Managing a loved one’s estate can feel overwhelming, especially if it’s your first time handling such matters. This guide provides a clear and organised checklist of services and accounts to cancel when someone dies, including helpful tools to make the process simpler.
Useful services to notify organisations
Death Notification Service
The Death Notification Service is a free service that lets you notify multiple financial institutions about someone’s death in one step. Participating organisations currently include:
Barclays PLC (Barclaycard and Barclays)
HSBC UK (First Direct and M&S Bank)
RBS Group (NatWest)
Santander UK (Cahoot)
Lloyds Banking Group (Bank of Scotland, Halifax, Lloyds Bank, Scottish Widows, Clerical Medical)
Nationwide Building Society (The Mortgage Works, UCB Home Loans Ltd, The Mutual)
Visit the Death Notification Service website for more information on how to use this service.
Tell Us Once (England, Scotland, and Wales only)
Tell Us Once is a government service that allows you to report a death to several government departments at once, including:
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC)
Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)
DVLA
Passport Office
Local councils
To use the service, you’ll need key information such as:
date of birth
national Insurance number
passport number
driving licence number
vehicle registration.
After registering the death, the registrar will inform you whether Tell Us Once is available in your area and provide a unique reference number if it is. Note: This service is not available in Northern Ireland.
1. Bank accounts (current and savings)
As executor, you must:
register the death
notify the deceased’s bank
provide required documentation
apply for probate (if required).
Funds in the account are usually frozen until probate is granted, though most banks allow access to pay for:
funeral expenses
probate fees
inheritance tax.
Note: If the deceased had outstanding debts, these are paid from the estate. Surviving family members are not personally liable unless the debt was jointly held.
If there’s a mortgage and insufficient estate funds, selling the property may be necessary. Without life insurance, meeting the monthly payments on your own can be difficult so you’ll need to consider your options.
2. Joint bank accounts
If the deceased shared a joint account with you:
register the death and provide a death certificate
the account will typically transfer to the surviving holder
any cards or digital banking tools linked to the deceased are usually cancelled automatically.
The account number generally stays the same, but it’s worth confirming with your bank.
3. Council tax
If the Tell Us Once service is unavailable, contact your local council. You’ll need:
the deceased’s full name and address
whether the property is occupied
whether a single person discount is required
executor or solicitor contact details.
4. Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)
If not using the Tell Us Once service, contact the following directly:
HMRC (for inheritance tax)
NI Contributions Office
Child Benefit Office (within 8 weeks of death)
Tax Credit Office (within 1 month of death)
For pensions:
Check with the relevant personal/workplace pension provider.
For armed forces pensions, contact Veterans UK.
5. Driving licence
If the Tell Us Once service is not used, write to the DVLA and include:
your relationship to the deceased
their name, address, date of birth and date of death
their driving licence (if available).
For Northern Ireland: Send a similar letter to the Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA). If the licence cannot be found, include a written explanation and the deceased's details.
6. Passport
To cancel a passport, contact His Majesty’s Passport Office (HMPO) and return the passport along with a completed form, which you can download from the GOV.UK website.
7. Redirecting post
To ensure important documents aren’t missed, you may wish to:
download the relevant mail redirection form from Royal Mail, or
visit your local post office for support.
8. Utility bills
Inform utility providers (gas, electricity, water) about the death. You may need to:
provide final meter readings if the property is unoccupied
transfer accounts into your name if you’re remaining in the home
cancel services entirely if the property is being sold.
Important: Home and contents insurance often becomes invalid after death. Contact the insurer to arrange suitable cover.
9. Social media accounts
Most platforms allow accounts to be memorialised or deleted.
10. TV licence, phone and internet subscriptions
To cancel or transfer services:
Visit the TV Licensing website to complete a contact form.
Contact internet, phone and mobile providers individually.
Check each company’s bereavement policy for the documents they require.