What to do after someone dies

We understand that losing a loved one is a very difficult time and there are a number of important duties that need to be carried out. To help you through this time, we've outlined what these duties are and where you can get support from.

We also have a bereavement guide available to download.

Registering a death

After someone dies you will need to register their death. The register is the formal record that someone has died. You will need to do this within five days in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, or eight days in Scotland - though this doesn't apply if the death's reported to the coroner.

Registering a death can be an emotional experience, making the person’s death feel more real and official. After someone dies it is also common to find it hard to concentrate, which can make answering lots of questions a stressful experience.

Ask a friend or family member to come along for support. Don’t worry if you get upset during the appointment. The registrar has experience dealing with people who are grieving and will be able to help you.

• A close relative usually registers the death. If the person who died doesn’t have any relatives it can be someone who lived at the same address or someone who was there at the time of death.
  
  
• You will need to register the death before you can arrange a funeral date.
  
  
• If someone dies abroad, has been missing for a long time, or if a coroner is investigating the death there may be a different procedure to follow, and it may take longer.

Find out more about registering a death on the GOV.uk website >

Once a death is registered, you can start to arrange the funeral. Visit our page on funerals and costs for more help.

Death certificates

We would recommend getting several copies of the death certificate This is an official copy of what's on the death register, often needed as proof by companies and financial institutions, such as banks and insurance firms.

These can vary from £4-£10 each when registering the death, but this increases to around £7-£15 if you want more copies at a later date.

Getting several copies means that you don’t have to wait for the original to be returned each time when contacting organisations.

Notifying organisations

After someone dies there are people that you need to tell which include government departments, banks, and building societies, insurance companies, utilities, and media companies. There’s a handy list on the Moneysaving Expert website which you might find helpful.

Organisations/services that help you with the notifying process

• Tell Us Once service - this government service allows you to report a death to most government organisations in one go. You will be told if this service is available in your area when you register the death.
  
  
• Other schemes such as the Death Notification Service, Life Ledger and Settld allow you to notify a number of banks, building societies and other organisations of a person’s death, at the same time.

Financial support available

• If you receive certain benefits you may be eligible for a Funeral Expenses Payment (or Funeral Support Payment in Scotland). Note that there is often a delay before receiving funds and the amount may not cover the full costs of a funeral.
  
  
• Husbands, wives, and civil partners may be eligible for a bereavement support payment.
  
  
• In England, the Children’s Funeral Fund for England can help to pay for some of the costs of a funeral for a child under 18 or a baby stillborn after the 24th week of pregnancy. It is not means-tested: what you earn or how much you have in savings will not affect what you get.
  
  
• Other sources of funds to pay for a funeral include any money the person who has died may have left, some charities and there may also be options to set up repayment plans and loans.

Page last updated: November 2023.