First Month

Planning the funeral, notifying key services and claim benefits

Who to notify when someone dies: a complete UK list

This guide is a complete list of who needs to be told when someone dies in the UK, split into the government bodies you can notify in one go and the private-sector accounts you have to contact one by one. It is written for the person taking on the practical tasks and trying to make sure nothing is missed.

6 min read

How to apply for probate in the UK: a step-by-step guide

This guide covers how to apply for probate in England and Wales: what you need to have in place first, how to apply online or by post, what it costs, how long it takes, and what to do with the grant once it arrives. It is written for the person handling the estate, usually an executor named in the will or the next of kin where there is no will.

7 min read

Do you need probate? UK bank thresholds and when a grant is required

This guide explains when probate is required in England and Wales, when it is not, and the bank thresholds that often decide the question. It is written for the person trying to work out whether they can deal with an estate directly or whether they first need to apply for a grant. If you are new to the term, our guide on what is probate covers the basics.

6 min read

Bereavement Support Payment UK: who qualifies, how much, and how to claim

Bereavement Support Payment is a tax-free benefit from the Department for Work and Pensions for people whose spouse, civil partner, or cohabiting partner has died. It replaced three older bereavement benefits in April 2017: Widowed Parent's Allowance, Bereavement Allowance, and Bereavement Payment. The rates are unchanged for 2026/27.

5 min read

How to stop mail and reduce identity fraud after a death: the Bereavement Register, DNS and Deceased Preference Service explained

This guide explains the four free services that work together to stop unwanted mail and protect the deceased's identity, plus the paid Royal Mail option for redirecting genuine post. It sets out how each one differs, in what order to use them, and what none of them can do.

12 min read

The Death Notification Service (DNS): what it is, who is signed up, and how to use it

In practical terms, the DNS is the private sector counterpart to the government's Tell Us Once service. Tell Us Once handles HMRC, the DWP, the DVLA and your local council in one notification. The DNS handles a meaningful proportion of UK retail banks.

12 min read

How to notify a bank after someone dies in the UK: documents, process and timescales

This guide sets out exactly how to notify a UK bank or building society of a death: what documents you need, how each major bank handles the process, what happens after notification, and what to do if things take longer than expected. It is a companion to our broader guide on what happens to a bank account when someone dies, which covers what changes inside the account once the bank knows. This guide focuses on the practical step of getting the bank told.

11 min read

What to do when someone dies in the UK: a step-by-step guide

This guide explains what to do in the first days, weeks and months after a death in the UK. It is written for the person taking on the practical tasks: a spouse, an adult child, an executor, a close friend. It assumes you are in England or Wales, with notes on the differences for Scotland and Northern Ireland.

10 min read

What happens to council tax when someone dies in the UK

Council tax does not automatically stop when someone dies. Whether you owe anything, and for how long, depends on who was living at the property, whether they owned or rented it, and how quickly the estate is settled. Get it right and there may be nothing to pay for months. Get it wrong and charges can accumulate, or a refund you are owed goes unclaimed.

7 min read

Death certificates UK: how many you need and where to use them

This guide covers how death certificates are issued, how many to order, where they are needed, what they cost, and how to get more copies if you need them later.

7 min read

Tell Us Once: what it covers and what families still need to do

Tell Us Once is a free government service that lets you report a death to multiple public sector organisations at the same time. Instead of contacting each department individually, you provide the information once and the service distributes it on your behalf.

5 min read

Bereavement leave UK: what employees and employers need to know

This guide covers the current statutory position, what most employers offer in practice, the specific rights that exist for parents who lose a child, what to do if your employer's policy falls short, and what is changing under the Employment Rights Act 2025.

7 min read

View all guides

First Month

Planning the funeral, notifying key services and claim benefits

Who to notify when someone dies: a complete UK list

How to apply for probate in the UK: a step-by-step guide

Do you need probate? UK bank thresholds and when a grant is required

Bereavement Support Payment UK: who qualifies, how much, and how to claim

How to stop mail and reduce identity fraud after a death: the Bereavement Register, DNS and Deceased Preference Service explained

The Death Notification Service (DNS): what it is, who is signed up, and how to use it

How to notify a bank after someone dies in the UK: documents, process and timescales

What to do when someone dies in the UK: a step-by-step guide

What happens to council tax when someone dies in the UK

Death certificates UK: how many you need and where to use them

Tell Us Once: what it covers and what families still need to do

Bereavement leave UK: what employees and employers need to know

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