4 minute read
Letting People Know
Letting People Know
Family, friends and colleagues
Picking up the telephone to tell close family and friends or even someone like an employer about someone’s death is usually difficult. You may want to ask people you trust to let their branch of the family know on your behalf or ask a friend to let members of their social networks know. For someone who was still employed or recently retired, a manager or colleague will most likely know the most appropriate person to be informed in the workplace.
Social networking sites, such as Facebook, may be the equivalent of an address book and email address or telephone contacts will be helpful to you in informing all those who may need (or be grateful) to know that a friend or colleague has passed away.
Organisations
When contacting organisations and agencies like their bank, it is always useful to keep an up-to-date list of those organisations you have contacted, who you spoke to and the date of the call.
Many organisations have helpful systems to disseminate the information through, so you don’t need to tell as many people. We have compiled a list of agencies you may need to inform including their web address if applicable.
• GOV.UK (1) Tell Us Once and (2) Property Records
This useful website explains and lays out step-by-step the things you will need to do, or have someone help you with over the coming days.
www.gov.uk/when-someone-dies
This UK Government website includes the helpful service called Tell Us Once.
• (1) Tell Us Once:
www.gov.uk/after-a-death/organisations-you-need-to-contactand-tell-us-once
This is a free system and the Registrar will give you a Tell Us Once reference number and information on the next steps. Tell Us Once can inform some government agencies of the death and stop any payments that may have been due, such as:
• HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) – to deal with personal tax • Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) – to cancel benefits and entitlements, for example Universal Credit or State Pension • Passport Office – to cancel a British passport • Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) – to cancel a driving licence • The local council – to cancel Housing Benefit, Council Tax
Reduction (sometimes called Council Tax Support), a Blue
Badge, inform council housing services and remove the person from the electoral register • Veterans UK – to cancel Armed Forces Compensation Scheme payments
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will contact you about the tax, benefits and entitlements of the person who has died.
Tell Us Once will also contact some public sector pension schemes so that future pension payments are cancelled. These pension schemes are:
• My Civil Service Pension • NHS Pension Scheme • Armed Forces Pension Scheme • Pension schemes for NHS staff, teachers, police and firefighters in Scotland • Local Authority pension schemes that participate in Tell Us
Once
• (2) Update Property Records
To update property records if the person who died owns land or property, please refer to:
www.gov.uk/update-property-records-someone-dies
• The Death Notification Service
www.deathnotificationservice.co.uk
This free UK-wide service allows you to notify, all at the same time rather than individually, a number of participating banks, building societies and financial institutions such as some credit card companies, mortgage lenders and life insurance and pensions companies of a person’s death.
Once the relevant banks and building societies have been notified, they will then get in touch with you about the next steps.
It is worth noting that ALL products offered by these firms are covered – so for example, with a bank it’s not just the current account but any relevant mortgage and other products too.
• Others
There will be other companies to inform, such as those listed below. You are likely to need the relevant information such as date of death, full name, account numbers and Death Certificate number.
If the bill comes out of a joint account (which will continue as usual) some of these can wait as the spouse is still able to pay the bills, but a change of name will still be required.
Cable/satellite Car insurance Club memberships Trade unions Dentist Electricity Gas GP Home deliveries House insurance Internet Pensions (employer and private) Professional bodies/trade Return of medical equipment Royal mail redirection Social media Telephone (landline and mobile) Water
Social Media
Your lost relative or friend may have one or more social media accounts – for example, Facebook or Twitter. You may not be sure what you want to do with these accounts.
Some people want to close them, while others want to convert them into a memorialised account. There’s no hurry to do either. Take your time, talk through the options with friends and family. You can find information on closing or converting to memorialised accounts on most social media websites.
If you wish to do so, you can also create an online tribute site in memory of a loved one, by creating a Cherished Forever Fund. This can be a unique and meaningful way to celebrate the life of someone special and is an opportunity to create a lasting online tribute to remember your loved one. For more information please visit
