Sorting out a loved one’s mobile phone plan is one of the smaller practical tasks after a death, but it still needs doing – iD Mobile does not find out automatically, and monthly charges will keep being taken until you tell them. iD Mobile is one of the UK’s largest mobile networks, running on Three’s infrastructure and owned by Currys, with several million customers on SIM-only and pay-monthly handset plans. If you have been searching for a bereavement phone number for iD Mobile, you will not find one – the process runs entirely through Live Chat or email.
This guide covers how to notify iD Mobile, what documents you need, what happens to the account and any handset, and the things worth knowing before you start – including why the account cannot simply be transferred into someone else’s name.
Quick reference
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Phone bereavement line | None – iD Mobile has no dedicated bereavement phone number |
| Live Chat | Type "Bereavement" to connect to an agent |
| documents@idmobile.co.uk (if Live Chat is unavailable) | |
| Documents needed | Account holder's full name, iD Mobile number, copy or photo of death certificate |
| Billing while you wait | Collection of money paused for 21 days once iD Mobile is notified |
| Early termination fee | Not pursued |
| Handset | Does not need to be returned |
| Account transfer | Not possible – the account cannot be kept open in someone else's name |
How to notify iD Mobile
Live Chat (the primary route)
iD Mobile’s own guidance directs bereaved customers to Live Chat first. Go to iD Mobile’s help pages and start a chat session, then type “Bereavement” to connect directly to an agent trained to handle this. You will be asked for:
- The account holder’s full name, as it appears on the account
- The iD Mobile number
- A copy of the death certificate – a clear photo is accepted, and the agent will help you upload it during the chat
If you have a physical copy of the death certificate, take a clear photo of it before you start the chat so you have it ready to send.
Email (if you cannot use Live Chat)
If Live Chat is not available to you, email the death certificate to documents@idmobile.co.uk, along with the account holder’s name and mobile number. This is the fallback route for anyone who prefers not to use chat, or who is contacting iD Mobile outside chat hours.
Life Ledger
iD Mobile has partnered with Life Ledger, a service that lets you notify multiple UK organisations of a death from a single online form rather than contacting each one separately. This can be useful if you are also dealing with banks, insurers, and other subscriptions at the same time. If you would rather notify iD Mobile individually, Live Chat or email remain the direct routes.
If you don’t have the death certificate yet
You do not need the certificate in hand to make first contact. iD Mobile’s Vulnerable Customer Voice team can take an initial report of the bereavement and note it on the account – but they cannot process the disconnection until they have sight of the death certificate. Getting in touch early still matters, because it starts the 21-day billing pause described below.
(Source: iD Mobile Community – How do I notify iD Mobile about a bereavement?, official F.A.Q. post.)
What documents you will need
iD Mobile’s requirements are minimal compared with banks or pension providers:
| Document | Notes |
|---|---|
| Death certificate | A photo or scanned copy is accepted – you do not need to post the original |
| Account holder’s full name | As it appears on the iD Mobile account |
| iD Mobile number | The mobile number on the account, found on a bill, in the iD Mobile app, or on the SIM packaging |
You do not need to be the estate’s executor, and you do not need probate, to notify iD Mobile of a death – any relative or friend acting on the family’s behalf can make contact. iD Mobile’s own guidance is addressed directly to “a relative or friend of someone who has recently passed away.”
What happens to the account
Once iD Mobile has been notified that the account holder has died, here is the sequence, according to iD Mobile’s own published guidance:
- Billing is paused for 21 days. As soon as iD Mobile receives notification, it puts any collection of money on hold for 21 days. This gives you breathing space to locate and send the death certificate without worrying about further payments being taken in the meantime.
- The account is disconnected once the death certificate arrives. On receipt of the certificate, iD Mobile disconnects the account and deactivates the direct debit.
- No further balance is pursued. Any balance remaining on the account – including the cost of what would normally be an early termination fee for leaving a contract before the end of its term – will not be pursued from the estate.
- The handset stays with the family. If the plan included a handset, iD Mobile does not ask for it to be returned.
This is a comparatively generous bereavement policy: many mobile networks waive the early termination fee but still expect handsets on finance plans to be settled by the estate. iD Mobile’s stated position is that neither applies.
(Source: iD Mobile Community – How do I notify iD Mobile about a bereavement?.)
The account cannot be transferred
One important limitation: iD Mobile’s published guidance states it is not possible to keep the account open and transfer it into another person’s name. Unlike some providers, there is no formal “account transfer” route for a bereavement case.
If someone in the household wants to keep using the same mobile number, the practical workaround discussed by iD Mobile’s own support team on its community forum is:
- Request a PAC (Porting Authorisation Code) for the number before the account is closed.
- Move the number temporarily to a Pay As You Go SIM on another network using that PAC code.
- Set up a new SIM-only account with iD Mobile in the intended person’s name, then port the number back in.
This is a workaround discussed by iD Mobile staff on the community forum, not a formally published transfer process, so timing and outcomes are handled case by case. Raise this before the account is disconnected, not after – once the account is closed, there is no published route to recover the number.
For general context on how number porting works after a death across UK networks, see what happens to a phone contract when someone dies.
PAC codes and porting
If you do want to port the deceased’s number elsewhere, a PAC code is the standard mechanism: text PAC to 65075 from the iD Mobile SIM itself, and the code is valid for 30 days. This route depends on being able to access the handset and SIM directly. If the phone is locked or inaccessible, ask the Live Chat or bereavement team about generating a PAC code on your behalf as part of the wider bereavement request.
Do not let the account be disconnected before you have decided whether to port the number – once it is gone, iD Mobile’s guidance does not describe a way to recover it afterwards.
How long it takes
There is no single published timescale for the full process, but the stages are clear from iD Mobile’s own guidance:
| Stage | What happens |
|---|---|
| You contact iD Mobile (Live Chat or email) | Billing is paused for 21 days from this point |
| You send the death certificate | Processed once received |
| Account disconnected | Direct debit deactivated, no further balance pursued |
| Number porting (if wanted) | Must be arranged before disconnection |
If you are waiting on the death certificate – for example, because a coroner is involved – contact iD Mobile as soon as possible anyway. The 21-day billing pause starts from first notification, not from when the certificate arrives, so early contact protects the estate from further charges while you gather the paperwork.
Things to watch out for
There is no phone number to call. iD Mobile’s bereavement process runs entirely through Live Chat and email. If you have been searching for a phone line, stop looking – it does not exist. This is consistent with the wider trend among newer, app-first mobile networks such as giffgaff, which likewise has no bereavement phone line and relies on email instead. See our giffgaff bereavement guide for comparison.
The 21-day hold is not indefinite. iD Mobile pauses collection for 21 days from notification – it is not a guarantee that no payment will ever be taken if the process runs longer than that. Send the death certificate as soon as you have it to avoid the pause lapsing before disconnection is complete.
No account transfer. If a family member wants to keep the number and continue using the service, iD Mobile’s policy does not allow the existing account to simply be renamed. Plan for a PAC-code port to a new account if the number needs to be kept – and do this before the old account is closed.
Handset finance is written off, but check what type of plan it was. iD Mobile’s guidance says a handset does not need to be returned and outstanding balance is not pursued. This differs from some networks, where handset finance sold separately from the airtime plan can still be treated as a debt of the estate. If in doubt, ask the Live Chat or bereavement team to confirm in writing that both the airtime and any handset finance element are covered by the waiver.
Multiple SIMs on one account. If the deceased had more than one number or device on their iD Mobile account (for example, a family multi-SIM plan), mention every number when you make contact – the bereavement process applies to the account as a whole, but it is worth confirming each line has been dealt with.
Tell Us Once does not cover iD Mobile. The government’s Tell Us Once service notifies HMRC, the DWP, the DVLA and other public bodies in one step, but it does not extend to mobile networks or other private companies. iD Mobile must be notified separately, either directly or via Life Ledger.
Summary
To notify iD Mobile of a death, use Live Chat and type “Bereavement” to reach an agent, or email documents@idmobile.co.uk if chat is not available. Have the account holder’s full name, iD Mobile number, and a copy or photo of the death certificate ready. Billing is paused for 21 days from first contact, the account is disconnected once the certificate is received, no early termination fee is pursued, and any handset can be kept.
The one thing to plan for in advance is number porting: iD Mobile will not transfer the account into someone else’s name, so if the number needs to be kept, arrange a PAC code and a new account before the old one is disconnected.
For related guidance, see our complete guide to what to do when someone dies, what happens to a phone contract when someone dies, and our guides to giffgaff, O2, SMARTY (another Three-network MVNO), and Lebara for comparison with other network bereavement processes.