What do I need to do when someone has died? - Practical admin advice
When someone important to you has died, it can be very overwhelming to think about where to start. Who do you need to inform? How do you do it? Where do you get help and advice?
Here are some useful tips and links to help you manage at this difficult time.
Things to think about straight away:
Letting friends and family know. You could do this by calling, emailing, messaging, or even writing to people – whatever feels easiest and most manageable for you. It might be helpful to write down a list of the people you have told, so you have a way to check if you forget. Remember, it is okay to let friends and family members help you with this. Letting others pass on the news to the people you don’t feel you need to tell personally can take some of the pressure off you.
Telling their employer that they have died. If you don’t know their colleagues or how to reach them, try calling or emailing the main office, and they will be able to direct your contact to the right person.
Arranging time off from school, college, or work for yourself. You may want to ask about their bereavement policy so you know how much time you can take off without losing pay. If you have any exams or important events coming up, ask what support may be available to help you.
Within the first week or so:
Register the death.
This should be done within 5 days (or 8 if in Scotland) of receiving the death certificate, and these 5 or 8 days include weekends and bank holidays. What to do after someone dies: Register the death - GOV.UK. You can find your nearest register office here: Find a register office - GOV.UK. You will need to take along some paperwork to register the death: What You Need to Register a Death - Bereavement Advice Centre.
Think about funeral arrangements.
You may need to consider which undertaker to use and what sort of service you would like. You may also need to find out whether your important person had life insurance or how the funeral will be paid for. Funding can be applied for if you are on a low income: What to do after someone dies: Arrange the funeral - GOV.UK.
Let all government agencies know by using the ‘tell us once’ service.
This service includes departments such as benefits, HMRC, passport office, DVLA and council tax, and saves you having to contact each department separately: What to do after someone dies: Tell Us Once - GOV.UK.
Within the first month or so:
Inform health agencies such as doctors or your local GP practice, dentists, opticians, and any other healthcare professionals your person may have been registered with, such as counsellors or other private practices.
Inform financial agencies such as banks, credit cards, mortgage/landlord/housing association, insurance, pension, mobile phone, any subscriptions and utility companies.
Apply for benefits in your own name if necessary.
Stop mailing list post arriving in their name: The Bereavement Register.
Later on:
Deal with the estate. Depending on whether your important person wrote a will or not, there are different ways you may have to approach sorting out the estate. You may need to involve a solicitor at this stage: Dealing with the estate of someone who's died: Overview - GOV.UK.
It is important to take care of yourself during this extremely emotional time, remember to allow for some downtime for some self-care and rest, and reach out for support if you need it.
Whether you’re struggling with your feelings, not sure how to express your thoughts or trying to find ways to remember your person who has died, we have lots of ideas to help.
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