Tell Us Once service
After you register a death with us, you can use the free Tell Us Once service.
It allows you to inform all relevant central and local government departments about the person who has died by a single phone call or by registering online with the Department of Work and Pensions.
Who
If you are the next of kin (closest relative by blood or marriage, or civil partnership to the deceased), your entitlement to benefits may change, so please have your own National Insurance number and date of birth with you when you contact the Department of Work and Pensions.
If you are not the next of kin or the person who is dealing with the deceased’s estate (the person sorting out their property, belongings and money), you can still use the service as long as you have the next of kin’s permission to provide information about them and act on their behalf.
Before you start
During the death registration appointment, the registrar will record some basic details and give you a letter with a reference number. In some cases if the coroner has issued Interim Death Certificates, the coroners service can assist in supplying a Tell Us Once reference number.
In order to use Tell Us Once, you need to have the reference number, issued by the registrar, and the following information about the person who has died:
- date of birth
- details of any benefits or services they were receiving
- their death certificate
- their driving licence or driving licence number (not necessary, but without it the DVLA will not be notified)
- their passport or passport number and town or country of birth (not necessary, but without it HM Passport Office will not be notified)
You may also be asked for the contact details for:
- their next of kin
- a surviving husband, wife or civil partner
- the person dealing with their estate
You must obtain the permission of the persons listed above if you are going to provide information about them.
How
By phone
The registrar will give you the phone number at the time of registering the death.
There is also a textphone service for those hard of hearing, the number is 0800 1412 218.
Online
Register online using your reference number on the Tell Us Once website.
You will have 28 days to log on to the website, after which your reference number will no longer be valid.
Further information
Last updated 09 July 2024