The government has defended the increase in the probate application fee, which went up by almost 75% earlier this week. A probate application now costs £526, up from £300.
In a written House of Commons question, Liberal Democrat MP Monica Harding asked what assessment had been made of the potential impact of the increase on bereaved families, particularly for those whose estates lack sufficient assets to meet the fee before a grant of probate is issued.
Catherine Atkinson, the parliamentary under-secretary of state for justice (pictured), said a full impact assessment had been carried out by the Ministry of Justice, including an assessment of the equalities impacts.
“This was published alongside the Court and Tribunal Fees (Miscellaneous Amendments) Order 2026 on 19 June 2026”, she explained.
Acknowledging applying for probate can be a difficult process for bereaved families, Atkinson added: “This fee increase is intended to recover the costs of delivering the probate service, taking account of rising costs from inflation and investment in a modern and efficient service and ensuring that the service has the resources necessary to continue to deliver effectively.
“Estates valued below £5,000 will continue to be exempt from paying a fee.”
The Help with Fees remission scheme offers support to eligible applicants are unable to pay the fee. The Lord Chancellor can also remit fees on request to the court or tribunal staff.
“This ensures that no one is denied access to justice because they cannot reasonably afford a court or tribunal fee” Atkinson said.
Image credit: Catherine Atkinson ©House of Commons/Roger Harris, released under an Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0) licence.
