The death of a loved one is a difficult time, and we can never really prepare ourselves for the tidal wave of emotions that follow. One of the first things the next of kin must do following a death is to inform the right people. This article looks at who to tell, how and when to minimise the stress of the process.
Personal
Let’s start with the personal contacts you should inform.
Relatives and friends – This may be emotionally challenging but will allow all contacts to make arrangements and bring people together for support.
Employer – If the deceased was employed, you should contact their employer as soon as possible. They can take care of the administration regarding any money owed, belongings at work, etc.
School – As with the employer, they can take care of administration and belongings
Social Groups – If the deceased was part of a local community, church or club, they should be informed.
GP Doctor
Dentist
Anyone with whom they may have had outstanding appointments – i.e. Hairdressers, personal trainers, beauticians, chiropractors etc.
Central and Local Government Services
When informing government organisations of a death, there is a service called ‘Tell Us Once’. You can use this service to report the death to most government services at once. If, for any reason, this does not work, here is a list of the government organisations you may need to inform:
HMRC (HM Revenue and Customs) – This will take care of income tax and various benefits
National Insurance Contributions Office – This will stop payments if the deceased was self-employed.
DWP (Department for Work and Pensions) – This will cancel benefits such as state pension and income support.
Child Benefit Office – This will stop the child benefit payments for anyone with children in the qualifying age bracket.
UK Passport Agency – This will cancel the deceased’s passport.
The local council – Letting the council know will cancel the deceased’s council tax, any housing benefit, blue badge or parking permit and update the electoral register
DVLA – This will cancel their driving licence and car tax and update car ownership
Financial Contacts
You may need to look through paperwork to ensure you have an up-to-date list of all financial responsibilities and contacts of the deceased. This may include:
Solicitor
Accountant
The landlord for rented property
Mortgage provider for owned property
Insurance providers
Pension providers
Bank/building society
Loan or hire purchase companies
Credit card providers
Utility companies
TV Licence
Internet, phone and TV package provider
Any company with whom the deceased may have had a paid subscription
While this is only general guidance, it is an excellent place to start when notifying people of a death. For help with funeral planning, contact Funeral Map.
