Free services to stop unwanted post addressed to someone who has died — the Bereavement Register, Stop Mail, the Deceased Preference Service, and how to protect against identity fraud.
This guide is part of ProbateHelp's Notifications guide cluster. Estimated reading time: 8 min.
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The Bereavement Register says you should see a significant reduction within six weeks and virtually no mail within six months. MPS says a registration can take 2-4 months to have full effect. These are service estimates, not guarantees; contact persistent senders directly.
No. The Bereavement Register, Stop Mail, Deceased Preference Service and Mailing Preference Service are free. Royal Mail redirection is a paid service and serves a different purpose: it forwards addressed mail so important estate correspondence is not missed.
Yes. The Deceased Preference Service says you can register a death at any time, and the main suppression services are not limited to recent bereavements.
For unwanted mail, write 'Deceased - return to sender' on the unopened envelope and post it back. Keep any estate correspondence that still needs action. Destroy discarded documents containing account or identity details securely rather than placing them intact in recycling.
It should reduce appeals from organisations that screen their lists against bereavement or preference-service databases. It will not catch every charity or local organisation, so contact persistent senders directly and ask for the record to be closed.
Usually yes for mail-suppression services. Royal Mail redirection is different: if you redirect mail on behalf of an estate, Royal Mail may ask for evidence of identity and authority.