When someone dies, one of the most overwhelming tasks is working out who needs to be told. There are dozens of organisations, services, and institutions that need to be notified, and it can feel impossible to keep track of everything whilst grieving. This comprehensive checklist will help you understand who to inform, when to do it, and what information you'll need.
The good news is that several government services now make this process easier. The Tell Us Once service allows you to notify multiple government departments with a single notification, and many banks and insurers now participate in the Death Notification Service, which can automatically inform them after you've registered the death.
Not everything needs to be done immediately. Some notifications are urgent, whilst others can wait until you're ready. Generally speaking:
Keep a record of every organisation you contact, including the date, who you spoke to, and any reference numbers provided. This will save you considerable stress if there are queries later on.
Government departments need to know about the death to stop benefits, update records, and prevent overpayments that would need to be repaid later. The easiest way to notify most government services is through the Tell Us Once service.
This free service allows you to report a death to most government organisations in one go. When you register the death, the registrar will give you a unique Tell Us Once reference number. You can then use this online or by phone to notify:
You'll need the person's National Insurance number, date of birth, passport details (if they had one), and driving licence details. If you're claiming benefits yourself, you'll need your own details too.
If the person owned a vehicle, you need to tell the DVLA so you can tax it, declare it off-road (SORN), or transfer or sell it. This is covered by Tell Us Once, but you'll still need to update the vehicle logbook (V5C) separately. Send the V5C to DVLA Swansea with a covering letter explaining that the registered keeper has died.
The passport office will be notified through Tell Us Once. If the person had a valid passport, you should return it by post with a covering letter. Write "CANCELLED" on the front cover and include a copy of the death certificate.
Your local council's electoral registration office will remove the person from the electoral register. This is covered by Tell Us Once, but you can also contact your local council directly if needed.
Notifying banks and financial institutions is crucial to prevent fraud, stop direct debits, and begin the process of closing or transferring accounts. Many UK banks now participate in the Death Notification Service, which can speed up this process significantly.
Contact all banks and building societies where the person held accounts. You'll need to provide:
Banks will freeze accounts once notified, which prevents unauthorised transactions but also means no money can be withdrawn. They may release small amounts for funeral expenses before probate is granted. Most banks aim to freeze accounts within 24 hours of notification and will stop all direct debits and standing orders.
Notify all credit card providers to cancel the cards and settle any outstanding balances from the estate. Cut up the cards once cancelled. If there's a balance owing, the debt will be paid from the estate, not by surviving relatives personally (unless they were a joint account holder).
Contact mortgage lenders and loan providers. Some loans may have been covered by payment protection insurance, which could pay off the balance. Check the terms carefully. Mortgage lenders need to know, especially if the property will be sold or transferred. They'll usually allow a period of time to get probate sorted before requiring payment.
This includes ISAs, Premium Bonds, stocks and shares accounts, and any other investments. Contact each provider with proof of death and your authority to act. Premium Bonds can be checked for unclaimed prizes through NS&I (National Savings and Investments).
Dealing with utility companies ensures that bills are settled, accounts are transferred or closed, and you're not paying for services you don't need. If the property will remain occupied, you'll need to transfer the accounts into someone else's name rather than closing them.
Contact energy suppliers to either close the account (if the property will be empty) or transfer it into the name of whoever will be responsible for the bills. Take meter readings on the date of death if possible, as this helps create a clear final bill. If there's a credit balance, this can be refunded to the estate.
Your water company needs to know about the death to adjust billing. Water bills are charged to whoever lives at the property, so if it's being sold or will be empty, they need to close the account and issue a final bill.
Contact phone and internet providers to cancel services or transfer them. Check contract terms, as there may be early cancellation fees, though many providers waive these in the event of death. If the person had a pay-as-you-go mobile, you may be able to transfer any remaining credit.
Your local council needs to know about the death to adjust council tax charges. If the person lived alone, council tax will stop from the date of death. If others live at the property, the bill will be recalculated based on who remains. This is covered by Tell Us Once, but it's worth confirming directly with your council's revenue department.
Contact TV Licensing to cancel the licence or transfer it. If there's time remaining on the licence and the property will be empty, you may be able to get a refund for the unused months.
Insurance policies need to be cancelled or transferred, and any life insurance claims need to be made. Keep buildings and contents insurance active if the property will be empty, as most policies require you to notify them if a property is unoccupied for more than 30 days.
If the person had life insurance, contact the provider as soon as possible to make a claim. You'll need the original policy documents if possible, along with the death certificate. Life insurance proceeds are usually paid quite quickly and may not form part of the estate for inheritance tax purposes if they were written in trust.
Buildings and contents insurance must continue if the property will be empty or is being prepared for sale. Notify the insurer of the death and any change in occupancy status. Most insurers require notification if a property is unoccupied for more than 30 consecutive days, and premiums may increase.
Cancelling car insurance after death is essential, but timing matters. If the car will be driven by someone else, the policy needs to be cancelled and a new one arranged in their name. If it will be sold or kept off-road, you can cancel it and may receive a refund for unused months. Keep the car insured until it's off the road or sold.
Private health insurance and dental plans should be cancelled. If there are any outstanding claims for treatment received before death, these should still be processed by the insurer.
If the person had annual travel insurance or insurance for a specific trip, notify the provider to cancel the policy and claim any refund due.
These are not urgent and can be dealt with when you're ready, but cancelling them prevents money being taken from the estate unnecessarily. Once you notify banks and freeze accounts, direct debits will stop automatically, but it's still good practice to formally cancel memberships.
Gyms, swimming pools, sports clubs, and leisure centres should be notified to cancel membership. Most will waive any remaining contract obligations in the event of death.
This includes everything from golf clubs and social clubs to professional associations and charity memberships. Contact each organisation to cancel membership and stop any regular payments.
Cancel newspaper deliveries and magazine subscriptions. Publishers will usually refund any unused subscription period.
Supermarket loyalty cards, airline frequent flyer programmes, and shop reward schemes should be cancelled. In some cases, accumulated points can be transferred to a family member or used before the account is closed, so check the terms and conditions.
Netflix, Spotify, Amazon Prime, and other streaming subscriptions should be cancelled. If family members were using the same account, they may want to set up their own before you cancel.
Digital accounts can be some of the most difficult to deal with because each platform has different policies. There's no urgency to handle these immediately; take your time and do this when you feel ready.
Email providers like Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo have different processes for dealing with deceased users' accounts. You typically cannot access the account, but you can request it be deleted. Some providers offer memorial or inactive account options. Check the provider's help pages for their specific process.
Facebook allows accounts to be memorialised or deleted. Instagram, Twitter (X), LinkedIn, and other platforms each have their own policies. You'll typically need to provide proof of death and proof of your relationship or authority to act. Memorialised accounts can serve as a place for friends and family to share memories.
Amazon, eBay, and other online retailer accounts should be closed or have payment methods removed. Check for any pending orders or deliveries, and cancel any Subscribe and Save or recurring orders.
iCloud, Google Drive, Dropbox, and similar services may contain important documents or cherished photos. Each service has different policies for accessing or transferring data after death. Apple's Legacy Contact feature and Google's Inactive Account Manager allow people to nominate someone in advance, but without this, access can be difficult.
Certain benefits stop when someone dies, whilst others may continue for a short period or you may be entitled to new benefits as a surviving spouse or carer. This is one of the most important notifications to make promptly to avoid overpayments.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) needs to know about the death to stop State Pension payments. This is covered by Tell Us Once. If the person was receiving State Pension, payments will stop, but you may be entitled to inherit some of their National Insurance contributions to boost your own State Pension. Surviving spouses may also be entitled to Bereavement Support Payment.
Contact all pension providers to notify them of the death and ask about any lump sum or ongoing payments due. Many pensions provide a lump sum death benefit or a spouse's pension. You'll need the pension policy or scheme details and the death certificate.
All benefits including Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Attendance Allowance, Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Disability Living Allowance (DLA), and Housing Benefit need to be reported. Tell Us Once covers most of these. Some benefits have a short run-on period after death, allowing payment for a few more weeks.
HMRC needs to know if the person was claiming Child Tax Credit or Working Tax Credit. This is covered by Tell Us Once. Your own entitlement may change after the death, so contact the Tax Credits Helpline to update your claim if needed.
Some notifications are more personal and will depend on the individual's circumstances. Consider who to notify after a death based on their specific situation.
If the person was working, their employer needs to be notified as soon as possible. They will arrange final salary payments, any outstanding holiday pay, and may have a death-in-service benefit which pays out to nominated beneficiaries.
If the person was renting, the landlord or housing association needs to know. Tenancy agreements may pass to a spouse or family member, or the tenancy may need to be ended. Check the tenancy agreement for specific terms.
If the person had a solicitor, they should be notified, especially if the solicitor holds the will or has been appointed as executor. The solicitor may be able to help with administering the estate.
If the person had children in school or was a student themselves, the school or university needs to be informed. Schools can provide support for bereaved children, and universities can advise on completing or suspending studies.
The GP surgery, dentist, optician, and any hospitals or clinics involved in the person's care should be notified. This allows them to update records and cancel future appointments.
Missing notifications can lead to overpayments that need to be repaid, or services continuing and charging the estate unnecessarily. However, most organisations are understanding when you explain the circumstances.
If benefits are overpaid, the DWP will usually recover these from the estate. If this isn't possible, they may pursue family members who were aware of the overpayment and didn't report it, though this is rare.
For utility bills and subscriptions that continue after death, these are debts of the estate and will be paid from the estate before distribution to beneficiaries. Executors have a legal duty to settle all debts before distributing assets.
The most important notifications are government departments, banks, and benefit providers. These should be done within the first few weeks. Everything else can follow in the coming months.
As you work through these notifications, keep detailed records of:
Create a simple spreadsheet or use a notebook dedicated to this purpose. This record will be invaluable if there are any queries later, and it will help you keep track of what's been done and what still needs attention.
Working through this checklist is exhausting, especially whilst grieving. Many people find it helpful to share the task with family members or to work through it gradually over several weeks rather than trying to do everything at once.
Services like Tell Us Once and the Death Notification Service have made this process much more manageable than it used to be, but it's still a substantial administrative burden. Be kind to yourself and don't feel you need to complete everything immediately.
Farra is here to help make this process easier. We can guide you through each step, help you keep track of what's been done, and provide clear, compassionate support as you navigate this difficult time. You don't have to work it all out on your own.
Farra is a digital assistant that helps with death admin and bereavement support in the UK. From registering a death to applying for probate, Farra provides step-by-step guidance, essential documents, and practical help for families navigating the administrative side of loss. Designed to bring clarity and compassion to the most difficult moments, Farra simplifies estate paperwork, bank notifications, and funeral-related tasks so you can focus on what matters.