The short answer
Virgin Money does not publish a fixed probate limit. For a smaller estate, commonly cited as up to around £35,000 across a person's sole Virgin Money accounts, it can usually release funds without a Grant, at its own discretion. This figure is lower than the £50,000 convention at many other high-street banks. Accounts held under the Clydesdale Bank and Yorkshire Bank brands are all within Virgin Money and handled under the same bereavement process. Confirm the current figure with the bereavement team.
Probate Checker
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How Virgin Money's limit works
There is no figure set in law, and Virgin Money does not print a fixed threshold on its own bereavement pages. The commonly quoted figure of around £35,000 is a secondary-source convention and sits below the £50,000 figure cited for many other high-street banks, so confirm the current position with the bereavement team. Virgin Money assesses each estate individually.
Virgin Money acquired Clydesdale Bank in 2019 and all three trading names, Virgin Money, Clydesdale Bank and Yorkshire Bank, sit within Virgin Money UK PLC. Accounts held under any of those names are looked at together when the bereavement team reviews the estate. A joint account usually passes to the surviving account holder by survivorship, whatever the balance.
Below the limit: what you need
For a smaller estate, Virgin Money can usually release funds against its bereavement form and supporting documents rather than a Grant. You complete the notification and provide the paperwork below.
For a smaller estate you will usually need:
- A certified copy of the death certificate
- Identification for the person dealing with the estate
- Virgin Money'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 Virgin Money's current position in a couple of clicks.
Above the limit: what changes
Where the balance is higher, or the estate is more involved, Virgin Money asks to see a Grant of Probate before it releases the money. In Scotland the equivalent is a Certificate of Confirmation.
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.
Funeral costs before probate
Virgin Money can consider paying a funeral director's invoice directly from the account before probate, reviewed case by case. Ask the bereavement team to confirm what it can release toward the funeral, and provide the invoice rather than an estimate.
How to notify Virgin Money
You notify Virgin Money's bereavement team, who open a case and confirm what they need for the accounts involved.
- Phone: 0800 012 1590 (Monday to Friday (please confirm current hours on the Virgin Money bereavement page))
- Online: uk.virginmoney.com bereavement support
Clydesdale Bank and Yorkshire Bank are trading names of Virgin Money UK PLC. Accounts held under any of the three names are dealt with by the same bereavement team. There is no separate process for legacy Clydesdale or Yorkshire Bank customers.
For the full picture on what to send and what to expect back, see our guide to notifying banks after a death.
Step by step
- Register the death and order extra certified copies of the death certificate, as several organisations will want one.
- Note which brand the accounts are held under: Virgin Money, Clydesdale Bank or Yorkshire Bank. All are handled together.
- Call Virgin Money's bereavement team to open a case and ask what the current figure and forms are for the accounts involved.
- Gather the documents: a death certificate, your own identification, and the completed bereavement form.
- If a funeral is being arranged, ask whether Virgin Money can pay the funeral director's invoice from the account.
- Keep a note of your case reference and what Virgin Money has asked for next.
Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland
In Scotland there is no Grant of Probate. The equivalent is a Certificate of Confirmation from the sheriff court. Where Virgin Money would otherwise ask for a Grant, it asks for Confirmation instead.
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland follows a process close to England and Wales, with a Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration issued by the Probate Office. Several Northern Ireland banks assess release case by case, so confirm the position with the bereavement team.
Frequently asked questions
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This guide is regularly updated and built for UK law. Start your AfterLoss case for a personalised, step-by-step plan.