First Direct Probate Limit: How Much You Can Access Without Probate

First Direct does not publish a numeric threshold. Some secondary sources quote around £20,000, but this figure does not appear on First Direct's own guidance; the actual position is assessed case by case in the same way as HSBC. The £50,000 figure quoted for many other banks is not documented for First Direct.

First Direct is an HSBC brand and its bereavement cases are managed by HSBC's Bereavement Support Team. The team looks at the total held in the person's sole-name accounts and the circumstances of the estate before confirming whether a Grant is needed. A joint account usually passes to the surviving account holder by survivorship, whatever the balance.

For a smaller estate, HSBC's bereavement team can often release funds against a small-estate procedure, usually a statutory declaration or indemnity, rather than a Grant. The team tells you which route applies once it has the details of the accounts and estate.

For a smaller estate you will usually need:

• A certified copy of the death certificate
• Identification for the person dealing with the estate
• First Direct's completed bereavement form, and any small-estate declaration it provides

If you are not sure which side of the line the estate falls, the Probate Checker shows First Direct's current position in a couple of clicks.

Where the balance is higher or the estate is more involved, the team asks to see a Grant of Probate (in England, Wales and Northern Ireland) or a Certificate of Confirmation (in Scotland). Because the decision is case by case, the bereavement team confirms whether a Grant is needed for your specific estate.

Our guide to how to apply for probate walks through the forms, fees and timelines, and probate in Scotland covers the Confirmation process if the death was registered there.

HSBC's bereavement team can pay the funeral bill directly from the account, and can also cover related costs such as the deposit, flowers and the wake. If the balance does not cover it, a partial payment can be made. There is no published cap; send the invoice to the team and they arrange payment.

You notify First Direct's bereavement team, who open a case and confirm what they need for the accounts involved.

• Phone: 0113 276 6669 (8am to 10pm Monday to Friday, 8am to 7pm Saturday and Sunday (please confirm current hours on the First Direct bereavement page))
• Online: firstdirect.com bereavement support
• Email: hsbc.bereavement@hsbc.com

First Direct is fully owned by HSBC and its bereavement cases are handled by the HSBC Bereavement Support Team. There is no separate First Direct bereavement line. Accounts held with HSBC directly are dealt with under the same process.

For the full picture on what to send and what to expect back, see our guide to notifying banks after a death.

1. Register the death and order extra certified copies of the death certificate.
2. Notify the bereavement team through the First Direct website, or call the HSBC bereavement line to open a case.
3. Tell the team about the accounts involved and ask whether a Grant is needed for this estate or whether a declaration will do.
4. If a funeral is being arranged, send the funeral director's invoice so the team can pay it from the account.
5. Provide the documents the team asks for, then keep a note of your case reference and the next step.

• Probate Checker: check, per bank, whether you will need probate to release the money.
• Bank probate thresholds: the full table for every major UK bank and building society.
• Notifying banks after a death: the step-by-step notification process.
• Other banks in the same group: HSBC probate limit.