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A surviving spouse or civil partner may be able to claim an Additional Permitted Subscription (APS) before probate is granted by using an ISA provider’s Small Estates Form. The provider must accept the form, and the ISA’s value must fall within its probate limit.
A surviving spouse or civil partner may be able to claim an inherited ISA allowance before probate by submitting the account provider’s Small Estates Form, according to Which? Money expert Bill Wilkinson-Hoy. The route can avoid waiting for a grant of probate, but it depends on the provider accepting the form and the ISA’s value being below its probate limit.
The allowance is known as an Additional Permitted Subscription (APS). It gives a surviving spouse or civil partner an extra ISA allowance equivalent to the value of the deceased partner’s ISA when they died. It is additional to the survivor’s own annual ISA allowance, Wilkinson-Hoy explained in response to a reader’s question about avoiding delays while a spouse’s affairs are settled.
A Small Estates Form, which may also be called a Small Estates Declaration or Indemnity, is an alternative to a grant of probate for some provider processes. Each ISA provider has its own version. The form can allow the survivor to claim the APS or transfer the deceased person’s assets without going through the longer legal process, provided the account meets that provider’s conditions.
The APS may be transferred to another ISA provider if the receiving provider accepts APS transfers. Wilkinson-Hoy also said the survivor’s entitlement is not removed if the deceased’s ISA money is left to someone else, such as a child or another relative. The allowance remains based on the ISA’s value at death; the inheritance of the money and the APS allowance are separate matters.
How the Form Can Speed an APS Claim
For couples who want to keep the surviving partner’s ISA arrangements moving, the form may provide a way to begin the APS process without first obtaining probate. That could reduce the administrative wait, though it does not mean funds are automatically released or transferred as soon as a death occurs. The provider must review the claim and its own requirements still apply.
The distinction between the ISA money and the APS allowance also matters to estate planning. According to Wilkinson-Hoy, a spouse or civil partner may still receive an allowance matching the deceased’s ISA value even when someone else inherits the assets held in that ISA. Readers should confirm how their provider handles both the allowance and the underlying assets.
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APS Rules and Provider Limits
The reader who prompted the Which? response said that they and their husband held most of their estate jointly, while their ISAs were in their individual names. They understood that the APS could be transferred after probate and asked whether the process could be completed sooner. Wilkinson-Hoy’s answer was that a provider’s small-estate paperwork can, in some cases, serve as an alternative to waiting for probate.
An APS is tied to the value of the deceased spouse or civil partner’s ISA at the date of death. The allowance can be used in addition to the survivor’s own ISA allowance, subject to the relevant rules and provider process. A transfer to a new provider is possible only if that provider accepts APS transfers. These details make it important to check both the current ISA provider’s small-estate limit and the intended receiving provider’s APS policy.
““The APS is a way to inherit your spouse or civil partner’s Isa allowance (on top of your own), equivalent to the value of their Isa when they died.””
— Bill Wilkinson-Hoy, Which? Money expert
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Provider Rules Set the Limits
The report does not identify a universal value threshold for using a Small Estates Form. Each provider sets its own process, and Wilkinson-Hoy says the ISA’s total value must be within that provider’s probate limit. The specific limit, documents required and processing time therefore remain provider-dependent.
It is also not clear from the report whether every ISA provider offers this alternative or how quickly a claim would be completed. A provider may require probate if the estate or account exceeds its limit. The article gives general guidance rather than a decision on any individual estate, so survivors need to check directly with the relevant institutions.
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Check With Both ISA Providers
A surviving spouse or civil partner seeking an APS before probate should ask the deceased person’s ISA provider for its Small Estates Form and confirm the applicable probate limit. They should also check what supporting documents are needed and whether the provider will accept the claim without a grant of probate.
If the survivor wants to move the APS to a different ISA provider, they should first confirm that the new provider accepts APS transfers. The timing and outcome will depend on those provider checks and the circumstances of the estate.
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Key Questions
Can a spouse claim an APS before probate is granted?
Potentially. Which? Money says a surviving spouse or civil partner may use the ISA provider’s Small Estates Form as an alternative to a grant of probate, subject to the provider’s rules and value limit.
What is an Additional Permitted Subscription?
An APS is an extra ISA allowance for a surviving spouse or civil partner. It is equivalent to the value of the deceased partner’s ISA when they died and is on top of the survivor’s own allowance.
Does the spouse have to inherit the ISA money to receive the allowance?
According to Which? expert Bill Wilkinson-Hoy, the survivor may still be entitled to an APS equivalent to the ISA’s value even if the assets are left to another beneficiary.
Can the APS be moved to another provider?
Yes, if the receiving provider accepts APS transfers. The survivor should check the new provider’s policy before arranging a transfer.
What could prevent a Small Estates Form from being used?
The ISA’s value may exceed the provider’s probate limit, or the provider may have requirements the claim does not meet. Limits and paperwork differ, so the relevant provider must confirm what applies.
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