When someone dies there is a long list of government departments that need to know, and telling each one separately is exactly the kind of repetitive admin nobody has energy for. Tell Us Once bundles most of it into a single report. It is free, and it saves a lot of letters and phone calls.
What Tell Us Once is
Tell Us Once is a government service that lets you report a death to most government departments in one go. When you register the death, the registrar usually gives you a unique reference number and either completes the service with you there and then, or gives you the details to do it yourself online or by phone.
What it covers
Using the service, the following are told for you:
- HM Revenue and Customs, for income tax and any tax credits.
- The Department for Work and Pensions, for the State Pension and benefits.
- The Passport Office, to cancel a passport.
- The DVLA, to cancel a driving licence.
- The local council, for council tax, any Blue Badge and electoral registration.
- Some public sector pension schemes.
It does not tell banks, insurers, utilities or private pensions. You still contact those yourself; our guides on telling banks and closing utilities cover that side.
How to use it
You will need the person’s date of birth, National Insurance number, driving licence and passport numbers if they had them and details of any benefits or public sector pensions. Have their death certificate details to hand too. You can complete the report at the register office, online or by phone using the reference the registrar gives you.
Do it within a few weeks if you can. It stops payments that would otherwise need repaying later and closes off accounts that could be misused.
Different in Northern Ireland
Tell Us Once is available in England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland runs a separate service through the Bereavement Service, which you contact directly. If the death was registered in Northern Ireland, ask the registrar what applies rather than assuming Tell Us Once is available.
Frequently asked questions
Is Tell Us Once free?
Yes. It is a free government service offered when you register a death.
How long do I have to use it?
There is no strict deadline, but use it promptly. It stops benefit and pension payments that might otherwise be overpaid and later reclaimed from the estate.
Does it tell banks and utilities?
No. It covers government departments and the local council only. Banks, insurers, utilities and private pensions are contacted separately.
Sources
- GOV.UK: What to do when someone dies, and the Tell Us Once service
- nidirect: Bereavement Service (Northern Ireland)
Reviewed by a bereavement specialist (name to be assigned). Last reviewed: [set on publish]. This is general information, not legal or financial advice.
