When someone dies, there are lots of things which need to be done, at a time when you really do not feel like doing them. For example, contacting government and council departments to tell them about the death.
Tell Us Once is a free service offered by the government. You can use it to tell central and local government services about the death securely and confidentially, so you do not have to contact them all separately. Tell Us Once is voluntary to use, and very helpful.
You can watch a short video about Tell Us Once to find out more.
Who will Tell Us Once notify?
Using Tell Us Once will notify:
- Middlesbrough Council - to update services like Housing Benefit, Council Tax, and Blue Badge, and to remove the person from the Electoral Register
- HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) - to deal with personal tax and to update claims like Child Benefit and Tax Credits (contact HMRC separately for business taxes, like VAT)
- Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) - to update benefits information, like State Pension, Universal Credit, etc.
- Passport Office - to cancel a British passport
- Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) - to cancel a driving licence and to remove registered keeper details, possibly for up to five vehicles
- Public Sector or Armed Forces Pension Schemes - to update pension records
Tell Us Once is not a benefits claim. You can find out more about claiming benefits on GOV.UK, or contact Citizens Advice.
Tell Us Once does not notify any commercial organisations of the death. It cannot be used to arrange for post to be redirected (you must contact Royal Mail).
Using Tell Us Once
After you've registered the death, the Registrar may complete the Tell Us Once service with you at the same time.
Otherwise, they'll give you a unique Tell Us Once reference number. You can use the reference number to access Tell Us Once online.
If you've been issued with a coroner's fact of death (interim death certificate) you may still be able to use the service. The Registrar will explain what you need to do.
Details you'll need
You'll need the following details of the person who died:
- date of birth
- address
- National Insurance number
- driving licence number
- vehicle registration number
- passport number
- details of any benefits or entitlements they were getting, for example State Pension, Universal Credit, etc.
- details of any local council services they were getting, for example Blue Badge, bus pass, Adult Social Care support, etc.
- 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
You must have permission before giving the personal details of:
- the next of kin
- the executor
- the administrator
- anyone who was jointly claiming benefits or entitlements with the person who died
You can find out more about what to do next on GOV.UK.