I had the same problem with the Britannia Building Society for an amount is excess of £8,000. They forced us to go to probate before they would release it. The probate office then had to inform the DWP that the matter had gone to Probate. The DWP has now been trying to claim the money for themselves saying that they may have paid to many bennefits to the person who had died as his savings were over £6,000 They have told me, at my own expense as they have a claim on the estate, that I should obtain copies of all his bank statements from 2003 to 2011 and also every Britannia pass book from the same date. This has been going on for 6 months. I did read somewhere that if an estate is more than £5,000 it has to be refered to probate by law. I don't know if this is true or not.