Dealing with finances after someone dies: step-by-step guide

Our guide to the steps to take after someone dies

Losing a loved one is difficult in all kinds of ways, and dealing with their finances may well be the last thing you want to be thinking about.

This guide isn’t designed to be a comprehensive list of everything you could possibly need to think about, but we hope that by laying out some of the first steps you might need to take, we can help make the process a little simpler.

1. Register the death

One of the first steps you’ll need to take is to register the death. Someone from the medical examiner’s office should contact you to confirm you can do this once they have confirmed the cause of death.

Once you’ve received confirmation from the medical examiner, you have five days (or eight days in Scotland) to register the death. Normally this is done by a relative at a register office. You can find out the steps to take in your region and circumstances by visiting register a death on GOV.UK.

Once the death is registered, you can pay to get a copy (or copies) of the death certificate from the registrar.

You’ll usually need a copy of the death certificate to serve as proof to banks, building societies and other agencies that someone has died.

Because you’ll often have to send off an official copy to multiple organisations and wait to get it back, you may find it speeds up the process to get more than one copy of the certificate.

2. Let any relevant parties know about the death

Notify banks, building societies, credit card providers, and any other organisations you can think of where your loved one might have held an account.

Most companies should be able to help you through the process and answer any questions you have.

3. Cancel subscriptions and memberships

Request that any accounts be frozen or cancelled to prevent money being taken out of your loved one’s account.

4. Keep tabs on any ongoing bills

You may have to cover some ongoing bills or financial commitments, such as mortgage payments or utility bills, even if it’s only temporary.

5. Use the Tell Us Once service to sort out a few things in one go

This service lets you report a death to most government organisations in one go. It will notify the organisations below, among others:

• HMRC to deal with tax

• DWP to deal with benefits and pensions

• Passport Office to cancel a British passport

• Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to end vehicle tax

• The local council to deal with local taxes and benefits and remove them from the electoral register

• Veterans UK to cancel or update Armed Forces Compensation Scheme payments.

The registrar should inform you about this service when they register the death of your loved one. They should either give you a unique reference number to use when you complete the service or walk you through it right there and then.

Find out more at Tell Us Once.

6. Redirect mail so you don’t miss important details

If you didn’t live with the person who’s died, you can make sure you don’t miss out on any important documents, and avoid your loved one becoming a victim of identity fraud, by using Royal Mail’s redirection service.

This lets you redirect mail for up to four years after someone has passed away. Unfortunately, you can’t apply online; you’ll need to go to a Post Office branch in person or apply by post.

7. Apply for probate so you can deal with your loved one’s property, money, and possessions

Probate gives you the right to deal with someone’s property, money, and possessions (their estate) after they’ve died. For example, you may need probate to transfer money from their bank account to yours.

GOV.UK says you 'should not make any financial plans or put property on the market until you’ve got probate’.

You can apply for probate at GOV.UK.

8. Take care of their insurance policies

You’ll need to let the providers of any insurance policies your loved one held or was named on know that they’ve died. It’s important to do this as soon as possible, as a car or home insurance policy may become invalid after the death of a policyholder.

You’ll generally need to cancel or amend the policy – or, in the case of life insurance, potentially make a claim.

Find out more about claiming on a life insurance policy.

9. Claim benefits including Bereavement Support Payment if you’re eligible

According to GOV.UK, you could get financial support if you’re married, in a civil partnership or living with someone as if you were married, and your partner dies.

To qualify you’ll need to be under State Pension age and meet other eligibility requirements.

For more details on eligibility and how to claim, see the guide to the Bereavement Support Payment on GOV.UK.

If you get certain benefits or tax credits and you have a qualifying relationship with the deceased, you may also be entitled to help with funeral costs. Visit the GOV.UK guide to the Funeral Expenses Payment to find out more.

We know dealing with finances after losing someone isn’t easy, but we hope this guide has made the process a little simpler for you. If you’d like more information, you might find the following sites helpful:

• GOV.UK

• Citizens Advice

• Bereavement Advice Centre