — what UK firms charge

£299 to £720 inc VAT, plus HM Land Registry's own Scale 2 fee in every case

Added to the registerHMRC Trust Registration Service — what firms charge to do it for you (HMRC itself charges nothing)

£240 to £360 inc VAT for professional help; HMRC charges nothing to register

Added to the registerDeceased joint proprietor title update (form DJP) — what UK firms charge to lodge it (HM Land Registry itself charges nothing)

£240 to £400 inc VAT for a solicitor or conveyancer to prepare and lodge form DJP; HM Land Registry charges no fee

14 Sept 202616 entries

Added to the registerHM Land Registry fee for an AS1 assent to a beneficiary — Scale 2, banded on property value

£45–£305 by post; £20–£140 via the portal (Scale 2, banded on value)

Added to the registerHM Land Registry fee to register the death of a joint proprietor (DJP) — no fee payable

£0 — no fee payable (LRFO 2024 Sch 4 para (6))

Added to the registerHM Land Registry price of a title register (or title plan) — online copy vs official copy by post

£7 online (title register or title plan); £11 per official copy by post

Added to the registerThe People's Pension — death claim position (Trustee discretion; no grant figure published)

The page does not say whether a grant is needed; the lump sum is paid at the Trustee's discretion, guided by any expression of wish, outside the estate; no timescale is put on a death claim

Added to the registerVitality (VitalityLife) — death claim position (pays to the estate unless trustees/beneficiaries nominated; no grant figure published)

Added to the registerZurich — death claim position (online form, two by policy prefix; trust paid in line with the trust; no grant figure published)

Added to the registerAdministration of Estates (Small Payments) Act 1965 — statutory small-payments limit

£5,000

Added to the registerHMCTS probate — second-application fee

£22

Added to the registerHMCTS probate — help with fees (form EX160)

EX160

Added to the registerfirst direct — bereavement account limit where there is NO will (Letters of Administration route)

£25,000

Added to the registerMetro Bank — lower edge of the Deceased Estates Indemnity Form band (£5,000.01 to £25,000.00)

£5,000.01

Added to the registerMetro Bank — without a will, the asset total below which Metro Bank can still help collect the estate

£15,000

Added to the registerSkipton Building Society — savings total below which a scanned, emailed document copy may be accepted

£5,000

Added to the registerOVO Energy — account credit above which a photo of the meter reading is needed (bereavement)

£599

Added to the registerScottish Power — refund above which photographic ID of the person claiming may be asked for (bereavement)

£600

Added to the registerPayPal UK — amount below which an executor's indemnity form is needed (above it, a grant)

£5,000

10 Sept 20265 entries

ChangedNEST — pension death-claim position (grant of probate)

£5,000No without-grant limit published. Where nobody was nominated NEST pays the pot to the estate; a pot of £5,000 or under may be paid to certain relatives instead

ChangedFidelity International — pension death-claim position (grant of probate)

£50,000No without-grant limit for the pension (the trustees decide who benefits). For non-pension Fidelity holdings a small-estates route applies below £50,000 where there is a will and the estate is under the nil-rate band

ChangedHargreaves Lansdown — pension death-claim position (grant of probate)

£50,000No grant needed for an HL pension account (it sits outside the estate). Non-pension HL assets under £50,000 are released on a Small Estates Declaration and Indemnity

ChangedReAssure — pension death-claim position (grant of probate)

£10,000No without-grant limit published. Funeral Pledge: up to £10,000 can be released straight to a funeral director while probate is unresolved, deducted from the claim

ChangedReAssure — life insurance death-claim position (grant of probate)

£10,000No without-grant limit published; an original death certificate is required in every case. Funeral Pledge: up to £10,000 straight to a funeral director while probate is unresolved

9 Sept 202642 entries

Added to the registerCourt of Protection — deputyship application fee

£432

ChangedReduced IHT rate for estates giving 10%+ of baseline to charity

36% (standard rate 40%; qualifies when 10% or more of the baseline amount is left to charity; in force since 6 April 2012, unchanged as of 2026-07-19)36%

the reduced Inheritance Tax rate. ⛔ THIS ROW'S REGEX WATCHES 36% ONLY ((?<![\d£.])36\s?%): the 40% standard rate is IHT_STANDARD_RATE and the 10% qualifying test is IHT_CHARITABLE_BASELINE_THRESHOLD. In force since 6 April 2012, unchanged.

Added to the registerIHT charitable giving — the 10%-of-baseline test that unlocks the 36% rate

10% or more of the baseline (net) amount left to charity

ChangedIHT standard (non-reduced) rate

40% standard rate (36% reduced rate where ≥10% of the baseline/net estate is left to charity)40%

the standard Inheritance Tax rate. ⛔ THIS ROW'S REGEX WATCHES 40% ONLY (\b40\s?%): the 36% reduced rate is IHT_CHARITABLE_REDUCED_RATE and the 10%-of-baseline test that unlocks it is IHT_CHARITABLE_BASELINE_THRESHOLD. Charged only on the part of the estate a…

ChangedIHT small-gift exemption (per recipient, per tax year)

£250 per person per tax year (cannot be combined with the £3,000 annual exemption for the same recipient)£250 per person per tax year

the small-gift exemption. ⛔ THIS ROW'S REGEX WATCHES £250 ONLY; the £3,000 annual exemption is IHT_ANNUAL_GIFT_EXEMPTION. The two cannot be combined for the same recipient.

Added to the registerNEST — pension death-claim position (grant of probate)

£5,000

Added to the registerNOW: Pensions — pension death-claim position (grant of probate)

The page does not say whether a grant is needed. It instead says: "The now:pensions Trustee has the final say over who gets this money... But the Trustee will usually take into account any instructions the person left about who to pay the money to." No mention of probate or letters of administration appears anywhere on the page.

Added to the registerAviva — pension death-claim position (grant of probate)

The page does not state a specific grant-of-probate requirement or threshold for pensions. It says generally, of the bereavement notification process: "As part of the notification process, we may need some more information, such as details from the death certificate or the grant of probate. If we need anything further, we'll get in touch." The pensions death claim form page lists the death certificate and "details of deceased's estate" as helpful information but does not say a grant is required to claim.

Added to the registerLegal & General — pension death-claim position (grant of probate)

The page does not say whether a grant is needed.

Added to the registerScottish Widows — pension death-claim position (grant of probate)

Grant of Representation (Grant of Probate if there is a will, or Letters of Administration if not) "allows executors or administrators to close accounts, collect the assets of an estate and pay them out to the beneficiaries"; the page also states Scottish Widows "can advance up to £10,000 to a funeral director if there are delays in closing accounts while waiting for probate," implying probate/grant is normally needed to close/access the account outside that funeral-advance mechanism.

Added to the registerStandard Life — pension death-claim position (grant of probate)

The page does not say whether a grant is needed.

Added to the registerAegon — pension death-claim position (grant of probate)

The page does not say whether a grant of probate is needed.

Added to the registerRoyal London — pension death-claim position (grant of probate)

The page does not say whether a grant of probate is needed.

Added to the registerM&G / Prudential — pension death-claim position (grant of probate)

The page does not say whether a grant of probate is needed.

Added to the registerFidelity International — pension death-claim position (grant of probate)

£50,000

Added to the registerHargreaves Lansdown — pension death-claim position (grant of probate)

£50,000

Added to the registerAJ Bell — pension death-claim position (grant of probate)

The page does not say whether a grant of probate is needed. The notification FAQ covers only the initial notify/death-certificate step; AJ Bell's separate pensions-death page discusses beneficiary nomination and tax treatment but does not state whether a Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration is required to release SIPP death benefits.

Added to the registerSmart Pension — pension death-claim position (grant of probate)

Grant of Probate/Letters of Administration requested 'if available' alongside the Bereavement Claim Form and death certificate — not stated as mandatory for payment; trustees decide beneficiaries using expression of wish and discretion regardless.

Added to the registerPhoenix Life — pension death-claim position (grant of probate)

General guide states: 'If you're making a claim or changing a policy, you may need to include a copy of both the death certificate and the will, along with the grant of probate or confirmation of the estate, if relevant' — grant is conditional ('if relevant'), not stated as universally required for every pension claim.

Added to the registerReAssure — pension death-claim position (grant of probate)

£10,000

Added to the registerNHS Pensions — pension death-claim position (grant of probate)

The page does not state a blanket probate requirement; instead it says NHS Pensions will contact the claimant "if we need to see any documents relating to probate, to allow the lump sum to be paid" — i.e. probate is requested case-by-case, not always required.

Added to the registerTeachers' Pensions — pension death-claim position (grant of probate)

The page does not state probate is always required, but warns claimants 'You may need to apply for Probate which can take some time to arrange, therefore, it's important to start the process as soon as possible' — framed as a possible necessary step, not universal.

Added to the registerCivil Service Pension Scheme — pension death-claim position (grant of probate)

The page does not state probate is required to claim benefits, but names 'Probate delays' as one of the factors that can make a case more complex and extend the typical timescale beyond 4-8 weeks.

Added to the registerLocal Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) — pension death-claim position (grant of probate)

The page does not say whether a grant of probate or letters of administration is needed. Death grants and dependants' pensions are described as paid by the local pension fund based on scheme rules, membership record and nomination — not framed as passing through the estate/probate process.

Added to the registerArmed Forces Pension Scheme (Veterans UK / Ministry of Defence) — pension death-claim position (grant of probate)

The page does not say whether a grant is needed for a dependant's pension claim. It does state that if the member died before claiming their pension, any lump sum becomes part of the member's Estate where there are no eligible dependants — implying estate/probate processes would apply only to that lump sum.

Added to the registerState Pension (DWP / The Pension Service) — pension death-claim position (grant of probate)

The page does not say whether a grant is needed. State Pension entitlement is administered on notification and National Insurance record, not through the probate/grant process.

Added to the registerAviva — life insurance death-claim position (grant of probate)

As part of the notification process, we may need some more information, such as details from the death certificate or the grant of probate. If we need anything further, we'll get in touch. The page does not state a without-grant payment limit and frames probate as sometimes required, not always.

Added to the registerLegal & General — life insurance death-claim position (grant of probate)

If a policy is in trust we would pay the proceeds of the claim to the trustees, who would then make sure the money reaches the beneficiary(s) of the trust. Putting a life insurance policy into trust can speed up payment: Trustees can usually claim the policy proceeds without waiting for probate, helping beneficiaries receive funds more quickly. For policies NOT in trust, the FAQ page does not state a specific without-grant limit or say probate is always required; it does not give a direct instruction for the non-trust case.

Added to the registerScottish Widows — life insurance death-claim position (grant of probate)

The page's own glossary defines Grant of Representation/Probate/Letters of Administration in detail but does not state, for a straightforward life insurance claim, that a grant is required before payout. It separately confirms the Funeral Pledge exists specifically because accounts can otherwise be delayed 'while waiting for probate' — implying probate can be a blocking step for some accounts/products, though not stated as universal for life policies.

Added to the registerRoyal London — life insurance death-claim position (grant of probate)

The page does not say whether a grant is needed.

Added to the registerLV= — life insurance death-claim position (grant of probate)

Probate is not always required in order to make a claim. Our initial letter to you will detail all of the information that we may need, and can vary depending on the type of policy held.

Added to the registerSunLife — life insurance death-claim position (grant of probate)

The page does not say whether a grant is needed.

Added to the registerPhoenix Life — life insurance death-claim position (grant of probate)

If you're making a claim or changing a policy, you may need to include a copy of both the death certificate and the will, along with the grant of probate or confirmation of the estate, if relevant. If a policy has been placed in trust the proceeds will not form part of the estate and are paid directly to the beneficiaries; a grant of representation is not always required, e.g. where the estate passes to a spouse/civil partner, is held in joint names, or has no land/property/shares.

Added to the registerReAssure — life insurance death-claim position (grant of probate)

£10,000

Added to the registerCanada Life — life insurance death-claim position (grant of probate)

The page does not say whether a grant of probate is needed. It asks only for a death certificate and a copy of the will to process a beneficiary claim; probate/grant of representation is not mentioned anywhere on this page as a requirement, though Canada Life separately runs a 'Probate Helpline' support service listed under its Workplace Protection WeCare offering (not detailed on this page).

Added to the registerAegon — life insurance death-claim position (grant of probate)

Aegon's own bereavement-definitions glossary states generically that a grant of probate/letters of administration may be needed to administer an estate, but adds "Depending on the value of the Estate you may not need to apply for probate/confirmation." This is general estate-administration guidance, not a Protection-policy-specific statement of Aegon's own claims requirement — the two bereavement pages fetched do not state whether Aegon itself requires a grant before paying a protection/life claim, or whether policies in trust bypass probate.

Added to the registerPrudential (M&G) — life insurance death-claim position (grant of probate)

The page does not say whether a grant is needed. Neither the main bereavement page nor its linked 'what happens next' page (both fetched) states whether Prudential requires a grant of probate/letters of administration to pay a life/protection claim, or whether a policy written in trust bypasses probate.

Added to the registerOPG100 — searching the OPG register of attorneys/deputies (free)

Free service — fill in form OPG100 to search the register

Added to the registerPension Tracing Service (DWP) — free tracing helpline

Pension Tracing Service — freephone 0800 731 0175

Added to the registerApple Legacy Contact — what it releases and withholds after death

A Legacy Contact can access certain data after death; purchased films, music, books and subscriptions are inaccessible

Added to the registerGoogle Inactive Account Manager — the death/inactivity data-sharing scheme

Inactive Account Manager — lets a user share account data or notify someone after a period of inactivity

Added to the registerFacebook Legacy Contact — the memorialised-account scheme

A legacy contact looks after a memorialised Facebook account

8 Sept 202619 entries

Added to the registerOffice of the Public Guardian contact number, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0300 456 0300

Added to the registerAge UK Advice Line number, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0800 678 1602, 8am–7pm every day of the year

Added to the registerCarers UK Helpline number, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0808 808 7777, Monday–Friday 9am–6pm (including bank holidays)

Added to the registerAttendance Allowance helpline number, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0800 731 0122

Added to the registerCitizens Advice Adviceline number, as printed in Caring for a Parent's "Who to contact" directory

0800 144 8848, 9am–5pm Monday to Friday (not public holidays)

Added to the registerThe "executor's year" — a personal representative need not distribute the estate before one year from the death

12 months (one year) from the date of death

Added to the registerThe Gazette s.27 deceased estates notice — minimum notice period before an executor may safely distribute

not less than two months from the date the notice is published

Added to the registerDeath must be registered within 8 days (Scotland)

within 8 days of the death

Added to the registerDeath must be registered within 5 days (Northern Ireland)

within 5 days of the death

Added to the registerScotland — sheriff court commissary fee-free threshold for examining the confirmation inventory

£50,000

Added to the registerScotland — sheriff court commissary fee for examining the confirmation inventory, estates over £50,000

£351

Added to the registerSheriff court confirmation (commissary) fee, estate exceeding £250,000, from 1 April 2026

£705

Added to the registerSheriff court confirmation fee upper band threshold (estate exceeding £250,000 pays the higher fee)

£250,000

Added to the registerSchedule IHT407 — individual household/personal item must be itemised separately once worth £1,500 or more

£1,500

Added to the registerCapital Gains Tax personal-possessions (chattels) exemption — no CGT below this per-item disposal value

£6,000

Added to the registerLimitation period for a claim to a deceased person's estate (personal estate, under a will or on intestacy)

12 years from the date the right accrued

Added to the registerMaximum number of executors/administrators who may be named on a single grant of representation

four

ChangedGOV.UK — additional copy of a grant of probate / standing search (PA1S) fees

£1.50 per additional copy of the grant at the time of application; £16 for a copy requested after the event; £4 for a PA1S standing search£2 per additional copy of the grant at the time of application; £16 for a copy requested after the event; £4 for a PA1S standing search

ChangedFull solicitor / professional estate administration (straightforward estate)

£3,000–£8,000£3,000–£8,000 + VAT

6 Sept 202639 entries

Added to the registerBank of Scotland — bereavement threshold (sole accounts, without grant of probate)

£50,000

Added to the registerfirst direct — bereavement threshold (sole accounts, without grant of probate)

£50,000

Added to the registerThe Co-operative Bank — bereavement threshold (sole accounts, without grant of probate)

£50,000

Added to the registerVirgin Money — bereavement threshold (sole accounts, without grant of probate)

£50,000

Added to the registerMetro Bank — bereavement threshold (sole accounts, without grant of probate)

£25,000

Added to the registerStarling Bank — bereavement threshold (sole accounts, without grant of probate)

£30,000

Added to the registerMonzo — bereavement threshold (sole accounts, without grant of probate)

£25,000

Added to the registerCoventry Building Society — bereavement threshold (sole accounts, without grant of probate)

£50,000

Added to the registerYorkshire Building Society — bereavement threshold (sole accounts, without grant of probate)

£50,000

Added to the registerSkipton Building Society — bereavement threshold (sole accounts, without grant of probate)

£50,000

Added to the registerLeeds Building Society — bereavement threshold (sole accounts, without grant of probate)

£50,000

Added to the registerTesco Bank — bereavement threshold (sole accounts, without grant of probate)

£50,000

Added to the registerDanske Bank UK — bereavement threshold (sole accounts, without grant of probate)

£50,000

Added to the registerBank of Ireland UK — bereavement threshold (sole accounts, without grant of probate)

£50,000

Added to the registerAIB (NI) / Allied Irish Bank GB — bereavement threshold (sole accounts, without grant of probate)

£25,000

Added to the registerHandelsbanken UK — bereavement threshold (sole accounts, without grant of probate)

£20,000

Added to the registerTriodos Bank UK — bereavement threshold (sole accounts, without grant of probate)

£25,000

Added to the registerAldermore Bank — bereavement threshold (sole accounts, without grant of probate)

£35,000

Added to the registerParagon Bank — bereavement threshold (sole accounts, without grant of probate)

£20,000

Added to the registerCoutts — bereavement threshold (sole accounts, without grant of probate)

£50,000

Added to the registerCumberland Building Society — bereavement threshold (sole accounts, without grant of probate)

£30,000

Added to the registerPrincipality Building Society — bereavement threshold (sole accounts, without grant of probate)

£39,999

Added to the registerWest Bromwich Building Society — bereavement threshold (sole accounts, without grant of probate)

£30,000

Added to the registerNewcastle Building Society — bereavement threshold (sole accounts, without grant of probate)

£30,000

Added to the registerNottingham Building Society — bereavement threshold (sole accounts, without grant of probate)

£50,000

Added to the registerProgressive Building Society — bereavement threshold (sole accounts, without grant of probate)

£50,000

Added to the registerThe Cambridge Building Society — bereavement threshold (sole accounts, without grant of probate)

£20,000

Added to the registerSaffron Building Society — bereavement threshold (sole accounts, without grant of probate)

£15,000

Added to the registerFurness Building Society — bereavement threshold (sole accounts, without grant of probate)

£30,000

Added to the registerHinckley & Rugby Building Society — bereavement threshold (sole accounts, without grant of probate)

£15,000

Added to the registerDarlington Building Society — bereavement threshold (sole accounts, without grant of probate)

£30,000

Added to the registerThe Melton Building Society — bereavement threshold (sole accounts, without grant of probate)

£20,000

Added to the registerMarsden Building Society — bereavement threshold (sole accounts, without grant of probate)

£15,000

Added to the registerTipton & Coseley Building Society — bereavement threshold (sole accounts, without grant of probate)

£5,000

Added to the registerMonmouthshire Building Society — bereavement threshold (sole accounts, without grant of probate)

£35,000

Added to the registerDudley Building Society — bereavement threshold (sole accounts, without grant of probate)

£15,000

Added to the registerLeek Building Society — bereavement threshold (sole accounts, without grant of probate)

£30,000

Added to the registerMansfield Building Society — bereavement threshold (sole accounts, without grant of probate)

£20,000

Added to the registerMarket Harborough Building Society — bereavement threshold (sole accounts, without grant of probate)

£25,000

5 Sept 202611 entries

Added to the registerChargeable lifetime transfer — lifetime IHT rate (e.g. gift into a discretionary trust)

20%

Added to the registerTrust income tax-free de minimis (Income Tax Act 2007 s.24B) — with the multi-trust floor ladder

£500 (floor £100 per trust where a settlor has 5+ qualifying trusts)

Added to the registerTrustees' Capital Gains Tax annual exempt amount (2026–27)

£1,500 (£3,000 for a vulnerable beneficiary)

Added to the registerTrustees' Capital Gains Tax rate

24%

Added to the registerTrust Registration Service — fixed penalty for failing to register

£5,000

Added to the registerExcepted-settlement filing exemption — 80% of the IHT nil-rate band

£260,000 (80% of the £325,000 nil-rate band)

Added to the registerUnused pensions brought into Inheritance Tax — effective date

6 April 2027

Added to the registerPension lump-sum death benefit — 2-year tax-free payment window

2 years from the scheme administrator's knowledge of the death (not from the date of death)

Added to the registerSpecial lump sum death benefits charge (pension paid to a non-qualifying person, or outside the 2-year window)

45%

Added to the registerUnauthorised pension payment — combined charge and surcharge

55% (40% unauthorised payments charge + 15% surcharge)

Added to the registerSA900 filing deadline extension where HMRC issues the notice to file late

3 months from the date of a late-issued notice

3 Sept 20264 entries

Added to the registerOPG registration fee for BOTH LPAs (property & finance + health & welfare)

£184

Added to the registerBereavement Support Payment — maximum total, higher rate (lump sum + 18 monthly payments)

£9,800 (£3,500 one-off + 18 × £350)

Added to the registerCouncil tax single-person discount

25%

Added to the registerCouncil tax Class F exemption — months after the grant

6 months

2 Sept 20264 entries

ChangedDeath must be registered within 5 days of ME confirmation (England & Wales)

within 5 days of death (England & Wales)within 5 days of the medical examiner's office confirming registration can proceed (England & Wales)

Added to the registerAttendance Allowance weekly rates (lower / higher)

£76.70 lower / £114.60 higher

Added to the registerCarer's Allowance weekly rate

£86.45

ChangedUK private-client mean estate administration fee

No supportable 'mean estate administration fee' figure exists. The £4,541 'Canada Life' attribution is REFUTED (re-confirmed 2026-08-21: no such release). Verified nearest metric: SunLife Cost of Dying 2026 — £2,635 average spend on professional estate-administration fees among the 65% of funeral organisers who used a professional (p22; fieldwork mid-2025). Adopting it is a metric+source swap — Joel-gated, with the copy change.£2,635

average spend on professional fees to administer an estate, among the 65% of funeral organisers who used a professional (SunLife Cost of Dying Report 2026, p22; fieldwork mid-2025). ADOPTED as this figure's metric, Joel-approved 2026-08-21, replacing the ref…

31 Aug 20266 entries

Added to the registerImmediate Post-Death Interest (IPDI) — s.49A IHTA 1984 commencement date

22 March 2006

Added to the registerCertainty / The National Will Register — Will Search Standard and Combined fees (inc. VAT)

£65.00 inc VAT (Standard, 48hrs) / £140.00 inc VAT (Combined/Comprehensive, 28 days, REACH outreach + Missing Will Noticeboard) — over 10.5 million records

Added to the registerThe National Will Register — Court of Protection search fee (inc. VAT) — a different product to Will Search Combined, coincidentally the same price

£140.00 inc VAT — for someone still living who has lost testamentary capacity, not a post-death will search

Added to the registerThe National Will Register — Will Search Protect fee (inc. VAT), bundling Will Search Combined + a Section 27 Trustee Act 1925 notice

£300.00 inc VAT

Added to the registerGOV.UK — additional copy of a grant of probate / standing search (PA1S) fees

£1.50 per additional copy of the grant at the time of application; £16 for a copy requested after the event; £4 for a PA1S standing search

Added to the registerThe National Will Register — trade/solicitor registration fee, per new will (the cost Valoren pays to register a customer's signed will; not a customer-facing search fee)

from £4.95 + VAT per new will (trade rate, volume-dependent; archived wills register free; public consumer route is £30 inc VAT, five times the trade rate)

30 Aug 20268 entries

Added to the registerBarclays — bereavement threshold (sole accounts, without grant of probate)

£50,000

Added to the registerHSBC UK — bereavement 'amount limits' (with/without a will)

£50,000 (with a will, Grant of Probate route) / £25,000 (no will, Letters of Administration route)

Added to the registerSantander UK — bereavement threshold (sole-name accounts, without grant)

£50,000

Added to the registerNationwide Building Society — bereavement threshold (sole accounts, without grant)

£50,000

Added to the registerNS&I (National Savings and Investments) — bereavement threshold

£5,000

Added to the registerNatWest — bereavement threshold status (no published general figure)

Does not publish a general threshold — decided case-by-case via a signed, witnessed '(Indemnity) Agreement'; the only exact published figure is a separate, narrower 'Indemnifying Letter' instrument for balances under £50

Added to the registerLloyds Bank (UK, personal/retail) — bereavement threshold status (no published general figure)

Does not publish a fixed threshold — 'will depend on the products and services held with us'

Added to the registerHalifax — bereavement threshold status (no published general figure; £50,000/£36,000 Scotland applies only to Share Dealing accounts)

No published general threshold for standard current/savings accounts (case-by-case); £50,000 (£36,000 Scotland) is published only for Halifax Share Dealing/ISA accounts, a different product line

28 Aug 20262 entries

Added to the registerNorthern Ireland — estate value above which a probate court fee is payable

£10,000

Added to the registerNorthern Ireland — estate value below which a grant may not be needed

£20,000

27 Aug 20263 entries

Added to the registerIntestacy statutory legacy (spouse/civil partner)

£322,000

Added to the registerExcepted estate — 7-year gift limit

£250,000

Added to the registerExcepted estate — gross value ceiling (exempt route)

£3,000,000

21 Aug 20268 entries

ChangedUK private-client mean estate administration fee

nullNo supportable 'mean estate administration fee' figure exists. The £4,541 'Canada Life' attribution is REFUTED (re-confirmed 2026-08-21: no such release). Verified nearest metric: SunLife Cost of Dying 2026

£2,635 average spend on professional estate-administration fees among the 65% of funeral organisers who used a professional (p22; fieldwork mid-2025). Adopting it is a metric+source swap — Joel-gated, with the copy change.

ChangedProbate solicitor charge per drafted letter

null≈£20–£45 per routine solicitor-drafted letter (the 6-minute unit = hourly rate ÷ 10; 2026 Guideline Hourly Rates £142–£422/hr across grades/regions relevant to routine correspondence; only elite London-1 Grade A commercial work reaches £57.90/unit). The site's former £250–£500-per-letter claim remains REFUTED

the copy reframe is Joel-gated (it underpins the £149 Estate Letters value framing).

ChangedBank pre-probate funeral-cost release cap

nullNo universal cap. NatWest, Barclays and Lloyds all pay the funeral invoice direct to the funeral director 'in full or part, if there are enough funds'

gated on balance sufficiency only, no numeric ceiling on any of the three banks' live bereavement pages (all read 2026-08-21). The former 'typically £10,000–£15,000' framing stays banned.

ChangedShare registrar small-estate probate threshold (Equiniti/Computershare)

nullTWO products, not one threshold

the 2026-07-19 'conflict' was two registrars conflated: Equiniti/Shareview Small Estates Service £50,000 max per holding (£30,000 Jersey-incorporated) · Computershare Small Estates Declaration & Indemnity £20,000 per UK shareholding (€20,000 Irish). Both con…

ChangedSmall-estate bank release thresholds (no grant needed)

nullPer-bank no-grant thresholds, verified from each bank's own page 2026-08-21: Barclays £50,000 · Lloyds group £50,000 (indirect corroboration only

figure sits behind their case-by-case flow; re-verify direct) · Santander £50,000 · NatWest £50,000 (the £25,000 previously assumed was wrong) · HSBC £50,000 with a will / £25,000 without · Nationwide £50,000. Effectively £50,000 is the industry norm now. Th…

ChangedAverage weekly cost of residential care (UK market average)

£1,299/week£1,299/week per gov-rates.json (human-confirmed 2026-07-11)

⚠ £1 DISCREPANCY unresolved: the 10-Jun-2026 Wayback capture of the source page ('Updated 2 Jun 2026') reads £1,298; the live page is Imperva-blocked to bots. Do not flip copy on the capture alone — pin the digit on the next human visit.

ChangedNokbox Lite (physical estate-organizer box, UK price)

~£38–£46 (72 one-size blank checksheets)US $59 single unit (72 double-sided checksheets; folders/box NOT included). No UK storefront, GBP price or UK stockist exists (Amazon.co.uk/Etsy UK checked 2026-08-21)

the prior ~£38–£46 UK band is unsupported and must not be cited.

Added to the registerTell Us Once — 28-day window to use the service after registration

28 days to use the service from receiving the unique reference at registration

20 Aug 202634 entries

Added to the registerUK consumer records-vault subscription, annual (category band)

£36–£120/yr (UK vault subscriptions, billed annually)

Added to the registerStoryWorth UK GBP book tiers (memory-book comparator)

£29 B&W-interior (≤480pp) · £59 colour (≤300pp) · £79 colour (300–480pp); free UK shipping; only Unlimited tier auto-renews ($99/yr)

Added to the registerTrustworthy (Family Operating System) annual plans

$120/yr Silver · $240/yr Gold · $480/yr Platinum (monthly-quoted, billed annually); free tier 2GB; USD only, no UK storefront

Added to the registerRemento keepsake-book subscription (memory-book comparator)

$99/yr (or $12.99/mo) incl. 1 hardcover ≤200pp; extra copy $69; +$30 for 380pp; auto-renews $99/yr; ships UK free

Added to the registerScotland — small estate threshold for confirmation (Sheriff Clerk can assist with forms below this value)

£36,000

Added to the registerNorthern Ireland — personal (litigant-in-person) grant of probate application fee, Probate Office Belfast

£407

Added to the registerRepublic of Ireland — Capital Acquisitions Tax Group A threshold (child inheriting from a parent)

€400,000

Added to the registerScotland cohabitant intestacy claim window — s.29 Family Law (Scotland) Act 2006

6 months from the date of death (s.29(6) FLSA 2006); s.78 TSA 2024 (prospective) will make it 12

Added to the registerBereavement Support Payment claim windows (full amount / latest claim)

3 months for full amount · up to 18 instalments · latest claim 21 months

Added to the registerCifas Protective Registration fee (deceased-identity fraud protection)

£30 for two years

Added to the registerFurnished holiday lettings (FHL) regime — abolition date

abolished 6 April 2025 (1 April 2025 for Corporation Tax), Finance Act 2025 Sch. 5

Added to the registerAPR/BPR — allowance for the 100% rate, and the AIM/unlisted 50% rule

GBP 2,500,000 combined APR/BPR allowance at 100%, 50% above, transferable between spouses; AIM/'not listed' shares 50% throughout and outside the allowance (from 6 April 2026)

Added to the registerDividend ordinary / upper rates (incl. personal representatives of estates)

10.75% ordinary / 35.75% upper / 39.35% additional (from 6 April 2026)

Added to the registerCGT annual exempt amount and rate for personal representatives of an estate

£3,000 annual exempt amount for personal representatives; 24% flat on all assets

Added to the registerIntestacy statutory legacy (fixed net sum), England & Wales

£322,000 for deaths on or after 26 July 2023

Added to the registerForm 17 / jointly held property — statutory basis

ITA 2007 s.836 (50:50 default) and s.837 (declaration, 60 days)

Added to the registerMaking Tax Digital for Income Tax — mandation thresholds

£50,000 from 6 April 2026; £30,000 from April 2027; £20,000 from April 2028

Added to the registerSeparate property and savings income tax rates (from 6 April 2027)

in force 6 April 2027: property and savings basic 22% / higher 42% / additional 47%

Added to the registerClass 2 NI small profits threshold

£7,105 (2026-27)

Added to the registerLandlord finance-cost restriction — statutory citation

Finance (No. 2) Act 2015 s.24

Added to the registerNHS Pension Scheme (2015) death-in-service lump sum — multiple and pay basis

2x relevant earnings (or re-valued pensionable earnings, whichever higher)

Added to the registerTeachers' Pension (career average) death grant — multiple and pay basis

3x final full-time-equivalent salary

Added to the registerLGPS (England & Wales) death grant — multiple and pay basis

3x annual pay (Assumed Pensionable Pay)

Added to the registerCivil Service alpha death-in-service lump sum — multiple and pay basis

higher of 2x final pay or 5x accrued pension

Added to the registerArmed Forces Pension Scheme 15 death-in-service lump sum

4x final pensionable earnings

Added to the registerPrivate-sector group life death-in-service — typical salary multiple band

2-4x salary (typical, secondary-sourced)

Added to the registerLump Sum and Death Benefit Allowance (LSDBA)

£1,073,100

Added to the registerDeath-in-service benefits excluded from the April 2027 pension-IHT change

excluded where payable only if employed at death

Added to the registerHMCTS current average probate wait, by application channel (digital vs paper)

4.3 weeks average for applications made online; around 16 weeks for applications made on paper (HMCTS update for probate firms, June 2026, data to end May 2026)

Added to the registerProportion of probate applications stopped at least once, and the representation/channel splits

34% of applications stopped at least once (digital 32%, paper 38%; unrepresented 46% against represented 26%); around a quarter of stops relate to inheritance tax

Added to the registerInterest-free IHT instalments for newly inherited Agricultural/Business Relief assets, from 6 April 2026

From 6 April 2026, instalments on newly inherited assets qualifying for Agricultural or Business Relief are interest-free while the asset qualifies; a late instalment still accrues interest from its due date

Added to the registerThe dated HMRC late-payment interest rate series published on /figures/iht-interest-rate

Series head = 7.75% with effect from 9 January 2026 (Bank of England base rate 3.75% + 4 percentage points); six dated predecessor rows published beneath it back to 20 August 2024

Added to the registerBona Vacantia Division — absolute time limit for a fully documented estate claim

30 years from the date of death (absolute cutoff for a fully documented claim)

Added to the registerBona Vacantia Division — window within which an accepted claim still recovers interest

12 years from the date the estate's administration was completed (the interest-bearing window; claims after this and up to 30 years from death are accepted without interest)

19 Aug 20267 entries

Added to the registerUS digital records-vault subscription, annual (Everplans Premium)

$99.99/yr

Added to the registerMy Estate Kit one-off tiers (Essential/Settled/Complete)

£29 · £47 (was £94) · £76 (was £144), one-off PDF, fill-in-yourself

Added to the registerWillSafe Household Handover Binder (blank template)

£15 (blank PDF + editable .docx)

Added to the registerfamilyhandover.com Family Estate Preparedness Pack

€47 one-off (~£40), Shopify digital

Added to the registerAge UK LifeBook (free planning workbook)

Free — six sections; printed copy posted free on request; advice line 0800 678 1602

Added to the registerTemplates UK Executor Information Pack

£20 one-off download (bundles £25–£299)

Added to the registerNokbox Lite (physical estate-organizer box, UK price)

~£38–£46 (72 one-size blank checksheets)

17 Aug 20263 entries

Added to the registerExcepted-estate threshold with 100% transferred nil-rate band claimed

£650,000 — the low-value-route gross threshold rises to this figure where a full 100% transferable nil-rate band is claimed from a predeceased spouse or civil partner

Added to the registerNon-UK-resident route — UK assets gross value limit

£150,000 — the UK-assets gross value limit for the non-UK-domiciled/non-long-term-UK-resident excepted-estate route, effective from 1 September 2006

Added to the registerStandard plan — five-year total cost of ownership (derived: £195 first year + £99 × 4 renewals)

£591 — £195 first-year setup + £99 × 4 annual renewals, Standard plan, five-year total

7 Aug 2026132 entries

Added to the registerPRs' income tax rate on savings and property income — basic rate, with the 20% → 22% rise from 6 April 2027

20% on savings and property income (basic rate) for personal representatives, up to and including tax year 2026-27

Added to the registerCare means test — upper capital limit (self-funding threshold, England)

£23,250

Added to the registerCare means test — lower capital limit (tariff-income floor, England)

£14,250

Added to the registerCare home Personal Expenses Allowance (PEA), weekly — England

£31.80 a week (2026-27)

Added to the registerCare Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG), weekly — England, non-residential care

£241.45 a week (2026-27)

Added to the registerProbate application fee-free threshold (estates of £5,000 or less pay no fee)

£5,000 or less — no application fee

Added to the registerCourt of Protection — fee for a copy of a document

£8

Added to the registerOPG deputyship supervision and assessment fees (general / minimal / new-deputy assessment, plus the two exemption thresholds)

£320 general supervision a year · £35 minimal supervision a year · £100 new-deputy assessment · minimal supervision where the estate is under £21,000 · supervision fee exemption where income is under £12,000

Added to the registerIHT small-gift exemption (per recipient, per tax year)

£250 per person per tax year (cannot be combined with the £3,000 annual exemption for the same recipient)

Added to the registerIHT wedding / civil partnership gift exemptions (child / grandchild or great-grandchild / anyone else)

£5,000 to a child · £2,500 to a grandchild or great-grandchild · £1,000 to anyone else

Added to the registerIHT taper relief on failed PETs — effective rate by years between gift and death

32% (3–4 years) · 24% (4–5) · 16% (5–6) · 8% (6–7) — effective rates after taper relief

Added to the registerHMRC interest rate charged on IHT paid by instalments

7.75% from 9 January 2026 — the standard HMRC late-payment interest rate, which is what applies to IHT paid by instalments (Bank of England base rate + 4 percentage points)

Added to the registerEstate value at which the residence nil-rate band tapers away to nothing

£2,350,000

Added to the registerIHT threshold where 100% of a deceased spouse's nil-rate band is transferred (2 × NRB)

£650,000

Added to the registerCombined Business/Agricultural Property Relief 100% allowance for a couple, and the 50% rate above it

£5,000,000 combined for a couple; 50% relief on the excess above the allowance

Added to the registerSpouse exemption cap where the recipient spouse is not a long-term UK resident

Capped at the nil-rate band at the time of the transfer — £325,000 for transfers on or after 6 April 2013 (£55,000 before that date)

Added to the registerProportion of UK deaths that result in an inheritance tax charge

about 4% of estates

Added to the registerCapital gains tax annual exempt amount (individuals and personal representatives)

£3,000 (2024-25 onwards)

Added to the registerCapital gains tax rates on disposal (basic-rate and higher-rate taxpayers, all assets)

18% basic-rate taxpayer / 24% higher-rate taxpayer on all assets, for disposals on or after 30 October 2024; 32% on carried interest from 6 April 2025

Added to the registerHMRC official rate of interest (beneficial loans, pre-owned assets tax)

3.75% — the HMRC official rate of interest, in force from 6 April 2025 and unchanged for 2026-27

Added to the registerDiscretionary trust income tax rates (dividend and other income)

Discretionary and accumulation trusts: 45% on non-dividend income, 39.35% on dividend income

Added to the registerGRO / register office certified copy of a birth certificate

£12.50

Added to the registerSocial Fund Funeral Expenses Payment — flat-rate cap on other funeral costs

£1,000

Added to the registerLong-term UK resident (LTR) test — UK-resident for at least 10 of the previous 20 tax years (IHTA 1984 s.6A)

UK-resident for at least 10 of the 20 tax years immediately before the tax year of the chargeable event (IHTA 1984 s.6A), for events on or after 6 April 2025

Added to the registerIHT residence-based regime commencement — domicile replaced by long-term UK residence for IHT scope

6 April 2025 (Finance Act 2025 c.8 s.44 and Sch.13; IHTA 1984 s.267 omitted)

Added to the registerLong-term UK residence — post-departure tail during which IHT exposure continues (minimum 3, maximum 10 tax years)

Minimum 3 tax years, maximum 10 tax years, scaled by length of prior residence (13 years or fewer of residence gives a 3-year tail; +1 year per additional year of residence; 10 years at 20 years of residence)

Added to the registerLTR regime transitional provision — not UK-domiciled at 30 October 2024 and not UK-resident from 2025-26 onward

Applies where the person was not UK-domiciled at 30 October 2024 AND was not UK-resident in any tax year from and including 2025 to 2026

Added to the registerSpousal LTR election — lapse after 10 successive tax years of non-residence (IHTA 1984 s.267ZD(8))

Ceases to have effect after 10 successive tax years in which the electing person is not UK-resident

Added to the registerStart date for qualifying gifts that draw on the £2.5m combined BPR/APR 100% allowance

Qualifying gifts made on or after 30 October 2024 AND within 7 years of death draw on the allowance; gifts made before 30 October 2024 do not

Added to the registerHMRC late-payment interest rate (Bank of England base rate + 4 percentage points)

7.75% with effect from 9 January 2026; formula = Bank of England base rate + 4 percentage points (raised from base + 2.5pp on 6 April 2025)

Added to the registerHMRC repayment (early-payment) interest rate — base rate minus 1%, minimum 0.5%

2.75% with effect from 9 January 2026; formula = Bank of England base rate minus 1 percentage point, subject to a 0.5% floor

Added to the registerExempt excepted estate — gross value ceiling

£3,000,000

Added to the registerExcepted estate — specified transfers (chargeable gifts in the 7 years before death) limit

£250,000

Added to the registerExcepted estate — single-trust limits (gross on the low-value route; gross and net chargeable on the exempt route)

Low-value route: single trust gross not exceeding £250,000. Exempt route: single trust gross not exceeding £1,000,000, of which net chargeable value not exceeding £250,000.

Added to the registerExcepted estate — foreign assets limit where the deceased was UK-settled

£100,000

Added to the registerExcepted estate — gross UK asset limit on the non-long-term-UK-resident / foreign-domiciliary route

£150,000 (deaths from 1 September 2006)

Added to the registerExcepted estate, non-LTR route — annual limit on gifts of UK assets in the 7 years before death

£3,000 in any one year, within 7 years of death, of UK assets

Added to the registerIHT207 survives as the excepted-estate return on the non-long-term-UK-resident route

IHT207 (England & Wales / Northern Ireland) remains the return where, for deaths on or after 6 April 2025, the deceased was not a long-term UK resident — or, for deaths before 6 April 2025, was domiciled abroad. C5(OUK) is the Scottish equivalent. IHT207 was NOT withdrawn by SI 2021/1167.

Added to the registerExcepted estate — transferable nil-rate band may be claimed in respect of one earlier death only

For deaths on or after 1 January 2022, an excepted estate may claim transferable nil-rate band provided some of the nil-rate band was unused on the earlier death, and the claim is in respect of one earlier death only

Added to the registerAutomatic HMRC discharge window for excepted estates, running from issue of the grant

60 days from the date the grant issues; if HMRC has not asked for more information in that window the estate is automatically discharged

Added to the registerSealed copy of the probate grant, ordered AFTER the grant has issued

£16 each

Added to the registerFamily Court Statistics Quarterly — probate grant timeliness, stopped vs not stopped (quarterly series, high drift)

January–March 2026: stopped grants took 14 weeks on average to be issued vs 2 weeks for those not stopped. Digital, not-stopped grants were 70% of total grants issued. Letters of administration with a will: 20 weeks; without a will: 11 weeks. 65,254 applications and 62,261 grants in the quarter; open caseload 42,490 at end March 2026, 56% workable.

Added to the registerAll probate grants — measured mean and median time from application submission to grant issue

5 weeks mean, 1 week median (FCSQ January–March 2026, all probate grants)

Added to the registerGOV.UK published expectation for time to grant (the stated expectation, not a measured statistic)

Usually within 12 weeks of submitting the application; can take longer if additional information is needed

Added to the registerHMRC unique-reference-code letter — issue time after IHT400 submission, and the wait before applying for probate

The letter from HMRC is sent up to 20 working days after the IHT400 is submitted; the applicant must wait 20 working days after sending forms to HMRC before submitting the probate application

Added to the registerIHT421 withdrawn / HMRC unique reference code introduced

17 January 2024 — from this date the probate application requires a unique reference code provided by HMRC, replacing form IHT421

Added to the registerProbate caveat — duration and extension window

6 months from the date of entry, extendable by a further 6 months; the extension application must be made within the final month of the current 6-month period (NCPR 1987 rule 44(3))

Added to the registerProbate caveat application fee

£4.00

Added to the registerProbate caveat — time to respond to a warning

14 days from service of the warning

Added to the registerForm PA1P current edition (probate application, deceased left a will) — question numbering the site quotes verbatim

Edition 0124 (PA1P_0124_citizen.pdf); question numbering as cited: 3.6 stop reasons A–F, 3.7 power-reserved written notice, 3.8/3.9 will condition, Notes 7.4 / 7.6 / 7.7

Added to the registerHMCTS Probate Service contact details (postal, phone, email)

HMCTS Probate, PO Box 12625, Harlow, CM20 9QE · 0300 303 0648 · contactprobate@justice.gov.uk

Added to the registerHMRC Inheritance Tax correspondence address

Inheritance Tax, HM Revenue and Customs, BX9 1HT

Added to the registerHMRC Bereavement Services postal address (informal estate-income route)

HMRC Bereavement Services, HM Revenue and Customs, BX9 2BS, United Kingdom

Added to the registerHMRC Inheritance Tax helpline

0300 123 1072 (UK); +44 300 123 1072 from outside the UK

Added to the registerOffice of the Public Guardian postal address and helpline

Office of the Public Guardian, PO Box 16185, Birmingham B2 2WH · 0300 456 0300

Added to the registerOPG repeat-application fee after a rejected LPA, and the window to use it

£46 per repeat application, available within 3 months of the application being returned, depending on the type of mistake

Added to the registerOPG fee remission — donor gross annual income threshold for 50% remission

Donor's gross annual income before tax under £12,000 → 50% remission of the registration fee (claimed on form LPA120 / LPA120A)

Added to the registerOPG fee policy — Universal Credit assessed for remission only, never exemption

A donor receiving Universal Credit is assessed for a REMISSION of fees and cannot be assessed for an EXEMPTION. Retrospective claims are not accepted; a repeat application needs a fresh LPA120 and fresh evidence. (Commencement date deliberately omitted — unresolved, see _note.)

Added to the registerOPG measured average LPA registration time and published target (annual report series)

49 working days in 2024–25, down from 76 the previous year, against a 40-working-day target

Added to the registerStatutory waiting period before the OPG can register an LPA

Four weeks — a legal wait before the OPG can register an LPA (already included within the 8-to-10-week published registration timescale)

Added to the registerLPA — window to object to registration for a person notified on form LP3

Three weeks from being told, for a person notified on LP3

Added to the registerLPA witness minimum age

18 — anyone else over 18 years old can be a witness

Added to the registerLPA form page count (including the section 8 information page)

20 pages including the section 8 information page; the form must not be stapled or bound

Added to the registerLPA form and guide editions cited across the site

LP1F / LP1H edition 08.25 · LP12 web version · LP13 dated 19 August 2025 · LP3 edition 07.15 · LPA120 (reduced-fee form)

Added to the registerGoverning authority on severance of invalid LPA provisions

Re Public Guardian's Severance Applications [2023] EWCOP 24, Hayden J, 9 June 2023 — joint-and-several appointments imply equality; majority rule and divided spheres fall outside the exhaustive s.10(4) options and must be severed

Added to the registerEnduring Power of Attorney registration fee

£92

Added to the registerEPA registration — relative/donor objection window from the last EP1PG notice

5 weeks (35 days) from the date the LAST EP1PG notice was given

Added to the registerForm EP2PG guidance notes current edition, and the EPA cut-off date

Added to the registerEstate income de minimis — no income tax to report or pay where total estate income is at or below the limit

£500 per tax year, from 6 April 2024. A cliff edge, not an allowance: exceed it and the whole amount is taxable. No carry-forward. Excludes ISA income.

Added to the registerHMRC informal-route eligibility tests for estate income tax (all three must be satisfied)

Estate value at death less than £2.5 million; total income tax and capital gains tax for the whole administration period less than £10,000; asset sale proceeds less than £500,000 in any one tax year

Added to the registerDeadline to register an estate for income tax / capital gains

5 October following the end of the tax year in which the estate first has income or chargeable gains

Added to the registerTime for HMRC to issue an estate UTR after registration

About 15 working days from registration

Added to the registerSelf Assessment late-filing and late-payment penalties (as applied to estate and trust returns)

Filing: £100 immediately; £10 per day after 3 months to a maximum of £900; at 6 months and again at 12 months, the greater of 5% of tax due and £300. Payment: 5% of unpaid tax at 30 days, 6 months and 12 months.

Added to the registerPersonal representatives' capital gains tax rate

24% on all assets, for disposals on or after 30 October 2024

Added to the registerContinuing account of a deceased investor — ISA tax exemption period

Exempt until the earliest of: completion of the administration, the third anniversary of death, or closure of the account

Added to the registerPersonal savings allowance, basic-rate taxpayer (cited as a contrast — PRs receive no personal allowances)

£1,000 for a basic-rate taxpayer (£500 higher rate, nil additional rate)

Added to the registerPre-6-April-2024 estate income reporting rule (historic, still published by HMRC)

For tax years before 2024–25: no report required where the estate's only income was bank or building society interest AND the tax due was £100 or less

Added to the registerForm R185 (Estate Income) current edition

04/26, for tax year 2026 to 2027

Added to the registerC4 corrective account — deadline to deliver a further account (IHTA 1984 s.217)

Six months from the date the error is discovered — NOT from death and NOT from the original IHT400 filing

Added to the registerLand IHT loss relief — repurchase restriction period and provisional-relief window (s.192 IHTA 1984)

Period begins on the date of death and ends four months after the date of the last qualifying sale (s.192 IHTA 1984). The provisional-relief window is the same four months from the last qualifying sale, unless land is bought in that period.

Added to the registerC4 corrective account — how long amendments can be saved up before reporting

Amendments may be saved up until the final amendments are known, or 18 months from the date of death, whichever is earlier

Added to the registerC4 — circumstances in which amendments must be reported immediately rather than saved up

Report immediately where: a compliance check is open; a qualifying interest in possession or gift with reservation is involved; the change exceeds £50,000; the change concerns land, buildings or unlisted shares; a loss-on-sale claim is involved; or instalment-option assets have been sold

Added to the registerGeneral IHT repayment claim time limit (s.241 IHTA 1984)

4 years from the date of the last payment of tax

Added to the registerRNRB downsizing addition — qualifying date for the home sold or given away

Home sold or given away on or after 8 July 2015

Added to the registerIHT loss-relief claim mechanics — rules governing how IHT35/IHT38 claims work

Date of sale = the contract (exchange) date; where an option is granted, the date the option was granted. Leases with fewer than 50 years unexpired at death are subject to a special rule. Every appropriate person must sign personally; HMRC cannot accept a claim signed by agents; no tax paid means no claim. A claim cannot be withdrawn if it proves disadvantageous. The joint-property discount does not apply to the share of the sale proceeds. For CGT, market value is the date-of-death value after adjustment for the relief (TCGA 1992 s.274).

Added to the registerQualifying investments for IHT35 shares loss relief — what counts and what does not

Listed shares and securities, gilts and unit trusts qualify. Unlisted holdings and loan notes do NOT qualify.

Added to the registerCurrent editions of the IHT loss-relief and corrective-account forms

IHT38 = HMRC 05/26 (GOV.UK page updated 21 May 2026) · IHT35 = HMRC 08/22 · C4 = HMRC 01/25

Added to the registerIHT400 account delivery / reporting deadline (12 months) — distinct from the 6-month payment deadline

12 months from the end of the month of death (IHTA 1984 s.216). HMRC's plain-English wording on GOV.UK is 'within 12 months of the date of death' / 'you must report its value within one year' — both formulations are in scope.

Added to the registerPenalties for delivering the IHT400 account late

Up to £200; plus up to a further £3,000 if the delay reaches 2 years after the death

Added to the registerIHT400 box numbers that supplementary schedules feed into

IHT415 box 7 total → IHT400 box 71; IHT415 box 9 total → IHT400 box 72; IHT408 schedule total → IHT400 box 92; quick succession relief → IHT400 box 111

Added to the registerQuick succession relief taper (IHTA 1984 s.141)

100% where the earlier death was within 1 year; 80% (1–2 years); 60% (2–3); 40% (3–4); 20% (4–5); nil after 5 years. Claimed via IHT416 and entered at IHT400 box 111.

Added to the registerIHT408 — qualifying charity conditions and proof-of-donation requirement

Charity must be established for charitable purposes only; UK-registered from 1 April onward for IHT purposes; managers must be 'fit and proper' — in force from 1 April 2023. Proof of donation required for deaths on or after 6 April 2012.

Added to the registerForm IHT401 current version

HMRC 04/25 — 4 pages, 25 numbered boxes; GOV.UK page last updated 16 May 2025

Added to the registerForm IHT401a current version

HMRC 12/25 — 4 pages, 7 numbered boxes

Added to the registerIHT double taxation conventions — number and countries

Ten: Republic of Ireland, South Africa, USA, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland (modern conventions); France, Italy, India, Pakistan (pre-1975 estate-duty era, no deemed-domicile provision)

Added to the registerHMPO form D1 (what to do with a passport when the holder has died) — version

Version January 2023 (D1_Eng_version_January2023.odt); sent to CSMT, Southport; free to file

Added to the registerIHTA 1984 s.269 'control of a company' — voting power to carry a majority of votes on all questions affecting the company as a whole (related property counted)

Control = the shareholding (including related property — a spouse's/civil partner's shares and shares in certain trusts) gave the deceased the voting power to carry a majority of votes on all questions affecting the company as a whole (IHTA 1984 s.269). Determines IHT412 box routing (boxes 3–5 vs 1–2) and IHT400 boxes 67/93 vs 65-66/92.

Added to the registerEPA registration timescale — EP2PG submission to registered EPA (GOV.UK published timing)

usually registered between 8 and 10 weeks after sending the application form and telling the family members (longer if anyone objects)

Added to the registerQuoted-shares IHT loss relief — provisional claim window (form IHT35 note 5)

A provisional claim may be made within 12 months of the date of death; HMRC may review it later

Added to the registerTransfer of unused £2.5m BPR/APR allowance from a predeceased spouse or civil partner — claim window

Claim within 4 years of the survivor's death, or within 6 months of the personal representatives first starting to act, if later

Added to the registerIntestacy statutory legacy (spouse's fixed first sum, England & Wales)

£322,000, in force since 26 July 2023 (SI 2023/758; AEA 1925 s.46)

Added to the registerProbate Registry will-deposit (safe custody) fee, one-off

£24 one-off, service effective from 13 July 2026

Added to the registerLegal Ombudsman — 8-week window before a complaint can escalate past the firm

8 weeks

Added to the registerDeath must be registered within 5 days (England & Wales)

within 5 days of death (England & Wales)

Added to the registerIHT reference number (IHT422/online) — apply at least 3 weeks before paying

at least 3 weeks before you intend to pay

Added to the registerFull estate-administration duration — 9–18 months (attributed practitioner norm, NOT statutory)

9–18 months, typical full administration (attributed practitioner norm)

Added to the registerOPG fee-remission change (UC = remission-only) — commencement date

2 February 2026

Added to the registerAPR rate split — tenancy beginning on or after 1 September 1995 → 100%, older tenancies generally 50% (IHTA 1984 s.116)

Land let on a tenancy beginning on or after 1 September 1995 qualifies for 100% Agricultural Relief; tenancies that began before 1 September 1995 without vacant-possession rights generally give 50% (IHTA 1984 s.116)

Added to the registerAPR occupation periods — 2 years occupied by the deceased / 7 years owned with occupation by another (IHTA 1984 s.117)

Two years' occupation of the property by the deceased for agriculture before death (s.117(a)), or seven years' ownership while another occupied it for agriculture (s.117(b)); replacement provisions in s.118 let successive holdings count

Added to the registerAPR extension to land under a qualifying environmental agreement — deaths/transfers on or after 6 April 2025, with 2-year prior-agricultural-property condition

For deaths and other transfers of value on or after 6 April 2025, Agricultural Relief extends to land under a qualifying environmental agreement (with the UK government, a devolved administration, a public body, a local authority, or an approved responsible body) — provided the land was agricultural property throughout the two years before the agreement began and has been used and managed under it since

Added to the registerAPR 100% rate — vacant possession or the right to obtain it within 12 months (extended to 24 months by concession)

100% relief where the deceased had vacant possession at death or the right to obtain it within twelve months; extended to twenty-four months by extra-statutory concession (F17) in many cases

Added to the registerAPR transitional rules — certain pre-10 March 1981 ownership situations preserve 100% relief on old tenancies

Certain ownership situations dating from before 10 March 1981 preserve 100% Agricultural Relief on tenancies that would otherwise take the 50% rate (IHTA 1984 s.116 transitional provisions, carrying forward the pre-1981 working-farmer relief conditions)

Added to the registerIHT430 charitable reduced-rate merger and opt-out elections — within 2 years of the date of death (IHTA 1984 Sch 1A paras 7-8)

Merger elections (Sch 1A para 7) and opt-out elections (para 8) for the 36% reduced rate must reach HMRC within 2 years of the date of death

Added to the registerEU/EEA charity recognition for UK charitable tax reliefs withdrawn — effective 15 March 2023, transitional period ended 1 April 2024 (FA 2010 Sch 6 as amended)

EU and EEA charities lost recognition for UK charitable tax reliefs following the Spring Budget 2023 announcement, effective from 15 March 2023, with a transitional period to 1 April 2024 for EU/EEA charities HMRC had previously accepted; deaths after 1 April 2024 test strictly against the UK-only definition (High Court of England & Wales/Northern Ireland or Court of Session jurisdiction, plus registered CASCs)

Added to the registerRNRB commencement — 6 April 2017 (pre-2017 first death → none used → normally full 100% brought-forward uplift on IHT436)

The residence nil rate band came into force on 6 April 2017 (F(No.2)A 2015, IHTA 1984 ss.8D-8F); a spouse or civil partner who died before 6 April 2017 used none of it, so the survivor's estate can normally claim the full 100% brought-forward uplift — subject only to the £2m taper tested against the first estate

Added to the registerBrought-forward RNRB (IHT436) claim window — within 2 years of the end of the month of the second death (IHTA 1984 s.8L)

The claim to transfer unused RNRB must reach HMRC within 2 years of the end of the month in which the second death occurred; HMRC has discretion to accept late claims but it must not be relied on (IHTA 1984 s.8L)

Added to the registerDVLA driving licence — renews every 3 years from age 70; DVLA sends a renewal reminder 90 days before expiry

A driving licence renews every three years once the holder turns 70, and DVLA sends a renewal reminder (D46P by post) 90 days before the licence expires; renewal is free

ChangedFarewill — will price + corporate facts

£100 single / £160 couple (online); £240 / £380 telephone£100 single / £160 couple (online); £240 / £380 telephone · 4.9★ from 20,000+ Trustpilot reviews

Added to the registerSmall-estate bank release thresholds (no grant needed)

null

Added to the registerHM Land Registry Form SEV / Form A restriction application fee

£0 (fee-free) — HMLR charges no fee for a Form A restriction application on severance (Form SEV)

Added to the registerAverage weekly cost of residential care (UK market average)

£1,299/week

Added to the registerAverage weekly cost of nursing care (UK market average)

£1,535/week

Added to the registerKinherit — adviser-referred will prices

From £375 single / £545 mirror (published starting prices; final fee confirmed on engagement)

Added to the registerMake a Will Online — price + review record + corporate facts

£60 single / £90 pair (solicitor-checked will) · 4.8★ from 1,500+ reviews · trading since 2008

Added to the registerOctopus Legacy — will prices + update sub + corporate facts

£150 single / £250 couple (simple will); £450 / £750 couple (will with trust); updates free first year then £10/yr; formerly Guardian Angel, part of the Octopus group since 2022

Added to the registerWill Aid — November window + suggested donation

Runs each November; suggested donation £120 for a single will / £200 for mirror wills; genuine solicitor-drafted simple wills, fee waived

Added to the registerFree Wills Month — windows + eligibility

Runs March & October; open to anyone 55 or over, with only one person in a couple needing to qualify; simple wills only; a charity gift is hoped for, never required

Added to the registerUK will-price market ranges — DIY / online / solicitor route bands

DIY kit / stationery will £15–£30 · online services £60–£160 (also published as £60–£150 in the HMDWC route table) · solicitor £150–£650+ (the £650+ ceiling is a synthesized mirror-will top end + trusts uplift, not a sourced quote)

Added to the registerBuilding-society bereavement release threshold (grant-of-representation trigger)

~£50,000 — typical balance at or above which a building society requires the grant of representation (grant of probate or letters of administration) to release a deceased member's funds; below it, usually death certificate + closure form + ID. Sector convention, NOT a fixed rule — thresholds vary between societies and each closure form states the society's own limit

Added to the registerGoogle Inactive Account Manager — selectable inactivity windows

3, 6, 12 or 18 months

Added to the registerPassword-manager Emergency Access waiting period (user-set veto window)

typically 7–30 days (user-set)

Added to the registerAverage UK adult's number of online accounts (90+ claim)

more than ninety online accounts (average UK adult)

26 Jul 202611 entries

Added to the registerSimple attended cremation (UK average)

£3,518 — 2025 cost (SunLife Cost of Dying Report 2026). **This is the correct figure for any sentence saying "a cremation with a service".** New category this edition → NO year-on-year change exists, do not invent one. Excludes the send-off.

Added to the registerTraditional attended cremation (UK average)

£4,200 — 2025, up 5.5% from £3,980. Only for copy that says "traditional"; not a generic cremation price.

Added to the registerSimple attended burial (UK average)

£4,758 — 2025. New category, no YoY.

Added to the registerTraditional attended burial (UK average)

£5,440 — 2025, up 4.7% from £5,198. SunLife: "the most expensive variety".

RelabelledAVG UK FUNERAL

canonical now reads "£4,510 traditional attended (WEIGHTED burial+cremation) / £3,828 simple attended (WEIGHTED burial+cremation) — 2025 costs". **The numbers were always right; the LABEL was unsafe, and that omission is what produced the error.** SunLife p.4 verbatim: "Our funeral costs are calculated as a weighted average of burials and cremations in the UK (in 2025, 26% versus 74%)", and it prints "(Weighted average)" beneath both. Each sits **exactly £310 above** its cremation-specific counterpart — use the absolute £310, never a percentage (8.8% simple vs 7.4% traditional). **Why the trap is easy:** SunLife's own "report at a glance" page reprints £4,510 as plain "Cost of a traditional attended funeral" with no caveat; the caveat lives only on the detail and methodology pages.

Note correctedDIRECT CREMATION

direct BURIAL is also £1,628 this edition (genuine coincidence, stated in the report) **but they are NOT like-for-like: the direct-burial figure EXCLUDES third-party fees** (asterisked twice in the PDF), direct cremation carries no such exclusion. Also recorded: £2,949 is what direct-cremation organisers actually spend once a later memorial is included (86% hold one) — the honest counterweight to "direct cremation is only £1,628".

ChangedAverage UK funeral cost

£4,510 (traditional attended) / £3,828 (simple)£4,510 traditional attended (WEIGHTED burial+cremation) / £3,828 simple attended (WEIGHTED burial+cremation)

2025 costs

Added to the registerSimple attended cremation (UK average)

£3,518

Added to the registerTraditional attended cremation (UK average)

£4,200

Added to the registerSimple attended burial (UK average)

£4,758

Added to the registerTraditional attended burial (UK average)

£5,440

22 Jul 20261 entry

Added to the registerGRO priority (next-working-day) certificate service, England & Wales

£38.50

19 Jul 2026105 entries

ChangedProbate application fee (estates over £5,000)

£300£526

superseded 13 Jul 2026 (HMCTS confirmed 19 Jun 2026) — flip made permanent 2026-07-19 (SONAR Part A cross-file reconciliation,

ChangedSealed copy of the probate grant, ordered concurrently with the application

£16£2

superseded 13 Jul 2026 (HMCTS/MoJ confirmed 19 Jun 2026) — flip made permanent 2026-07-19 (SONAR Part A cross-file reconciliation,

ChangedCourt of Protection deputyship fees (application / hearing / appeal / copy of document)

£421 / £259 / £265 / £5£432 / £266 / £272 / £8

superseded 13 Jul 2026 (HMCTS confirmed 19 Jun 2026) — flip made permanent 2026-07-19 (SONAR Part A cross-file reconciliation,

Added to the registerOPG Lasting Power of Attorney registration processing time (submission to registration)

8 to 10 weeks (OPG published timescale, includes the statutory 4-week waiting period; assumes no errors in the application)