In this guide
Tell Us Once reports a death to most government organisations in one step. It does not notify banks, insurers, employers, utility companies, landlords or private pension providers, so keep a separate list for those notifications.
Quick answer
Use Tell Us Once after the death has been registered, or after a coroner has issued an interim death certificate and a registrar gives you a reference. GOV.UK says the reference must be used within 28 days. The service can notify DWP, HMRC, DVLA, the Passport Office, the local council, Veterans UK, Social Security Scotland and some public sector pension schemes. It does not deal with the estate, close bank accounts or notify private organisations.
What Tell Us Once actually does
Tell Us Once is a free government service, run by the Department for Work and Pensions, that lets you notify most central and local government organisations of a death in one go. Instead of calling HMRC, DWP, the Passport Office, DVLA, and your local council separately, you fill in one online form and the service distributes the information to all of them.
You get access to it through the registrar when you register the death. They will either complete it with you at the appointment, or give you a unique reference number so you can do it yourself online via GOV.UK or by phone. GOV.UK says you must use the reference within 28 days.
The service can notify DWP, HMRC, DVLA, the Passport Office, the local council, Veterans UK, Social Security Scotland and some public sector pension schemes. GOV.UK says you need permission from any surviving spouse or civil partner, next of kin, executor, administrator or joint-benefit claimant before you give their details. Private and workplace pension providers, banks, insurers, employers and utility providers still need separate contact. EstateManager can help you keep the Tell Us Once reference, confirmation, death certificate copies, bank notifications, pension provider contacts and follow-up tasks in one place.
It is worth being clear about what Tell Us Once is and is not. It is a notification service — it tells organisations that someone has died. It does not close accounts, release funds, cancel contracts, or deal with the estate. Once Tell Us Once is done, there is still plenty more to do. But it removes a significant chunk of the admin in one step.
28-day deadline
GOV.UK says you must use the unique reference number within 28 days of receiving it. If you miss this window, you will need to contact each government organisation individually.
Who can use it
Tell Us Once is available if the person who died was living in England, Scotland, or Wales. It also applies if they were living in England, Scotland, or Wales but died abroad temporarily — for example on holiday or a business trip.
GOV.UK also says Tell Us Once can be used if a child or baby has died, but parents or carers who receive benefits because of the child must tell DWP separately.
You can use Tell Us Once if:
- The person lived in England, Scotland, or Wales
- The death has been registered, or you have an interim death certificate from the coroner
- They died abroad temporarily (holiday, business trip)
You cannot use Tell Us Once if:
- The person was living in Northern Ireland
- The person was living abroad permanently
- The 28-day reference number has expired
Anyone can use Tell Us Once on behalf of the family if they have the reference number and the details needed. GOV.UK says you need permission from any surviving spouse or civil partner, next of kin, executor, administrator or joint-benefit claimant before you give their details.
Which organisations are notified
Tell Us Once notifies the following organisations. Each organisation uses the information to update its own records and will contact you if it needs anything else.
Benefits & pensions
Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)
Cancels State Pension, Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Carer's Allowance, and other DWP benefits. Also checks whether the surviving spouse or partner may be entitled to new benefits.
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC)
Deals with personal tax, cancels Child Benefit, Child Tax Credit, and Working Tax Credit. HMRC will write to you separately about any outstanding tax.
Social Security Scotland
Cancels Scottish Government benefits including Scottish Child Payment, Adult Disability Payment, and Carer Support Payment.
Veterans UK
Cancels or updates Armed Forces Compensation Scheme payments.
Identity & driving
HM Passport Office
Cancels the deceased's British passport. You do not need to return it — the cancellation is administrative.
DVLA
Cancels the driving licence, removes the person as the registered keeper of up to 5 vehicles, and ends vehicle tax on those vehicles.
Local council
Your local council
Cancels Housing Benefit, Council Tax Reduction (also called Council Tax Support), and a Blue Badge. Informs council housing services. Removes the person from the electoral register.
Public sector pensions
Civil Service Pension Scheme
Stops pension payments and notifies the scheme of the death.
NHS Pensions (England & Wales)
Stops pension payments and notifies the scheme of the death.
Scottish Public Pension Agency
Covers NHS staff, teachers, police, and firefighters in Scotland.
Armed Forces Pension Scheme
Stops pension payments and initiates any survivor benefit process.
Pension Protection Fund & Financial Assistance Scheme
Notified if the deceased was receiving payments from either scheme.
Local Government Pension Schemes (LGPS)
Covers council employees, teachers, and other local government workers.
DWP and HMRC will write to you
After Tell Us Once is submitted, DWP and HMRC will contact you separately if they need to deal with tax, benefits, entitlements, refunds or overpayments. DWP can stop the deceased person's benefits, but GOV.UK says parents or carers must contact DWP separately if a child or baby has died and they receive benefits because of that child.
What Tell Us Once does not cover
Tell Us Once handles the government side, but there is a long list of organisations it does not reach. You will need to contact these separately.
| Not covered by Tell Us Once | What to do instead |
|---|---|
| Banks and building societies | Contact each bank directly, or use the Death Notification Service (deathnotificationservice.co.uk). |
| Private and workplace pension providers | Contact each pension provider directly unless GOV.UK lists the scheme as one of the public sector pension schemes Tell Us Once contacts. Check for nomination forms because these help the provider decide who receives any death benefits. |
| Mortgage providers | Contact the lender directly. If there was mortgage protection insurance, make a claim. |
| Insurance companies | Home, car, life, and travel insurance all need separate notification. |
| Employers and contract providers | Contact employers, landlords, housing associations, utility companies, broadband, mobile and subscription providers separately. |
| HMRC for business taxes | If the person was self-employed or had business taxes (VAT, etc.), contact HMRC separately. |
| Student Loans Company | If the person had a student loan, contact the SLC directly — the loan is written off on death. |
| Land Registry | If the person owned property, you will need to update the title register separately. |
| Northern Ireland residents | Tell Us Once does not cover Northern Ireland. See the Northern Ireland section below. |
What you will need
Gather these before you start. The form is straightforward, but having everything to hand means you can complete it in one sitting rather than having to stop and search for details.
The Tell Us Once reference number
Given to you by the registrar at the death registration appointment. It expires after 28 days.
The deceased's full name and date of death
Exactly as on the death certificate.
Details of the executor or administrator
Name, address, and contact details of the person dealing with the estate.
Surviving spouse or civil partner's details
If applicable: name, address, phone number, and their National Insurance number or date of birth. You need their permission before providing this.
Next of kin details
If there is no surviving spouse or civil partner, or they cannot deal with their own affairs.
You may also need, if applicable:
| Optional detail | Why it helps |
|---|---|
| Passport number and town of birth | Needed for the Passport Office to cancel the passport. |
| Driving licence number | Needed for DVLA to cancel the licence. |
| Vehicle registration numbers (up to 5) | DVLA will remove them as registered keeper and end vehicle tax. |
| Local council name and services used | Needed to cancel Housing Benefit, Council Tax Reduction, or Blue Badge. |
| Blue Badge number | Helps the council locate the record faster. |
| Benefits and State Pension details | Helps DWP identify and stop the right payments. |
| Public sector pension scheme details | Needed to notify NHS Pensions, LGPS, Armed Forces Pension, etc. |
| National Insurance number | Not always required, but helps organisations match records faster. |
How to use Tell Us Once
The process is straightforward once you have the reference number.
Register the death
The registrar will explain the service after death registration and either complete it with you or give you a unique reference number. If an inquest means the death cannot yet be registered, ask the registrar whether an interim death certificate from the coroner can be used.
Choose online or phone
You can complete Tell Us Once online at gov.uk/tell-us-once, or by calling the number the registrar gives you. Both options are free. The online form is available 24 hours a day.
Enter the reference number
Start the service using the unique reference number from the registrar. GOV.UK says you must use the reference within 28 days of receiving it.
Work through the form
The form asks for the deceased's details and, where relevant, the details of the surviving spouse or civil partner, next of kin, executor or administrator. Gather these before you start.
Select the organisations to notify
You choose which organisations to include. If the person did not have a driving licence, you can skip DVLA. If they were not receiving Housing Benefit, you can skip that section. You only provide information that is relevant.
Submit and keep the confirmation
Once submitted, keep the confirmation as your record. EstateManager can help you store the Tell Us Once reference, confirmation, certificate copies, bank notifications, pension contacts and follow-up tasks in one place.
After you have used Tell Us Once
Tell Us Once is a significant step — but it is not the end of the notifications process. Once it is done, you still need to contact banks and building societies, private pension providers, insurance companies, utility companies, and anyone else the person had a financial relationship with.
For banks, the Death Notification Service (deathnotificationservice.co.uk) does a similar job to Tell Us Once — it lets you notify multiple banks in one step. Our guide to How to Notify Banks of a Death covers this in full.
You should also expect to hear from DWP and HMRC after Tell Us Once is processed. DWP will write to confirm which benefits have been stopped and to check whether you (as a surviving spouse or partner) may be entitled to anything new. HMRC will deal with the deceased's tax affairs — any refund owed to the estate, or any outstanding tax that needs to be paid.
If the person owned property, you will also need to update the Land Registry title register. This is a separate process and is not covered by Tell Us Once. Our guide to How to Apply for Probate covers the property side of things.
EstateManager can help you keep the Tell Us Once reference, confirmation, death certificate copies, bank notifications, pension provider contacts, utility updates and follow-up tasks in one place.
Northern Ireland
Tell Us Once does not operate in Northern Ireland. If the person who died was living in Northern Ireland, you will need to contact government organisations separately.
The equivalent service in Northern Ireland is the Bereavement Service, run by the Department for Communities. When you register the death, the registrar will give you information about this service. It covers DWP-equivalent benefits in Northern Ireland, but it does not have the same breadth as Tell Us Once.
| Organisation | How to notify in Northern Ireland |
|---|---|
| Benefits (DWP equivalent) | Contact the Northern Ireland Bereavement Service — the registrar will provide details. |
| HMRC | Contact HMRC directly at gov.uk/contact-hmrc — same process as England and Wales. |
| Driving licence | Contact the Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA) in Northern Ireland, not DVLA. |
| Passport | Contact HM Passport Office directly — same process as England and Wales. |
| Local council / rates | Contact Land and Property Services (LPS) if the person was paying rates or receiving Housing Benefit or Rate Relief. |
| Blue Badge | Return the badge to the Blue Badge Unit, Department for Infrastructure. |
Common questions
Do I have to use Tell Us Once?
No. It is optional. If you prefer, you can contact each organisation individually. Tell Us Once is free and covers most of the government organisations you would otherwise need to contact separately.
What is the 28-day deadline?
The registrar gives you a unique reference number when you register the death. You must use that reference number to complete Tell Us Once within 28 days. If you miss the deadline, the reference number expires and you will need to contact each organisation individually. It is worth doing Tell Us Once as soon as possible after the registration appointment.
Can I use Tell Us Once if the death is with the coroner?
Yes, in some circumstances. If you cannot register the death because an inquest is underway, GOV.UK says you can ask a registrar for a unique reference number, but you will need an interim death certificate from the coroner first.
Can I use Tell Us Once if a child or baby has died?
Yes, GOV.UK says Tell Us Once can be used if a child or baby has died. If you get benefits because you are their parent or carer, you must tell DWP separately as well.
What happens to the benefits that were being paid?
DWP and HMRC will stop benefits, tax credits and relevant entitlements after notification, then contact you if they need to deal with overpayments, underpayments, outstanding tax or refunds. If the deceased was owed money, HMRC will contact the executor or administrator about the estate.
Will Tell Us Once notify the pension provider automatically?
Only for public sector pension schemes — the Civil Service Pension Scheme, NHS Pensions, the Armed Forces Pension Scheme, Local Government Pension Schemes, the Scottish Public Pension Agency schemes, and the Pension Protection Fund. Private workplace pensions and personal pensions are not covered. You will need to contact those providers directly.
Can someone else use Tell Us Once on my behalf?
Yes. If you are not able to use the service yourself, someone else can use it on your behalf — a family member, friend, or solicitor. They will need the reference number from the registrar and the details of the person who died. You should give your permission before they proceed, as they will be sharing your personal details (if you are a surviving spouse or civil partner) as part of the process.
What if the person died abroad?
You can use Tell Us Once if the person was living in England, Scotland, or Wales and died abroad temporarily — for example on a holiday or business trip. You cannot use it if they were living abroad permanently when they died. In that case, you will need to contact each UK government organisation separately.
Does Tell Us Once deal with the estate?
No. Tell Us Once only notifies government organisations of the death. It does not deal with the estate, probate, or distributing assets. Those are separate processes. Once Tell Us Once is done, you still need to deal with banks, insurers, private pensions, property, and everything else.
What to read next
Recommended next step
How to Notify Banks of a Death
Tell Us Once handles the government side. Now use the Death Notification Service to notify banks and building societies in one step.
What to Do When Someone Dies
The complete first-steps guide — everything from the first 24 hours to the estate.
How to Register a Death
The 5-day deadline, what to bring, and what you receive at the appointment.
Benefits After a Bereavement
Bereavement Support Payment, Funeral Expenses Payment, Pension Credit, and more.
Legal disclaimer: This guide is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws and procedures can change, and individual circumstances vary. If you need advice specific to your situation, please consult a qualified solicitor or legal professional.
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