After the funeral FAQs
What is the Tell Us Once Service?
It is useful to notify certain organisations when you have the death certificate, partly for security reasons and partly so they do not continue to send communications to your loved one causing you further distress. When registering the death, your registrar will give you a unique reference number to use the ‘Tell Us Once’ service. Using the deceased’s National Insurance number and date of birth, central and local Government agencies are informed of the death and can centrally update their records.
To help with this process, you may want to locate the following:
- names and addresses of their next of kin including surviving spouse or civil partner
- name and address of the person or company dealing with their estate (property, belongings and money) also known as executor or administrator
- details of any benefits or entitlements they were getting including state, armed forces and international pensions
- details of any local council services they were getting, such as the Blue Badge, social care etc.
- details of any driving licences and vehicles owned
- details of any current and former passports
- HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) - to deal with personal tax only
- Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) - to cancel or amend benefits
- Passport Office - to cancel a British passport
- Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) - to cancel a driving licence and to remove the person as the keeper for up to 5 vehicles
- the local Council - to cancel Housing Benefit, Council Tax Benefit, a Blue Badge, inform council housing services and remove the person from the electoral register
- public sector or armed forces pension schemes - to stop pension payments
The service will use this information to contact:
Should I ask for additional copies of the death certificate?
It is often useful to obtain additional copies of the official death certificate called a ‘Certified Extract’ or 'Certified Copy of An Entry' as some institutions only accept originals which they may retain. Registrars will charge a fee for these copies.
Who else should I notify?
The following organisations are not included in the Tell Us Once service and you should notify them separately.
Financial
- HMRC for business tax, corporation tax or VAT related updates
- Mortgage provider
- Banks and building societies
- Premium bond, loan or other financial organisations
- Credit card, in-store cards and other loyalty programmes
Domestic
- House, car, breakdown, holiday and buildings insurance providers (car insurance policies are commonly in one name so we advise you to check before driving)
- Utility companies
- TV licence, phone and broadband providers
Personal
- Employer(s)
- Education establishments if in current term
- Professional associations
- GP, hospital, dentist, optician and anyone else providing medical care: NHS and private provider
- Charities, organisations or subscriptions the deceased made regular payments to
- Libraries, children’s or adult services (meals, visits etc) or other clubs
- Church, synagogue, mosque, temple or other places of worship
- If the deceased has a licence for firearms, please contact the local police station.
How do I ask for mail to be redirected?
The Royal Mail redirection service intercepts mail addressed to the deceased and redirects it to an address of your choice. This can be arranged on a monthly, half yearly or annual basis. The Bereavement Register is also available to stop unsolicited post being sent to the deceased’s address.
What should I do about property or land owned?
If the deceased owned land or property, a different updating process is required which is typically dealt with by the executor, administrator or lawyer appointed by the deceased or next of kin. They will also deal with any Wills or Letters of Wishes with regard to the overall estate (property and belongings).
