How to Notify DWP of a Death in the UK

When someone dies, you must notify the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to stop their benefits and avoid overpayments. This comprehensive guide explains how to notify DWP, which benefits stop immediately, survivor benefits you may be entitled to, handling overpayments, and all deadlines for 2026.

Why You Need to Notify DWP When Someone Dies

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) administers most UK government benefits including State Pension, Universal Credit, Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Pension Credit, and many others. Notifying DWP is one of many essential tasks in the first week after a death.

When someone dies, you must notify DWP promptly because:

• Benefits stop immediately - most benefits are personal to the deceased and end on the date of death
• Avoid overpayments - if benefits continue to be paid after death, you'll have to repay them from the estate
• Claim survivor benefits - you may be entitled to Bereavement Support Payment or other survivor benefits
• Update joint claims - if you were claiming jointly (like Universal Credit), your claim needs to be updated to a single claim
• Legal requirement - you're legally required to inform DWP when someone dies

How to Notify DWP of a Death: Two Methods

You have two ways to notify DWP when someone dies. Tell Us Once is easier and notifies multiple departments automatically. Direct notification gives you more control and may be faster for urgent situations.

Method 1: Tell Us Once Service (Recommended)

Tell Us Once is a government service that allows you to report a death to most government departments, including DWP, in a single notification. This is the easiest and most efficient method.

How to use Tell Us Once:

• When you register the death, the registrar will give you a Tell Us Once reference number (this looks like TUO12345678)
• Use this reference to access the Tell Us Once service online at gov.uk/tell-us-once within 28 days of registration
• Complete the online form with details about the deceased and their benefits
• Tell Us Once will notify DWP and other departments (HMRC, DVLA, Passport Office, local council) automatically
• You'll receive confirmation that notifications have been sent within 1-2 working days

What Tell Us Once notifies DWP about:

• State Pension
• Pension Credit
• Universal Credit
• Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
• Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
• Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Attendance Allowance
• Carer's Allowance
• Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA)
• Income Support
• Bereavement benefits

For more details on Tell Us Once, see our Complete Guide to Tell Us Once.

Method 2: Direct Notification to DWP

If you don't use Tell Us Once, or need to ensure DWP is notified immediately, you can contact DWP directly.

DWP Bereavement Service:

• Phone: 0800 731 0469 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm)
• Textphone: 0800 731 0464 (for deaf or hard of hearing)
• Cost: Free from UK landlines and mobiles
• What to have ready: Deceased's National Insurance number, date of birth, date of death, details of benefits they were receiving

When to use direct notification:

• You didn't register the death in England, Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland (Tell Us Once not available for deaths abroad)
• The Tell Us Once service is unavailable or you missed the 28-day window
• You need immediate confirmation that benefits have been stopped
• You need to discuss specific benefits or circumstances with DWP directly

Which Benefits Stop When Someone Dies

Most benefits are personal to the claimant and stop immediately when they die. However, there are some exceptions and special rules to be aware of.

Benefits That Stop Immediately

These benefits end on the date of death, though you may receive a final payment for the period up to the date of death:

• State Pension - stops from date of death. Final payment covers period up to death. If deceased received State Pension based on spouse's contributions, survivor may be entitled to increased State Pension
• Pension Credit - stops immediately if single person dies. If claimed as couple, surviving partner must inform DWP within 1 month to switch to single person rate
• Personal Independence Payment (PIP) - stops from date of death. Final payment may be made for days up to death
• Disability Living Allowance (DLA) - stops from date of death, similar to PIP
• Attendance Allowance - stops from date of death
• Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) - stops from date of death
• Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) - stops from date of death
• Income Support - stops from date of death
• Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit - stops from date of death

Benefits That May Continue Temporarily

Some benefits have special rules that allow payments to continue for a short period after death:

• Universal Credit - if claimed as a couple, the claim continues for the surviving partner but changes to a single person claim. Surviving partner must report the death within 1 month. If claimed as single person, stops from date of death with final payment for period up to death
• Carer's Allowance - can continue for up to 8 weeks after the person you cared for dies, allowing time to adjust. Inform DWP but payments may continue during this period
• Housing Benefit - surviving partner may continue claiming if they remain in the property. Single claimant's Housing Benefit stops but may continue for up to 4 weeks to allow time to arrange affairs
• Child Benefit - continues to surviving parent or guardian caring for the children. If both parents die, appointed guardian can claim

Benefits the Surviving Partner May Be Entitled To

When someone dies, their surviving spouse or civil partner may be entitled to new benefits or increased payments:

• Bereavement Support Payment - lump sum and monthly payments for up to 18 months if your spouse or civil partner died. Amount: £3,500 lump sum + £350/month for 18 months if you have children (or pregnant), or £2,500 lump sum + £100/month for 18 months with no children. You must claim within 3 months of death for full payment (can claim up to 21 months but lose monthly payments). See our Complete Guide to Bereavement Support Payment
• Increased State Pension - you may be able to increase your State Pension based on your deceased spouse's National Insurance contributions
• Universal Credit - if not already claiming, you may now be eligible if your circumstances have changed (lower income, increased costs)
• Pension Credit - if you're over State Pension age and on low income, you may qualify
• Council Tax Reduction - your council tax bill may reduce if you're now living alone or on lower income

Handling Benefit Overpayments After Death

If benefits continue to be paid after someone dies, these are overpayments that must be repaid to DWP from the estate.

Why Overpayments Happen

• Benefits paid in advance - most benefits are paid weekly or monthly in advance, so payments made before death may cover a period after death
• Processing delays - it can take DWP 1-2 weeks to process a death notification and stop payments
• Automatic payments - direct debits and standing orders continue until actively stopped by DWP
• Multiple benefits - if deceased received several benefits from different DWP departments, not all may be stopped simultaneously

What to Do with Benefit Overpayments

Step 1: Identify overpayments

• Monitor the deceased's bank account for 4-6 weeks after death to see if benefit payments continue
• Check which benefits were being paid and when the last entitled payment should have been
• Calculate how much was paid after the date of death (this is the overpayment)

Step 2: Report the overpayment to DWP

• Call the DWP Bereavement Service on 0800 731 0469 to report the overpayment
• Provide details: deceased's National Insurance number, which benefit was overpaid, amount overpaid, dates of overpayments
• DWP will confirm the overpayment amount and send you a letter explaining how to repay

Step 3: Return the overpayment

• Don't spend the money - keep overpaid benefits separate in the deceased's account until DWP requests repayment
• Wait for DWP instructions - DWP will tell you how to repay (usually by bank transfer or cheque)
• Repay from the estate - overpayments are debts of the estate and should be paid before distributing assets to beneficiaries
• Get a receipt - keep proof of repayment for estate accounts

What If the Estate Can't Afford to Repay?

If the estate has insufficient funds to repay benefit overpayments:

• Inform DWP that the estate is insolvent (debts exceed assets)
• DWP may write off the overpayment if there are no assets in the estate
• Family members are NOT personally liable for benefit overpayments unless they deliberately withheld information or committed fraud
• Provide DWP with evidence of the estate's financial position (valuations, outstanding debts)
• Overpayments rank as unsecured debts in the legal priority order for paying estate debts

Notifying DWP About Joint Claims

If you and the deceased were claiming benefits as a couple, you need to update your claim rather than close it entirely. This is separate from registering the death, which must be completed first.

Universal Credit (Claimed as Couple)

What happens to Universal Credit when spouse dies:

• Your Universal Credit claim continues but changes from a joint claim to a single claim
• Your payment amount will change (usually decrease) to reflect a single person household
• You must report the death through your Universal Credit online account or by calling 0800 328 5644
• Report within 1 month of death to avoid issues with your claim
• Your housing element may reduce if you're now under-occupying the property (bedroom tax)

Pension Credit (Claimed as Couple)

What happens to Pension Credit when spouse dies:

• Your Pension Credit continues but changes to a single person rate
• Call the Pension Credit helpline on 0800 99 1234 to report the death and update your claim
• Your payment amount will change based on single person rates
• You may be entitled to additional elements if your circumstances have changed (care needs, housing costs)

Tax Credits (Working or Child Tax Credit)

Note: Tax Credits are administered by HMRC, not DWP, but the process is similar:

• Report the death to HMRC Tax Credits helpline on 0345 300 3900
• Your claim continues but payments may reduce as you're now a single claimant
• Child Tax Credit continues if you still have dependent children

Timeline: When to Notify DWP and Related Deadlines

Understanding the timeline for DWP notifications helps you avoid overpayments and claim any benefits you're entitled to.

Common Problems and Solutions

Problem 1: DWP Payments Continue After Notification

Sometimes benefit payments continue even after you've notified DWP.

Why this happens:

• Processing delays - DWP can take 1-2 weeks to update systems and stop payments
• Payments already in progress when notification received continue through
• Multiple benefits from different parts of DWP not all updated simultaneously
• Administrative errors in processing the death notification

What to do:

• Wait 2 weeks after notification before assuming there's a problem
• If payments continue beyond 2 weeks, call DWP Bereavement Service on 0800 731 0469
• Have your previous notification reference number ready (if you have it)
• Keep the money separate - don't spend overpayments as you'll need to return them
• Get confirmation in writing that benefits have been stopped and any overpayment amount

Problem 2: Can't Find Deceased's National Insurance Number

DWP needs the National Insurance number to identify the deceased's benefit claims and stop payments.

Where to find the National Insurance number:

• P60 form (end of tax year summary) - usually in deceased's paperwork
• Payslips from current or recent employment
• State Pension letter or notification
• Any letters from DWP, HMRC, or previous employers showing the NI number
• Online HMRC account if you can access it
• Previous tax returns

If you can't find it:

• Contact the DWP Bereavement Service - they can trace the record using deceased's full name, date of birth, and address
• Contact HMRC on 0300 200 3500 - they can provide the NI number if you can prove you're the next of kin or executor
• You'll need the death certificate and proof of your relationship or executor status

Problem 3: Disputed Overpayment Amount

If you believe DWP has calculated the wrong overpayment amount:

• Request a detailed breakdown showing: date of death, date benefits should have stopped, payments received after that date, how overpaid amount was calculated
• Check deceased's bank statements to verify which payments were actually received
• Remember: benefits paid for the period up to date of death are NOT overpayments
• If you disagree with DWP's calculation, request a review in writing with your evidence
• DWP will review their calculation and respond within 4-6 weeks
• If still disputed, you can appeal through the Mandatory Reconsideration process

Problem 4: Surviving Partner's Benefits Stop Incorrectly

Sometimes when you report a death, DWP stops the surviving partner's benefits by mistake.

Why this happens:

• Joint claims misunderstood - DWP stops entire claim instead of updating to single
• System errors linking your NI number to deceased's record
• Incorrect processing of death notification

What to do:

• Contact DWP immediately on 0800 731 0469 if your benefits stop when they shouldn't
• Explain that you're the surviving partner and your claim should continue (or be updated, not closed)
• Ask for emergency payment if you're left without income - DWP can make advance payments while they correct the error
• Request backdated payment for any period you were without benefits due to DWP error
• Get confirmation in writing that your benefits have been restored

DWP Contact Information

Here are all the key DWP contact numbers for reporting a death and managing benefits:

• DWP Bereavement Service: 0800 731 0469 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm) - main number for reporting deaths and benefit changes
• Textphone (deaf/hard of hearing): 0800 731 0464
• Universal Credit: 0800 328 5644 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm) - for updating joint claims
• Pension Credit: 0800 99 1234 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm)
• Carer's Allowance: 0800 731 0297 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm)
• Child Benefit: 0300 200 3100 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm) - note this is HMRC, not DWP
• Bereavement Support Payment claims: 0800 731 0469 (same as Bereavement Service)

Tips for calling DWP:

• Call early in the morning (8am-9am) for shortest wait times - avoid Monday mornings and lunch hours
• Have ready: deceased's National Insurance number, date of birth, date of death, details of benefits being received
• Take notes: write down the date, time, who you spoke to, and a summary of what was agreed
• Request a reference number for your call - useful if you need to follow up
• If calling about your own benefits, have your own NI number and claim details ready too

Benefits You May Now Be Entitled To

After someone dies, you may qualify for new benefits or increased support depending on your circumstances:

Bereavement Support Payment

• Available if your spouse or civil partner died and they paid National Insurance
• With children or pregnant: £3,500 lump sum + £350/month for 18 months = total £9,800
• No children: £2,500 lump sum + £100/month for 18 months = total £4,300
• Must claim within 3 months for full payment (can claim up to 21 months but lose monthly instalments)
• Not means-tested - you can claim regardless of income or savings
• Claim online at gov.uk/bereavement-support-payment or call 0800 731 0469

Increased State Pension (Inherited State Pension)

• You may be able to increase your State Pension based on deceased spouse's National Insurance contributions
• Available if you're over State Pension age or will reach it soon
• Only applies to "old" State Pension (before April 2016) in most cases
• Contact the Pension Service on 0800 731 0469 to check if you're eligible

Financial Support While Sorting Affairs

• Funeral Expenses Payment: if on low income benefits, you may get help with funeral costs up to £1,000 (£700 in Northern Ireland). Claim within 6 months of funeral
• Universal Credit: if your income has dropped or circumstances changed, check if you now qualify at gov.uk/universal-credit
• Council Tax Reduction: contact your local council - you may get 25% discount if now living alone, or more if on low income
• Housing Benefit: if you're working age and not on Universal Credit, check eligibility at gov.uk/housing-benefit