People to notify

Tell Us Once

‘Tell Us Once’ is a service that lets you report a death to most government organisations in one go. When you register the death the registrar will advise if the service is available in your area. The Registrar will give you a phone number and a unique reference number to use the ‘Tell Us Once’ service online or by telephone.

The ‘Tell Us Once’ service is not available in the following areas:

• Northern Ireland, Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, Eastbourne, Harrow, Hastings, Lewes, Liverpool, Manchester, Medway, Rother, Wealden

You will need the following details of the person who died:

• Date of birth
• National Insurance number
• Driving licence number
• Vehicle registration number
• Passport number

You will also need:

• Details of any benefits or entitlements e.g. State Pension
• Details of any local council services e.g. Blue Badge
• The name and address of their next of kin
• The name and address of any surviving spouse or civil partner
• The name, address and contact details of the person or company dealing with their estate i.e. the executor or administrator
• Details of any public sector or armed forces pension schemes they were getting or paying into
• You must have permission from the next of kin, executor, administrator or anyone who was claiming joint benefits or entitlements with the person who passed away before you give their details

‘Tell Us Once’ will notify:

• HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to deal with personal tax. You need to contact HMRC separately for business taxes e.g. VAT
• Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to cancel benefits e.g. Income Support
• Passport Office
• Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to cancel a licence and remove the deceased as the keeper of a vehicle
• 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
• Veterans UK to cancel Armed Forces Compensation Scheme payments

‘Tell Us Once’ will also contact some public sector pension schemes so that they cancel future pension payments:

• My Civil Service Pension
• NHS Pension Scheme
• Armed Forces Pension Scheme
• Local authority pension schemes, except where Tell Us Once is not available
• There is a different process to update property records if the person who died owns land or property.

If ‘Tell Us Once’ is not available

You’ll have to let the relevant organisations know about the death yourself if:

• Your local register office does not offer the Tell Us Once service
• You choose not to use it
• The person died abroad in a country where Tell Us Once is not available

Banks and other financial organisations

Contact the person’s bank or mortgage, pension or insurance providers to close or change the details of their accounts.

Contact the following organisations if you did not use the ‘Tell Us Once’ service

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC)
HMRC will work out whether the right amount of tax has been paid by the person who died. They will let you know what tax they need to collect or repay and whether you need to fill in a Self Assessment tax return on the person’s behalf e.g. when the estate continues to receive income.
HMRC Bereavement Helpline 0300 2003300

National Insurance Contributions Office
Contact the  National Insurance Contributions Office to cancel the person’s  National Insurance  payments if they were self-employed or paying voluntary  National Insurance.
National Insurance Helpline 0300 2003500

Child Benefit Office
Contact the Child Benefit Office if a child or the parent dies. You need to do this within eight weeks of the death.
Child Benefit Helpline 0300 2003100

Tax Credit Office
Contact the Tax Credit Office about changes to your circumstances e.g. if your partner or a child you’re responsible for dies. You need to do this within one month of the death.
Tax Credit Telephone 0345 3003900

Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)
Contact the bereavement service to cancel the person’s benefits and entitlements including State Pension. They’ll also check if you’re eligible for help with funeral costs or other benefits.
DWP Bereavement Service Helpline 0800 731 0469

Personal, workplace and armed forces pensions

Who you must contact to stop pension payments will depend on the type of pension.

• Pension Tracing Service 0800 7310193
• Veterans UK Helpline 0800 0853600

Vehicles and driving licences

If the Tell Us Once Service is not available you must write to the DVLA to inform them that a driver has died. Include the person’s driving licence in the letter if you have it. The letter must include:

• Your relationship to the deceased
• The date they passed away
• Their name, address and date of birth
• Send the letter to: DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1AB

You will also need to advise the DVLA if you sell or keep a vehicle and if you wish to keep a registration number (to be done before a vehicle is sold).