When someone dies there are lots of things that need to be done, at a time when you feel least like doing them, for example contacting the government departments and council services which need to be informed told about the death.
Middlesbrough Council provides a service called Tell Us Once, to save time and make things easier for you. Tell Us Once will notify a number of different organisations and departments about the death, so you don't have to.
Following the registration of a death, the Registrar will give you a unique reference number to use the Tell Us Once service online or by phone.
Before you use Tell Us Once
You’ll need the following details of the person who died:
- date of birth
- National Insurance number
- driving licence number
- vehicle registration number
- passport number
- details of any benefits or entitlements they were getting, for example State Pension
- details of any local council services they were getting, for example Blue Badge
- the name and address of their next of kin
- the name and address of any surviving spouse or civil partner
- the name, address and contact details of the person or company dealing with their estate (property, belongings and money), known as their 'executor' or 'administrator'
- details of any public sector or armed forces pension schemes they were getting or paying in to
Who will Tell Us Once notify?
Using Tell Us Once will notify:
- HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) - to deal with personal tax (you need to contact HMRC separately for business taxes, like VAT)
- Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) - to cancel benefits
- Passport Office - to cancel a British passport
- Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) - to cancel a driving licence
- the council - to cancel Housing Benefit, Council Tax Reduction, a Blue Badge, inform council housing services, and remove the person from the electoral register
- public sector or armed forces pension schemes - to stop pension payments
You'll be offered the service when you contact the Register Office to register a death. More information is available in the Tell Us Once leaflet.
