How to apply for probate or confirmation
If you do not already have a grant of probate or the equivalent, you should apply for this as soon as possible. We won't be able to move a claim for compensation forward without this.
Applying for probate In England and Wales
Read the GOV.UK guidance on applying for probate. Once you've applied, you should email the Probate Service at their dedicated infected blood inbox with the following information:
- your probate application case reference number
- full name of the person who died
- their date of death
This will inform HMCTS that your probate application is connected to a claim for infected blood compensation.
Send the email to:
probateinfectedbloodscheme@justice.gov.uk
As part of your probate application, you may need to estimate the value of the estate. There is HMRC guidance on the compensation scheme that explains whether you need to report the full details of the estate.
If the person died on or before 31 December 1981
You must complete and sign a declaration and send it with your probate application.
If the person died between 1 January 1982 and 31 December 2021 with a nil value estate
If you do not need to send full details of the estate, you’ll need to complete form IHT205.
You must write ‘Infected Blood Interim Estates Payment’ in the box in section 13 of the IHT205 form.
Do not follow the instruction to complete form IHT400 instead.
Applying for probate In Northern Ireland
You can apply by post, but it's usually quicker to apply online.
Apply for probate in Northern Ireland.
Applying for confirmation in Scotland
As part of your confirmation, you will need to declare the remaining award of compensation due as part of the inventory.
Find out more about declaring inventory in Scotland.
You must send a covering letter along with your form saying that you're applying for confirmation to claim an infected blood interim compensation payment.
Declaring compensation in the estate inventory
Add this wording to the inventory section of form C1:
'Compensation payment due Infected Blood Interim Estates Payment – Nil’.
If the estate has a nil value
You cannot usually get confirmation if the estate has a nil value.
If the compensation payment is the only item in the inventory, you must add another item with a nominal value.
For example, you can add ‘Cash in hand - £5.’
This will prevent your application for confirmation from being rejected.