After › After a death: a step-by-step checklist
After a death: a step-by-step checklist
Use this list to keep track. Work down it at your own pace, and tick things off. The only dates that matter are the registration deadline, the Tell Us Once limit and the funeral claim window.
Write the date next to each item as you do it. Where a step has a page, the link goes to more detail.
First day or two
- Death confirmed by a doctor. If sudden, call 999 and see first steps.
- Find out whether a coroner (or the procurator fiscal in Scotland) is involved.
- Tell close family and friends.
- Arrange care for any children, pets or anyone who depended on the person.
- Secure the home. Lock up, and check heating and food.
Within the first week
- Wait for the medical examiner's office to contact you in England and Wales, then register the death within 5 days. In Scotland it is 8 days where possible. In Northern Ireland it is 5 days, apart from coroner cases. See Scotland and Northern Ireland.
- Collect the burial or cremation certificate (the green form in England and Wales) and give it to the funeral director.
- Buy several copies of the death certificate.
- Ask the registrar for a Tell Us Once reference number (not for people who lived in Northern Ireland).
- Look for a will and for funeral wishes or a prepaid funeral plan.
- Choose a funeral director or arrange the funeral. See funerals and costs.
Within 28 days
- Use the Tell Us Once reference number within 28 days of getting it.
- Contact each bank, building society, mortgage lender and insurer.
- Tell employers, pension providers and, if relevant, the Student Loans Company. See banks, pensions and benefits.
- Tell utilities, the landlord or council, and the home insurer. See home, tenancy and digital accounts.
Within 8 weeks
- Report the death to the Child Benefit Office if you cannot use Tell Us Once. GOV.UK gives 8 weeks.
Within 3 months
- If you were the partner of the person who died, claim Bereavement Support Payment. To get the full amount you usually need to claim within 3 months.
Within 6 months of the funeral
- If you need help with funeral costs, apply for a Funeral Expenses Payment in England and Wales, Funeral Support Payment in Scotland, or the payment in Northern Ireland. The limit in each is six months from the funeral.
Within about a year
- Work out the estate's value. If Inheritance Tax is due, GOV.UK says to report to HMRC within one year on form IHT400.
- Apply for probate (England and Wales, Northern Ireland) or confirmation (Scotland) if you need it. See probate and confirmation.
- If there is no will, see intestacy.
- Collect in assets, pay debts and tax, and then distribute the estate. Keep records of every payment.
Digital and personal tidy-up
- Close or memorialise email, social media and subscriptions.
- Cancel the passport, driving licence and Blue Badge as directed by Tell Us Once.
- Cancel direct debits and memberships.
For you
- Talk to someone: Samaritans 116 123 or Cruse. See bereavement support.
- Tell your own employer. Ask about time off.
- Keep copies of all letters and a log of every call.
When you are stuck
If the estate is complex, there is a family dispute, or you feel overwhelmed, ask a solicitor, your local Citizens Advice, or the relevant helpline in the sections above. You can also read the overview again.
This is general information, not legal advice. Rules differ between England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and they change. Check the official pages linked at the bottom of each page, and ask a solicitor or Citizens Advice about your own situation. Last checked November 2026.
Sources
- What to do after someone dies (GOV.UK, archived copy)
- Tell Us Once: organisations to contact (GOV.UK)
- Funeral Expenses Payment (GOV.UK, archived copy)
- Bereavement Support Payment: eligibility (GOV.UK)
- Applying for probate: before you apply (GOV.UK)
- Register a death (mygov.scot)
- Registering a death with the district registrar (nidirect)