Tell us once - Register a Death
When someone has died our Tell Us Once service can help you tell the people who need to know.
When someone has died, there are lots of things that need to be done, at a time when you probably least feel like doing them. One of these is contacting government departments and local council services that need to be told.
We are providing a service which we hope will make things easier. This new service means that you can just tell us and these organisations will be contacted.
- How the service can help you.
- What happens to the information?
- Further Information.
- Information you need to use the service.
- Next of Kin
- How we will treat the information you give us to use any of these services.
- Telephone Service
Please be sure to the page on registering a death as this will let you know how to make an appointment, who can register, where you can register and further information.
How the service can help you
When someone has died their death needs to be registered with the Registrar. Once that’s done, several other organisations may have to be contacted and given the same information. We can help you to give the information to the Department for Work and Pensions and they can pass this information to a number of other government departments and local council services for you.
What happens to the information?
If you decide to use this service we will contact the following organisations if we need to:
- Department for Work and Pensions
- The Pension Service
- Disability and Carers Service
- Jobcentre Plus
- HM Revenue & Customs
- Child Benefit
- Child Tax Credit & Working Tax Credit
- Personal taxation
- Identity and Passport Service
- Housing Benefit Office
- Council Tax Benefit Office
- These organisations can also be told if you ask us to:
- Council Tax
- Libraries
- Blue badges
- Adult services
- Children’s services
- Collection of payment for council services
- Electoral services
- Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)
Further information
When you make an appointment to register the death we will give you more information about the Tell Us Once service and how you can use it. The service is usually provided at the same time as registering the death. Alternatively the service can be provided at one of our walk in centres.
Information you will need to use the service
To make sure the right information is given to any organisations we contact for you and so that you get the most out of the service it will help if you can bring along with you the following information about the person who has died:
It will help if you can bring along with you the following information about the person who has died:
- Their National Insurance number and date of birth
- Details of any benefits or services they were receiving
- Their death certificate (if the service is being used separate to registration)
- Their Driving Licence or Driving Licence number
- Their Passport or Passport number and town/ country of birth
It will also be useful to know:
- Their next of kin
- Any surviving husband, wife or civil partner
- The person dealing with their estate
You must obtain the permission of the persons listed above if you are going to provide us with information about them.
Next of Kin
If you are the next of kin (closest relative by blood or marriage to the deceased), your entitlement to benefits may change, so please have your own National Insurance number and / or date of birth with you when you contact us.
If you are not the next of kin, or the person who is dealing with the deceased’s estate (the person sorting out their property, belongings and money), you can still use the service if you have their permission to provide their details and act on their behalf.
How we will treat the information you give us to use any of these services.
The information you give will be treated securely and confidentially. The organisations who are contacted will use the information to update benefits, credits or help to start up services. They may use this information in other ways, but only as the law allows.
Telephone service
If you would like to use the service by phone please call the Department of Works and Pensions on 0800 085 7308. Lines are open Monday to Friday 8am until 8pm. Calls are free from a BT landline but other providers may charge you. You need to have registered the death before you can use this service.