The service that tells most of government about a death in one go

In the days after a death, the person sorting things out often finds themselves telling the same story again and again: to the pension office, the tax office, the council, the passport people and the driving licence agency. Each call needs the same dates and the same reference numbers, and each one is a small ordeal.

Tell Us Once was designed to cut that down. It is a government service that passes the news to most public bodies at once, using details you give a single time. It does not cover everything, but it removes a large part of the administrative load.

First, registering the death

A death must be registered with a register office. GOV.UK says this should be done within five days in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and within eight days in Scotland. The registrar issues the death certificate, and certified copies can be bought at the same time; many people find several copies useful for banks and other organisations.

If the death has been referred to a coroner, registration may be delayed. GOV.UK explains that in that case you need an interim death certificate from the coroner before using Tell Us Once.

How Tell Us Once works

When you register the death, the registrar will either complete Tell Us Once with you there and then, or give you a unique reference number so that you can do it yourself afterwards. You can use the service online or by phone. The reference number must be used within 28 days.

Tell Us Once is available in England, Scotland and Wales, including for deaths that happen abroad during a temporary stay. It is not available in Northern Ireland, where nidirect explains the equivalent steps, or for people who lived abroad permanently.

Who it tells

GOV.UK lists the organisations Tell Us Once contacts. They include:

Council Tax itself is billed by the council, so ask it directly about the account and any discount that may now apply to the household.

What it does not cover

Tell Us Once is for government. GOV.UK lists the kinds of organisation you still need to contact yourself:

• banks, building societies, mortgage lenders and insurers;
• energy, water, phone and broadband companies;
• landlords and housing associations;
• private and workplace pension schemes that are not public sector schemes;
• employers;
• HM Land Registry, the Student Loans Company and HMRC for business taxes.

For banks, the free Death Notification Service can notify a number of participating firms with a single form. Our guide to what happens to a joint bank account after a death explains how jointly held money is treated. For private pensions, if you are unsure which schemes existed, the Pension Tracing Service can give contact details.

What to have to hand

GOV.UK sets out the information you will be asked for. You will need:

• the Tell Us Once reference number;
• the surname and date of death of the person who died;
• details of the executor or administrator, or of the person dealing with the estate;
• details of any surviving husband, wife or civil partner, including their National Insurance number or date of birth, or otherwise the name and address of the next of kin;
• the name of the hospital or care home, if the death happened there.

It also helps to have the person’s National Insurance number, passport number and town of birth, driving licence number, vehicle registration numbers, Blue Badge number, and details of any benefits or pensions they received. You need the agreement of anyone whose details you share, such as the executor.

Only through official channels

Tell Us Once is reached through the registrar or GOV.UK, and it is free. You should never be asked to pay for it, and you should never give these details to a website you reached from an advertisement or an unexpected message.

An example week

Illustrative example

Peter, 59, is dealing with his father’s affairs in England. The people and timings are invented to show the order of tasks.

Day 2: registers the death, buys four certified copiesRegister office

Day 2: completes Tell Us Once with the registrarGovernment bodies told

Day 4: uses the Death Notification ServiceParticipating banks told

Day 5: calls the energy and water companiesAccounts updated

Day 6: writes to his father’s workplace pension schemeNot covered by Tell Us Once

Illustration only. Real timings depend on registration appointments, coroners and the organisations involved.

Who this matters for, and what to check

Tell Us Once is relevant to anyone registering a death in England, Scotland or Wales. It is also worth knowing about in advance, because the list of details is much easier to put together from a folder than from scratch.

• Keep a simple note of where important documents are kept: passport, driving licence, pension statements, bank details and the will.
• Make a list of private pensions and accounts that Tell Us Once will not reach.
• Consider how lifetime gifts are recorded; our guide to everyday gifts and inheritance tax explains why that helps executors.
• Update or close any Priority Services Register record held by energy and water companies.