Tell Us Once: what it is and how to use it

When someone dies, there is a long list of organisations to contact. Tell Us Once is a free government service that removes a large part of that burden — it lets you report a death to most government departments and your local council in a single step, rather than contacting each one individually.

The registrar will offer to start Tell Us Once when you register the death, or give you a reference number to complete it online or by phone. You have 28 days to use it. It covers England, Scotland, and Wales.

This guide explains what Tell Us Once does, which organisations it notifies, what it does not cover, and how to use it.

What is Tell Us Once?

Tell Us Once is a service run by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) that allows a single notification of a death to reach multiple government departments and local council services simultaneously. It was introduced to reduce the administrative burden on bereaved families at an already difficult time.

The service is free. There is no charge to use it, and no obligation — though there is very little reason not to. Notifying government departments promptly prevents overpayments of benefits, pensions, and tax credits, which can otherwise become debts against the estate that need recovering.

You can access Tell Us Once in two ways:

1. At the register office — when you register the death, the registrar can complete the Tell Us Once process with you on the spot.
2. Online or by phone — the registrar will give you a unique reference number. You then complete the process at gov.uk or by calling the number provided, within 28 days.

The service is available for deaths registered in England, Scotland, and Wales. It is not available in Northern Ireland, where you will need to contact government departments separately. (Source: gov.uk — organisations you need to tell)

Which organisations does Tell Us Once notify?

This is the key question — and the answer is more comprehensive than many people expect. Tell Us Once contacts the following government departments, council services, and public sector pension schemes on your behalf:

This is the list published on gov.uk at the time of writing. The list may expand over time as more organisations join the service. (Source: gov.uk — Tell Us Once)

The practical effect is significant. A single notification stops State Pension payments, cancels the driving licence, updates the electoral roll, and triggers the process for council tax adjustments — all things that would otherwise require separate phone calls, letters, or online forms. For the full detail on what happens with HMRC after the initial notification — income tax, PAYE, self-assessment, and inheritance tax — see our guide to dealing with HMRC when someone dies. For DWP specifically — including which benefits Tell Us Once covers, what needs separate reporting (DLA, PIP, Attendance Allowance), and how to handle overpayments — see our guide to notifying the DWP when someone dies. For council tax specifically — including what exemptions apply, how to apply for them, and how to recover overpaid tax — see our guide to notifying your council when someone dies. For DVLA specifically — including what Tell Us Once handles versus what still needs doing manually (V5C transfer, vehicle tax, driving the car) — see our guide to notifying DVLA when someone dies.

What Tell Us Once does not cover

Tell Us Once handles the government layer. It does not notify any private companies or commercial organisations. You will still need to contact each of the following separately:

• Banks and building societies — use the Death Notification Service to notify multiple banks in one step, or contact each bank directly. See our guide to what happens to bank accounts when someone dies for the full process.
• Insurance companies — life insurance, home insurance, car insurance, and any other policies
• Utility companies — gas, electricity, water. Water companies must be contacted directly — see our water companies bereavement guide for contacts and the process for all major UK suppliers.
• Telecoms providers — mobile phone, broadband, TV packages
• Private pension providers — workplace pensions, personal pensions, SIPPs
• Mortgage lenders and landlords
• Employers — the deceased’s employer, if they were working

For step-by-step guides on notifying individual companies, see our company notification guides. Each guide covers who to call, what documents you need, and what to expect.

If you are the employee dealing with the bereavement — rather than administering the estate — you may also want to read about your own rights at work. Our guide to bereavement leave explains what time off employees are entitled to and how to request it from your employer.

Tell Us Once also cannot arrange for redirection of post or suppression of direct mail. See our guide to notifying Royal Mail when someone dies for how to set up a Special Circumstances Redirection and stop unwanted marketing mail.

How to use Tell Us Once

The process is straightforward.

Step 1: Register the death. You must register the death before you can use Tell Us Once. In England and Wales, registration must happen within 5 days. In Scotland, within 8 days. The registrar will give you the death certificate and, at the same time, offer to start Tell Us Once.

Step 2: Complete Tell Us Once. You have two options:

• At the register office — the registrar can go through the Tell Us Once questions with you immediately after registering the death. This is the simplest approach if you have the information to hand.
• Online or by phone — if you prefer to do it later, the registrar will give you a unique reference number. Use it at gov.uk/tell-us-once or call the number the registrar provides. You have 28 days from receiving the reference number to use the service.

Step 3: Gather the information you need. The essential details are:

• The deceased’s full name and date of death
• Your name, address, and contact details (as the person reporting)
• Details of any surviving spouse or civil partner
• Next of kin details (if there is no surviving spouse)

You do not need the deceased’s National Insurance number, though providing it helps some organisations match their records faster. You can also provide optional details such as passport number, driving licence number, vehicle registration numbers, council tax reference, and Blue Badge number — but these are not required. (Source: gov.uk)

Who can use Tell Us Once?

Tell Us Once can be used by:

• The next of kin — a close relative of the person who has died
• The executor or administrator of the estate — the person named in the will or appointed by the court
• Anyone else who is arranging the funeral or dealing with the deceased’s affairs

The person who died must have been living in England, Scotland, or Wales. The service also covers deaths that occurred abroad temporarily — for example, if someone died while on holiday or a business trip, but was normally resident in the UK.

Tell Us Once cannot be used if the deceased was living in Northern Ireland, or if they were permanently resident abroad. (Source: gov.uk)

After Tell Us Once — what still needs doing

Tell Us Once is a significant time-saver, but it is only the government layer. After completing it, there is a separate layer of private companies and financial institutions to work through.

The most important next steps are:

1. Notify banks and building societies. The quickest route is the Death Notification Service — a free service that contacts multiple banks with a single form. See what happens to bank accounts when someone dies for full details.
2. Contact utility and telecoms companies. Our company notification guides cover the bereavement process for major providers including British Gas, EDF, BT, and others.
3. Check for life insurance and pension entitlements. Private pension providers and life insurers must be contacted separately. For a full breakdown of what happens to workplace, personal, and state pensions after a death — and how to track them down — see our guide what happens to a pension when someone dies. If you are a surviving spouse or civil partner and your partner died on or after 6 April 2017, you may be entitled to Bereavement Support Payment — a tax-free benefit worth up to £9,800. Claim within three months of the death to receive the full amount. If your partner died before 6 April 2017 and you have dependent children, you may instead be entitled to Widowed Parent’s Allowance — a weekly payment of £150.90 (2025–26). If you are taking on care of a child whose parents have both died, check whether you qualify for Guardian’s Allowance — £22.10 per week per child, paid on top of Child Benefit.
4. Check whether you qualify for help with funeral costs. If you are on a means-tested benefit such as Universal Credit, Pension Credit, or Income Support, you may be eligible for Funeral Expenses Payment — a government grant that covers burial or cremation fees in full, plus up to £1,000 for other costs. You must apply within six months of the funeral.
5. Consider probate. If the estate includes property, significant savings, or assets held in the deceased’s sole name, you may need a grant of probate before you can access them.

Keep a list of every organisation you contact and the date you notified them. This helps if there are disputes later about overpayments or the handling of accounts.

Does Tell Us Once work in Scotland?

Yes. Tell Us Once covers deaths registered in England, Scotland, and Wales. The process is the same — the registrar provides a reference number, and you complete the notification online or by phone within 28 days.

In Scotland, you have 8 days to register the death (compared to 5 days in England and Wales), so you may receive the Tell Us Once reference number slightly later. The organisations notified are the same, with the addition of Social Security Scotland and the Scottish Public Pension Agency for Scottish-specific benefits and pensions.

Does Tell Us Once work in Northern Ireland?

No. Tell Us Once is not available for people who were living in Northern Ireland. If the deceased was a resident of Northern Ireland, you will need to contact government departments individually. The NI Direct website provides guidance on who to notify. (Source: gov.uk)

How long do I have to use Tell Us Once?

You must use the service within 28 days of receiving your unique reference number from the registrar. After 28 days, the reference number expires and you will need to contact government departments individually.

There is no advantage to waiting. Using Tell Us Once promptly — ideally the same day you register the death — prevents overpayments of benefits and pensions from building up. Overpayments can become debts against the estate, which the executor then has to deal with.

Quick reference

• What: A free government service that notifies multiple departments about a death in one step
• Who can use it: Next of kin, executor, or anyone dealing with the deceased’s affairs
• Where: England, Scotland, and Wales (not Northern Ireland)
• When: Within 28 days of receiving the reference number from the registrar
• How: Online at gov.uk, by phone, or at the register office
• What it does not cover: Banks, insurers, utilities, telecoms, private pensions, employers — see our company guides
• Cost: Free

For the full official guidance, see gov.uk — organisations you need to tell after a death.