Who to notify when someone dies: a complete checklist

This guide is for anyone who is managing the practical aftermath of a bereavement in the UK, whether that is an executor named in a will, a next of kin, or an adult child trying to help a surviving parent through an overwhelming few weeks. By the end, you'll have a clear sequence to follow and will understand which organisations can be told together and which need individual contact.

The list is long. That is simply the reality. But it is manageable when you work through it in order.

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Step 1: Register the death and get certified copies of the death certificate

You cannot do almost anything else on this list without a death certificate, so this comes first.

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, a death must be registered within five days at the local register office. In Scotland the limit is eight days. The person registering is usually the next of kin, a relative present at the death, or the executor.

Once registered, you'll receive a certificate for burial or cremation (often called the "green form"), and you can purchase certified copies of the death certificate. These are not the same as a photocopy. Order more than you think you need. Most banks and pension providers will want an original certified copy and will not return it. Eight to ten copies is a reasonable starting point; at roughly £11 each in England and Wales, this is a small cost against the hassle of reordering later.

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Step 2: Use Tell Us Once

Tell Us Once is a free government service that lets you report a death to multiple public sector organisations in a single online or phone session. After registering the death, the registrar will give you a unique reference number and a link or phone number to access it.

Tell Us Once notifies:

• HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC)
• The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)
• The Passport Office (to cancel the passport)
• The DVLA (driving licence)
• The local council (for council tax, housing benefit and council-issued blue badges)
• Veterans UK (if the person received a war pension)

The service is available at gov.uk/after-a-death/organisations-you-need-to-contact-and-tell-us-once or by calling 0800 085 7308. You have 28 days from registration to use the reference number.

Tell Us Once does not cover banks, private pensions, utilities or insurers. You'll still need to contact those separately.

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Step 3: Contact the DWP and pension providers

Even if you've used Tell Us Once, the DWP will write to confirm what happens next and may need additional information from you. It's worth calling the Bereavement Service helpline directly on 0800 151 2012 to discuss any state pension or benefit payments in payment.

Payments to the deceased must stop. If a direct debit or standing order continues drawing state pension or benefits after death, the money will need to be returned to the DWP. This is not a fine or penalty; it simply needs to be sorted promptly.

If the deceased was receiving a state pension, a surviving spouse or civil partner may be entitled to claim some or all of it, depending on their own contribution record. The DWP helpline can advise on this in general terms, though a formal calculation will follow by letter.

For private or workplace pensions, contact each provider individually. You'll need a certified death certificate and, in many cases, a copy of the will or grant of probate. Providers such as Aviva, Legal & General, Scottish Widows and Royal London each have dedicated bereavement teams; search for "bereavement" on their websites rather than calling the general customer service line, which will save time.

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Step 4: Notify banks and financial institutions

Banks are usually understanding during bereavement, but they have legal obligations that can feel frustratingly rigid. Here is what typically happens.

Sole accounts in the deceased's name are frozen immediately on notification. This is not optional and is not a bank being difficult. The funds become part of the estate and cannot be accessed until probate (or confirmation in Scotland) is granted, unless the amount is small enough for the bank to release it under their internal small estates process. Barclays, Lloyds, NatWest and HSBC all operate small estates procedures, typically for estates under £25,000 to £50,000, though the threshold varies.

Joint accounts generally continue to operate under the surviving account holder's sole name. The bank will update the records and remove the deceased's name.

Contact each bank with a certified death certificate, the account number if known, and your own identification. Most major banks now have specific bereavement support lines or online notification forms. Lloyds has a dedicated bereavement team on 0800 096 8483; Halifax, part of the same group, uses the same number.

Don't forget to check for:

• Premium Bonds (notify NS&I at nsandi.com or 08085 007 007)
• ISAs and investment accounts
• Credit cards (cancel immediately to prevent fraudulent use)
• Store cards and catalogue accounts
• PayPal or other digital payment accounts

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Step 5: Inform HMRC

Tell Us Once will flag the death to HMRC, but you may still need to contact them directly, particularly if the deceased was self-employed, had rental income, or owed or was owed tax.

HMRC's Bereavement line is 0300 200 3300. They will conduct a PAYE reconciliation for the year of death and send a P800 tax calculation. If a refund is due, it forms part of the estate. If tax is owed, that becomes an estate debt settled before any inheritance is distributed.

If the deceased completed self-assessment tax returns, you'll need to file a final return for the period up to the date of death. This is one situation where a solicitor or accountant can save considerable stress, in my experience.

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Step 6: Contact the DVLA

If you've used Tell Us Once, the DVLA will be notified about the driving licence automatically. Even so, you should return the physical licence to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1AB with a brief covering letter.

Vehicles are a separate matter. If there is a car, motorbike or other vehicle in the deceased's name, you have a few options:

• Transfer it to a named beneficiary (using the V5C logbook)
• Sell it through the estate
• Take it off the road by registering it as SORN

If the vehicle had motor insurance, notify the insurer promptly. Most policies become void on the owner's death. A vehicle sitting on a public road with no valid insurance is a legal problem, even if no one is driving it.

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Step 7: Tell utilities, subscriptions and insurers

This step takes the most time but involves the least complexity. Work through the following:

Utilities (gas, electricity, water): Contact the supplier, give the date of death and a meter reading. Accounts in a sole name will usually be transferred to a surviving occupant or closed. Suppliers such as British Gas, Octopus Energy and EDF all have bereavement processes; the word "bereavement" said at the start of a call will usually route you to someone more helpful than the standard billing team.

Broadband and phone: BT, Sky, Virgin Media and others each handle this differently. Some will allow a surviving family member to take over the contract; others will cancel with no early exit fee on proof of death, which is worth asking about explicitly.

Subscriptions: Cancel Netflix, Amazon Prime, magazine subscriptions, gym memberships and anything else on the deceased's bank statements. Check statements going back at least three months to catch quarterly or annual payments.

Home insurance and life insurance: For home insurance, notify the insurer that the policyholder has died. An unoccupied property may require separate notification and the policy terms may change. For life insurance, contact the provider to begin a claim; you'll need the policy document and a death certificate.

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Step 8: Notify professional and personal contacts

A short but often overlooked step.

If the deceased had a solicitor handling their affairs or holding a will, contact them early. They may also hold lasting power of attorney documents or other important paperwork.

Employers should be notified, as there may be outstanding salary, a death-in-service payment, or a final payslip to resolve. If the deceased was a member of a trade union, professional body or a club, cancel the membership and enquire whether there is any death benefit.

If the deceased was renting, the landlord needs to be told. The tenancy does not automatically end on death; there are formal notice procedures. If there was a mortgage, contact the lender to discuss options for the property going forward.

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