What Banks Do Inheritance Loans in the UK?

High Street Banks Rarely Offer Loans Against Probate or Future Inheritance

Many beneficiaries assume that high street banks offer probate estate loans — in practice, loans for probate estate expenses including inheritance tax loans or advances against a future inheritance. In practice, this is rarely the case.

Current research  confirms that most mainstream UK banks and building societies do not offer dedicated inheritance loans or probate loans. You can read the full findings of the Research by downloading: UK Banks & Building Societies Offering Inheritance or Probate Loans (2026)

Instead, inheritance lending is generally provided by specialist probate finance companies rather than traditional high street lenders.

This article explains what UK banks do offer, the limited exceptions, and what beneficiaries should understand before approaching any provider.

Do High Street Banks Offer Inheritance Loans?

As of 2026, the majority of major UK banks — including Barclays, HSBC, Santander, Nationwide and most building societies — do not offer loans secured against an expected inheritance.

While banks provide bereavement support services, they typically:

• Assist executors with closing accounts
• Release funds directly to HMRC for Inheritance Tax (if sufficient funds exist)
• Pay funeral expenses from the deceased’s account
• Provide estate administration guidance
• Offer Executor Accounts

What they generally do not do is advance new lending secured on a future inheritance entitlement .

In other words, if the estate lacks liquid funds, most banks will not bridge the gap by lending against anticipated probate proceeds.

Are There Any Exceptions?

Research indicates that Lloyds Bank (via its Private Banking division) is one of the few mainstream institutions to offer a form of inheritance tax lending to executors .

However:

• It is typically restricted to Private Banking clients
• Eligibility criteria can be high
• It is usually focused on paying Inheritance Tax rather than providing inheritance loans
• Terms are bespoke rather than standardised

NatWest has historically offered inheritance tax loans on a discretionary basis, but this is not widely advertised and is not structured as a mainstream product.

Overall, high street participation in inheritance lending has significantly reduced over recent years .

Why Don’t Most Banks Offer Inheritance Loans?

There are several reasons:

• Regulatory complexity
• Risk assessment challenges
• Probate delays
• Availability of HMRC instalment options
• Niche demand compared to standard retail lending

As noted in recent industry commentary, many banks have withdrawn from probate lending and now focus on administrative support rather than advancing new credit. This has led to a growth in specialist probate finance providers operating in this space.

Who Provides Inheritance Loans Instead?

Inheritance loans — also known as inheritance advances, estate expense loans and inheritance tax loans are now typically offered by:

• Specialist probate finance companies
• Bridging loan for probate providers
• Niche estate lending firms

Rather than look at the personal income and affordability levels of an individual, these providers assess;

• Estate value
• Certainty of entitlement
• Probate stage
• Executor cooperation
• Repayment route

In other words the loan is based on the probate estate and not therefore the credit status of the individual can be irrelevant for a probate loan.

You can read more about how these loans work in:

• Probate Loans: An Overview
• Inheritance Tax Loans
• Inheritance Loans
• Loans for Estate Expenses or Executor Loans

Why Regulation Matters

Because inheritance lending is often offered by specialist companies rather than high street banks, regulatory status becomes especially important.

Some inheritance loans fall within Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) regulation — particularly where structured as regulated credit or secured against residential property.

However, regulatory status can vary depending on product design.

Before proceeding, beneficiaries should:

• Check that the provider is authorised on the FCA register
• Understand whether the specific agreement is regulated
• Request full disclosure of fees and repayment terms
• Clarify whether interest rolls up and compounds

The Probate Network strongly recommends dealing with a regulated inheritance loan provider.

For further guidance, see: Dealing with Inheritance Advance Companies in the UK: The Questions to Ask.

What Should Beneficiaries Consider?

If you are seeking an inheritance loan, it is important to consider:

• The total cost of a probate loan  (including rolled-up interest)
• Impact on the estate value and final inheritance
• Estate timescales
• Property market risk
• Family dynamics
• Alternative funding options

Borrowing against inheritance should not be entered into lightly, particularly during a period of bereavement.

Whilst Banks Don’t Help, Specialist Probate Loan Providers Do

Most UK high street banks do not offer inheritance loans. Instead, they provide bereavement services and facilitate payments from existing estate funds .

Where borrowing is required, beneficiaries and executors typically need to approach specialist probate finance providers.

As with any financial decision connected to probate, clarity, regulation and full cost transparency are essential.

Request Loan Proposals to Compare

The Probate Network does not promote or recommend specific lenders however by completing the form below you can receive comparison proposals from up to three verified and regulated probate loan providers.

When you receive your loan proposals it is advisable to read alongside: Loans Against Probate: How to Compare Products.