A Guide to Reporting a Death to Different Organisations

Introduction

It’s important to notify various organisations of the death of your loved one.

This can feel like a big task – as everyone has a wide array of accounts across a range of organisations, but to help break it down into bite-size pieces, this article sets out how to notify each of the various types of departments, institutions and companies – public and private.

Reporting a Death to Government Departments

Where do I notify government departments?

For most government departments, you can do this via the Tell Us Once service. Tell Us Once is a scheme that allows you to notify lots of government departments at once, saving you from contacting each government department individually.

The Tell Us Once service can be done online, over the phone, or with the assistance of the registrar at the time of registering the death. If you do this online or over the phone, the registrar will give you a unique reference number to use during the process.

Visit this page on the gov.uk site to get started with the Tell Us Once service.

What is covered by the Tell Us Once service?

This includes HM Revenue & Customs, Department for Work & Pensions (DWP), HM Passport Office, Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, Local Councils, Civil Service Pension Scheme, NHS Pension Scheme, Local Authority Pension Schemes and Veterans UK.

When does this need to be done?

You have 28 days to use the Tell Us Once service from when a reference number is given to you by a registrar when registering their death.

How long does the Tell Us Once service take?

It should take around 15 minutes.

What will I need to report their death to Tell Us Once?

You will need:

• their driving licence, passport, and name of their local council
• a copy of their death certificate
• their national insurance number.

Reporting a Death to Private Companies

Why is reporting a death to private companies recommended?

Once you report your loved one’s death, private companies will end any automatic payments or subscriptions. This will help you work out the value of their assets and debts, so you can build an accurate picture of the estate.

What private companies should I report a death to?

This includes banks, building societies, private pensions, savings & investments accounts, life insurance companies, general insurance providers, mortgage providers, hire purchase or loan companies, credit card and store card providers, utility companies, video & streaming services, social media & email accounts, loyalty cards and online shopping subscriptions.

How do I do it?

Unfortunately, there is no single ‘Tell Us Once’ equivalent for private companies. However, there are a few that are similar and work with lots of big companies, which should save you some time if you choose to do it yourself, such as Life Ledger: app.lifeledger.com/register

To notify companies/cancel accounts you’ll often need the following:

• Personal details of the person who died and account details, if available
• Copy/original death certificates
• Copy of will (if any)

When do I need to notify private companies of a death?

It’s best to notify financial institutions as soon as is practically possible to stop any upcoming payments.

However, it’s okay to take your time closing some of the other accounts.

Sometimes cancelling accounts means you lose access to something meaningful; e.g. their voicemail message, their go-to orders, messages on social media with them.

Don’t feel you have to rush this process.