Use the Tell Us Once service
One thing first
You have registered the death and the registrar has just handed you something easy to overlook: a Tell Us Once reference number. Before you get lost in banks and paperwork, take ten quiet minutes to use it. This one step saves you a dozen separate letters and phone calls later.
What you need to know
Tell Us Once is a free government service that lets you report a death to most government departments in one go. Instead of writing to each office on its own, you enter the details once and the service passes them on for you.
It covers things like HM Revenue and Customs, the Department for Work and Pensions, the passport office, the driver and vehicle licensing agency, and the local council. It does not cover banks, insurers or utility companies, so keep those on your own list for later.
You usually get the reference number from the registrar when you register the death. It is time limited, so use it within about 28 days.
Documenten die je hierbij nodig hebt
- The Tell Us Once reference number from the registrar
- The person's date of birth, National Insurance number and last address
- Details of any benefits, pensions, passport or driving licence they held
- Your own name and contact details as the person reporting
How to approach it
Watch how a plain request turns into a clear checklist of what you will need in front of you before you start. Run this as it is and read the answer slowly.
Together
Now make it yours. Fill in the blank so the assistant builds a list based on what the person actually held.
Your turn
Once you have completed the service online or by phone, you will see a confirmation of which departments were told. Ask the assistant to help you keep a clean record of it.
Check · s3
Which of these does Tell Us Once NOT notify for you?
You've now sorted
You have used your Tell Us Once reference to notify the main government departments in a single step, and you have saved a confirmation of exactly who was told, so nothing slips through the cracks.
Checkpoints
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This step is done when you can tick all of these: