Farra is a death administration assistant for UK families. Get step-by-step guidance for registering a death, applying for probate, notifying banks, and managing bereavement admin. From essential documents to practical checklists, Farra simplifies estate paperwork and funeral-related tasks so you can focus on what matters.
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After someone dies, the number of organisations that need to be notified can be overwhelming. Government departments, banks, utility suppliers, telecoms providers, insurance companies, pension schemes, subscriptions — the list is long, and each has its own process. Several services exist to help, but they cover different parts of the picture. This guide explains what each one does, what it doesn't cover, and how to use them together effectively.
It is a common frustration: why can't you just tell someone once that a person has died, and have all the relevant organisations notified automatically? The answer lies in how UK records are structured.
There is no central register linking government departments, banks, and private companies. Government departments share some data between themselves through Tell Us Once. Banks have their own shared scheme through the Death Notification Service. But private companies — energy suppliers, telecoms providers, insurers, streaming services, subscriptions — each maintain their own independent records and have no connection to government or banking notification systems.
This means that even if you use every available service, you will still need to contact some organisations directly. Understanding which service covers which type of organisation is the key to working through the list efficiently.
Tell Us Once is a free government service that allows you to notify multiple government departments of a death in a single step. It is accessed either at the register office when you register the death, or online within 28 days using the reference number given at registration.
Use it at registration if you can
The register office will offer Tell Us Once when you register the death. Using it there and then is the simplest approach — you don't need to remember a reference number or return online later. If you don't use it at registration, you have 28 days to use it online at GOV.UK.
The Death Notification Service (DNS) is a free service run by UK Finance, the banking industry trade body. It allows you to notify multiple member banks and building societies of a death in a single submission, rather than having to contact each one separately.
You can submit via deathnotificationservice.co.uk or by calling 0800 158 2227. Member banks include Barclays, Lloyds, Halifax, HSBC, NatWest, Nationwide, Santander, and many others.
Important: notification only, not account closure
The DNS flags the death on accounts to prevent fraud and freeze new transactions — but it does not close accounts, transfer funds, or release money to the estate. After using the DNS, you must still contact each bank individually to administer the accounts, obtain statements of balances, and ultimately close or transfer accounts as part of probate. The DNS simply ensures the bank is aware of the death and protects the accounts in the interim.
Not all financial institutions are DNS members. You will need to check which banks the deceased used and contact any non-member banks directly.
Settld is a commercial service that helps families notify over 1,000 companies of a death in one place. Its network includes energy suppliers, telecoms providers, insurance companies, subscriptions, retailers, and financial services providers that are not covered by Tell Us Once or the DNS.
The family or executor provides the deceased's details once, and Settld contacts the relevant companies on their behalf. A free basic tier is available; a paid premium tier offers faster handling and additional support.
Settld is particularly useful for estates with many accounts and subscriptions — or for family members who do not have time to make dozens of individual phone calls. However, not every company accepts third-party notifications. Some organisations will only deal with the executor directly, in which case Settld will flag this rather than submitting on your behalf.
Life Ledger is a similar free platform for notifying companies of a death. It has a growing network of partner companies across energy, telecoms, insurance, and financial services.
In addition to notifications, Life Ledger includes a "digital estate" feature to help families identify and manage the deceased's online accounts — from social media profiles to email accounts to online shopping subscriptions. This can be a genuinely useful tool for executors trying to build a complete picture of what accounts exist.
Like Settld, Life Ledger is a complement to Tell Us Once and the DNS — not a replacement. It covers private companies; it does not notify government departments or banks through the official channels.
Coverage comparison
Tell Us Once (government, free)
Government departments ✓ | Banks ✗ | Utilities ✗ | Telecoms ✗
Death Notification Service (banking industry, free)
Government ✗ | Banks ✓ (notification only) | Utilities ✗ | Telecoms ✗
Settld / Life Ledger (commercial)
Government ✗ | Banks (some) ✓ | Utilities ✓ | Telecoms ✓
Farra
Government ✓ (guided) | Banks ✓ (guided) | Utilities ✓ | Telecoms ✓ | Personalised to your situation
The services above are notification tools — they tell organisations that someone has died. That is a useful first step, but it is not the same as administering an estate.
Farra takes a different approach. Rather than simply notifying organisations, Farra builds a complete picture of the deceased's estate and generates a personalised task list for the executor — based on the specific people, relationships, assets, and accounts in your situation. Not everyone needs to contact HMRC about Self Assessment. Not everyone has a private pension. Not everyone owns property. Farra works out what applies to you and what doesn't.
For each task, Farra provides pre-filled letters, step-by-step guidance, and progress tracking — so you always know where you are in the process and what comes next. Unlike generic notification services, Farra accounts for probate requirements, inheritance tax obligations, and the order in which things need to happen.
These services are not mutually exclusive — used in the right order, they complement one another:
Don't assume notification means closure
Notifying an organisation that a death has occurred is just the first step. Closing accounts, transferring assets, and distributing the estate each require separate actions — often after probate is granted. A notification service starts the process; it doesn't finish it.
Once you have used the appropriate notification services, the next stage is working through the full death administration process. These guides can help:
How to use the government's Tell Us Once service to notify multiple departments with a single notification.
Free services that help notify companies about a death, saving you time and reducing stress.
A practical step-by-step guide to handling death admin in the UK — from the first 5 days to dealing with the estate.
A complete guide for surviving spouses: the first few days, your finances and home, benefits you may be entitled to, and dealing with the estate.
A practical guide for adult children: registering the death, finding the will, notifying organisations, and dealing with the estate.
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