Who to notify after a death

When a loved one dies, we understand how difficult it is to manage all aspects of their death from funeral planning to understanding a will to closing important accounts.

Notifying organisations or businesses after a death can be time-consuming and it is easy to forget one.

Fortunately, there are now services available that allow you to let government departments and local councils know when someone dies, such as Tell Us Once, which is a free service. Life Ledger is also a free, easy-to-use death notification service which helps families inform all the businesses connected to a deceased person in one place.

This guide will help you to ensure that you have covered all the main organisations and businesses that need notification following a death of a loved one, which should help ease the burden.

Who do I need to inform?

When someone dies, the first thing to do is to inform the registry office to arrange a certificate of death. Once the death has been registered, you can begin to make all the arrangements you need including contacting key organisations when you are ready.

Health Professionals

  • GP
  • Dentist
  • Health Insurance Providers ~
  • Optician
  • Vet

Government

  • HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC)*
  • Department for Work and Pensions*
  • Passport Office*
  • Local council – Electoral Register and Council Tax*
  • Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)*
  • NHS Pension*~
  • Property Records^

Employment or Education

  • Pension provider
  • Employer
  • School, college, or university

House

  • Utilities – gas, electric and water ~
  • Phone – landline and mobile provider ~
  • Broadband provider ~
  • Energy providers ~
  • TV licence ~
  • Insurance – house and contents ~
  • Letting Agent/ Landlord

Social

  • Clubs
  • Societies
  • Church
  • Library

Financial

  • Bank or building societies ~
  • Solicitor
  • Accountant
  • Private Pension ~
  • Mortgage Provider
  • Premium Bonds
  • Shares
  • Credit Cards ~

Other

  • Travel Insurance Provider ~
  • Car Insurance Policy Provider+~
  • Store or Loyalty Cards ~
  • Online accounts for leisure and entertainment including TV subscriptions, social media platforms or other internet accounts ~
  • Email account providers ~
  • Print based subscriptions such as newspapers or magazines
  • Junk Mail Deliveries #

Key:

* If you use the Tell Us Once service these organisations will be notified automatically.

~ If you use Life Ledger these organisations will be notified automatically.

# You can use the ‘junk mail suppression service’ from the Bereavement Advice Centre.

+ You will not be legally insured to drive if the policy is in the deceased’s name.

^ If the deceased owned land or property, there is a different process to update the property record. For more information visit the Gov UK website.

How can CPJ Field help you after a funeral?

In this guide, we have listed the organisations that will most commonly need advising on the death of a loved one.

For further assistance please see our guides Cancelling leisure & entertainment accounts after death or What to Do with Social Media Accounts when Someone Dies, both of which provide more detailed information.

We do understand that taking care of a loved one’s affairs can seem overwhelming. As a 300-year-old family business, we have supported families going through this extremely difficult time, and we are always here to help you.

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