When someone dies in the UK, you are legally required to register the death with the local register office within five days in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, or within eight days in Scotland. Once registered, the government’s Tell Us Once service allows you to notify most central and local government departments in a single step. This article walks through each stage of the process, from legal registration to HMRC obligations and beyond.
Who do you legally have to notify when someone dies in the UK?
In the UK, the law requires that a death is formally registered with the local register office before any other official notifications can take place. Beyond registration, there is no single legal obligation to contact every government body individually – the Tell Us Once service exists precisely to handle most of those notifications in one go. However, HMRC may require separate attention depending on the estate’s tax position.
The individuals who can register a death include a relative of the deceased, someone present at the death, the occupier of the premises where the death occurred, or the person arranging the funeral. Once registration is complete, the registrar will typically introduce you to the Tell Us Once service, which covers the majority of your government notification responsibilities.
In practical terms, the government bodies most commonly notified following a death include:
- HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC)
- The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)
- The Passport Office
- The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)
- The local council (for council tax, housing benefit, and electoral roll purposes)
- The Pension Service, if the deceased was receiving a state pension
What is the Tell Us Once service and how does it work?
Tell Us Once is a free government service that allows you to report a death to most central and local government departments in a single notification, rather than contacting each one individually. It is available in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, though Northern Ireland operates a slightly different version of the service. The registrar will provide you with a unique reference number after you register the death, which you use to access Tell Us Once online or by phone.
The service notifies a wide range of government departments on your behalf, including HMRC, the DWP, the Passport Office, the DVLA, and relevant local council services. Once you submit the notification, each department updates its records and takes any necessary action – such as stopping benefit payments or cancelling a driving licence – automatically.
To use Tell Us Once, you will need:
- The unique reference number provided by the registrar
- The deceased’s date of birth and National Insurance number
- Details of any benefits, pensions, or tax credits the deceased was receiving
- The deceased’s driving licence and passport numbers, if available
- Contact details for the next of kin or executor handling the estate
You have 28 days from the date of registration to use Tell Us Once. It is strongly advisable to use it as early as possible, as delays in notifying the DWP or local council can result in overpayments that the estate will later be required to repay.
How do you register a death before notifying the government?
Before you can notify the government when someone dies, you must first register the death with the local register office in the district where the death occurred. In England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, this must be done within five days. In Scotland, the timeframe is eight days. Registration is free of charge and must be completed in person at the register office.
To register a death, you will need to bring the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD), which is issued by the attending doctor or hospital. The registrar will ask for information including the deceased’s full name, date and place of birth, last known address, occupation, and marital status.
Once the death is registered, the registrar will issue:
- A death certificate (you can purchase certified copies, which you will need for banks, solicitors, and probate)
- A Certificate for Burial or Cremation (the green form), which the funeral director requires
- The unique reference number to access Tell Us Once
If a death has been referred to the coroner – for example, because the cause of death was sudden or unexplained – registration may be delayed until the coroner has completed their investigation. In these cases, the coroner’s office will guide you on the next steps.
Does HMRC need to be notified separately about a death?
Yes, in many cases HMRC will need to be notified separately, even if you have used Tell Us Once. Tell Us Once informs HMRC that the person has died and closes their personal tax record, but it does not handle the estate’s tax obligations. If the estate is subject to Inheritance Tax, or if the deceased had outstanding income tax or capital gains tax liabilities, these must be addressed through a separate process.
For estates that exceed the Inheritance Tax threshold – currently £325,000 for individuals, though allowances can be higher depending on circumstances – the executor is legally responsible for completing an Inheritance Tax return and paying any tax due before probate is granted. HMRC’s Inheritance Tax team handles this separately from the general death notification process.
Executors should also be aware that HMRC may need to issue a final income tax calculation for the tax year in which the deceased died. This is handled through the Self Assessment process or by contacting HMRC’s bereavement team directly.
Accurate valuation of the estate’s assets – including property, household contents, vehicles, and investments – is central to this process. An incorrectly valued estate can lead to underpayment of Inheritance Tax, which HMRC has the authority to challenge. This is where instructing a qualified probate valuer becomes essential rather than optional.
What happens if you don’t notify the government in time?
Failing to notify the government promptly following a death can lead to a range of practical and financial complications. The most immediate risk is the continued payment of state benefits, pensions, or tax credits to the deceased. These overpayments are recoverable from the estate, meaning the executor becomes responsible for repaying funds that should not have been received.
In relation to Inheritance Tax specifically, delays in notifying HMRC and submitting the required forms can result in interest charges accruing on any tax owed. HMRC expects Inheritance Tax to be paid within six months of the end of the month in which the death occurred. After that point, interest begins to apply to any outstanding amount.
Beyond financial penalties, delays in registration can hold up the entire probate process. Probate cannot be granted until the death is registered, and without probate, executors have limited authority to deal with the deceased’s assets. Banks, financial institutions, and property registries will not act on instructions from an executor until the grant of probate is in place.
Who else needs to be informed when someone dies?
Beyond the government, a significant number of organisations and individuals need to be informed when someone dies. While Tell Us Once covers the major government departments, executors are responsible for notifying a wide range of private organisations and institutions separately.
Key contacts typically include:
- Banks and building societies – to freeze accounts and begin the process of transferring or closing them
- Pension providers and life insurers – to claim any death benefits or cease payments
- Utility companies and landlords – to transfer or close accounts and avoid ongoing charges
- The deceased’s employer – to arrange final pay and any death-in-service benefits
- Subscription and membership services – to cancel ongoing direct debits and prevent further charges
- The Royal Mail – if mail redirection is needed during estate administration
- The Bereavement Register and Mailing Preference Service – to reduce unwanted post addressed to the deceased
Solicitors acting on the estate will often assist with many of these notifications, particularly where legal authority is required. However, the practical day-to-day administration – including clearing and securing the property – typically falls to the executor or a trusted professional service.
How Avery Associates helps with estate administration after a death
Once the immediate notifications are in hand, executors often face the considerable task of administering the estate itself – valuing assets, clearing the property, and ensuring everything is documented correctly for probate. Avery Associates provides a complete, end-to-end service designed to take that burden off the executor’s shoulders.
- RICS-accredited probate valuations with a 100% HMRC acceptance rate, covering property and household contents
- Full probate house clearance, including vehicles, garden contents, and specialist hoarder clearance
- Deep cleaning and property management, ensuring the property is secure and sale-ready
- Will searches and document retrieval prior to valuation
- Reports returned within five working days, with urgent written reports available within 24 hours
- Nationwide coverage with dedicated local valuation teams across every county in the UK
Whether you are managing a modest estate or a complex high-value property, Avery Associates handles every aspect with professionalism, discretion, and genuine care. To find out how the team can support you, speak to our estate specialists today for a free initial consultation.
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This content was generated with the help of AI and it may contain mistakes
