When a death is reported to a coroner

If a death is reported to a coroner, the documents you need to register the death may be different. The coroner will decide either: the cause of death is clear that a post-mortem is needed to hold an inquest This guide is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg) . The cause of death is clear If the coroner decides that the cause of death is clear: They’ll issue a certificate to the registrar saying that a post-mortem or inquest is not needed. The registrar will register the death. A post-mortem is needed The coroner may decide a post-mortem is needed to find out how the person died. This can be done either in a hospital or mortuary. You cannot object to a coroner’s post-mortem - but if you’ve asked the coroner must tell you (and the person’s GP) when and where the examination will take place. After the post-mortem The coroner will release the body for a funeral once they have completed the post-mortem examinations and no further examinations are needed. If the body is released with no inquest, the coroner will send a form (‘Pink Form - form 100B’) to the registrar stating the cause of death. The coroner will also send a ‘Certificate of Coroner - form Cremation 6’ if the body is to be cremated. The coroner holds an inquest A coroner must hold an inquest if: the cause of death is still unknown the person might have died a violent or unnatural death the person might have died in prison or police custody Death certificates If you need proof of the death while you wait for the inquest to finish, ask the coroner for an interim death certificate. Once the inquest is over, you can get the final death certificate from the registrar. You can use either certificate to: apply for probate report the death to more than one government organisation using Tell Us Once - the registrar can help you to do this Get help You can get free, independent support from The Coroners’ Courts Support Service . The Coroners’ Courts Support Service Helpline (England and Wales) Telephone: 0300 111 2141 Monday to Friday, 9am to 7pm Saturday, 9am to 2pm Find out about call charges

What to do if someone dies abroad

You must register a death with the local authorities in the country where the person died. In many countries you can also register the death with the UK authorities . This guide is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg) . These rules apply if you live in England and Wales. There are different processes in Scotland and Northern Ireland . Reporting the death The Tell Us Once service lets you report a death to most government organisations in one go. You can use Tell Us Once if the person who died: normally lived in England, Scotland or Wales was abroad temporarily (for example, on holiday or a business trip) Contact a register office to use Tell Us Once. They will either: complete the Tell Us Once service with you give you a unique reference number so you can use the service yourself online or by phone If you cannot use Tell Us Once, tell organisations about the death yourself . Find out more about coping with a death abroad . Bringing the body home To bring the body home you must: get a certified English translation of the death certificate get permission to remove the body, issued by a coroner (or equivalent) in the country where the person died tell a coroner in England if the death was violent or unnatural Read information about the country where the person died to find out what you need to do. Contact a register office Once the body is home, take the death certificate to the register office in the area where the funeral is taking place. As the death has already been registered abroad, the registrar will give you a ‘certificate of no liability to register’. Give this to the funeral director so the funeral can go ahead. If you’re arranging the funeral yourself, give the certificate back to the registrar after the funeral’s taken place. You must do this within 96 hours of the funeral. When a coroner will be involved A coroner will usually hold an inquest in England or Wales if the cause of death is unknown or if it was sudden, violent or unnatural. You need a certificate from the coroner (form ‘Cremation 6’) if the person is to be cremated. Bringing ashes home When leaving a country with human ashes you will normally need to show: the death certificate the certificate of cremation Each country has its own rules about departing with human ashes and there may be additional requirements. Read information about the country where the person died to find out what you need to do. You’ll need to fill in a standard customs form when you arrive home. Contact your airline to find out whether you can carry the ashes as hand luggage or as checked-in luggage. They may ask you to put the ashes in a non-metallic container so that they can be x-rayed. You should not have the person cremated abroad if you want a coroner at home to conduct an inquest into their death.

Tell Us Once is a service that lets you report a death to most government organisations in one go. This guide is also available in Easy Read format and in Welsh (Cymraeg) . When to use Tell Us Once You can use Tell Us Once if the person who died was living in England, Scotland or Wales. This includes if the person died while they were abroad temporarily, for example on a holiday or business trip. The death must have been either: registered reported to a coroner and you have a final or interim death certificate You cannot use Tell Us Once if the person was: living in Northern Ireland when they died living abroad permanently when they died How to use Tell Us Once A registrar will explain the Tell Us Once service when you register the death . They will either: complete the Tell Us Once service with you give you a unique reference number so you can use the service yourself online or by phone The registrar will give you a number to call. This includes Relay UK if you cannot hear or speak on the phone. If you’re a British Sign Language (BSL) user, there’s a video relay service if you’re on a computer - find out how to use the service on mobile or tablet . You must use the service within 28 days of getting your unique reference number. If you cannot register the death because an inquest is underway, you can still ask a registrar for a unique reference number. You’ll need to get an interim death certificate from the coroner holding the inquest first. Before you use Tell Us Once You’ll need the Tell Us Once reference number that you got from the registrar. You’ll also need the following details of the person who died: surname date they died name, address and contact details of the person or company dealing with their estate (property, belongings and money), known as their ‘executor’ or ‘administrator’ if there’s a surviving spouse or civil partner, the name, address, telephone number and the National Insurance number or date of birth of the spouse or civil partner if there’s no surviving spouse or civil partner or their spouse or civil partner is not able to deal with their affairs, the name and address of their next of kin if they died in a hospital, nursing home, care home or hospice, the name and address of that institution You may also need: if they had a passport, their passport number and town of birth if they had a driving licence, their driving licence number if they owned any vehicles, the vehicle registration numbers if they were paying Council Tax or getting services from their local council, such as Housing Benefit payments, the name of their local council and which services they were getting if they had a Blue Badge, their Blue Badge number if you know it if they were getting any benefits or State Pension, information about which ones they were getting if they were getting money from an Armed Forces Pension or Compensation Scheme, details of that scheme if they were getting money or paying into public sector pension schemes, details of those schemes You’ll also need their National Insurance number if they were getting money or paying into any of the following pension schemes: NHS Pensions for NHS staff in England and Wales Scottish Public Pension Agency schemes for NHS staff, teachers, police and firefighters in Scotland Pension Protection Fund and Financial Assistance Scheme Local Government Pension Schemes (LGPS) Otherwise, you do not need their National Insurance number. If you can still provide it though, it will help some organisations match their records faster. You need permission from any surviving spouse or civil partner, the next of kin, executor, administrator or anyone who was claiming joint benefits or entitlements with the person who died, before you give their details. Use Tell Us Once online Start now Organisations Tell Us Once will contact Tell Us Once will notify: HM Revenue and Customs ( HMRC ) - to deal with personal tax and to cancel benefits and credits, for example Child Benefit Department for Work and Pensions ( DWP ) - to cancel benefits and entitlements, for example Universal Credit or State Pension Passport Office - to cancel a British passport Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency ( DVLA ) - to cancel a licence, remove the person as the keeper of up to 5 vehicles and end the vehicle tax the local council - to cancel Housing Benefit, Council Tax Reduction (sometimes called Council Tax Support), a Blue Badge, inform council housing services and remove the person from the electoral register Veterans UK - to cancel or update Armed Forces Compensation Scheme payments Social Security Scotland - to cancel benefits and entitlements from the Scottish Government, for example Scottish Child Payment HMRC and DWP will contact you about the tax, benefits and entitlements of the person who died. Tell Us Once will also contact some public sector pension schemes so that they cancel future pension payments. They’ll notify: Armed Forces Pension Scheme NHS Pensions for NHS staff in England and Wales Scottish Public Pension Agency schemes for NHS staff, teachers, police and firefighters in Scotland Pension Protection Fund and Financial Assistance Scheme Local Government Pension Schemes (LGPS) After you use Tell Us Once To close or change the details of the person’s financial accounts, you’ll need to contact organisations like: banks mortgage providers insurance providers companies that the person had contracts with, like utility companies, landlords or housing associations personal or workplace pension schemes, unless they’re one of the public sector pension schemes that Tell Us Once contacts If you need help finding contact details for the person’s pension schemes, you can search for pension contact details . You may also need to: update the property records , if the person owned land or property contact DVLA , if the person owned a vehicle and you sell it or keep it and tax it in your own name contact HMRC , if the person owed business taxes like VAT contact the Student Loans Company (SLC) , if the person had a student loan from them If you do not use Tell Us Once You must let the relevant organisations know about the death yourself .

Report the death without a Tell Us Once reference number

Contact the following organisations if you cannot use the Tell Us Once service. This guide is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg) . HM Revenue and Customs ( HMRC ) Contact HMRC , who will work out whether the right amount of tax has been paid by the person who died. They’ll let you know: what tax they need to collect or repay whether you need to fill in a Self Assessment tax return on the person’s behalf, for example when the estate continues to receive income You must tell HMRC who is dealing with the deceased’s money, property and possessions (the executor or administrator of the estate). You can also authorise someone else to act on your behalf (for example, an agent or solicitor). Inheritance Tax may be due on the person’s estate after they die. You may be able to get free tax advice if you’re on a low income. National Insurance ( NI ) Contributions Office Contact the NI Contributions Office to cancel the person’s NI payments if they were self-employed or paying voluntary NI . Child Benefit Office Contact the Child Benefit Office if a child or the parent dies . You need to do this within 8 weeks of the death. Department for Work and Pensions ( DWP ) Contact the bereavement service to cancel the person’s benefits and entitlements, including their State Pension. They’ll also check if you’re eligible for help with funeral costs or other benefits. DWP Bereavement Service Telephone: 0800 151 2012 Textphone: 0800 731 0464 Relay UK (if you cannot hear or speak on the phone): 18001 then 0800 151 2012 British Sign Language (BSL) video relay service if you’re on a computer - find out how to use the service on mobile or tablet Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm Welsh language: 0800 731 0453 Welsh textphone: 0800 731 0456 Find out about call charges If they were living abroad when they died, contact the International Pension Centre instead. Personal, workplace and armed forces pensions What you need to do to stop pension payments will depend on the type of pension. Use the Pension Tracing Service to find details of the person’s personal or workplace pension. Contact Veterans UK if the person had an armed forces pension. Vehicles and driving licences Contact the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) if the person held a driving licence or owned a vehicle. HM Passport Office (HMPO) Fill in the form ‘What to do when a passport holder dies’ and send it to the address on the form. Social Security Scotland Contact Social Security Scotland to cancel the person’s benefits and entitlements from the Scottish Government, for example Scottish Child Payment. They can also check if you’re eligible for help with funeral costs. Freephone: 0800 182 2222 Telephone (if you’re outside of the UK): +44 (0)1382 931 000 - charges apply but you can ask them to call you back Contact Scotland video relay app for British Sign Language (BSL) users Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm Find out about call charges Student Loan Company ( SLC ) Contact the SLC if the person was repaying student loans to them.

The funeral can usually only take place after the death is registered, unless the death has been reported to a coroner . You can pay for a funeral director to arrange the funeral or do it yourself. You should check if the person who died made arrangements for their funeral - this could include prepaid funeral plans or life insurance. You can check this with local funeral directors. This guide is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg) . Funeral directors A funeral director will provide advice and support when you’re arranging a funeral. If you hire a funeral director, you can choose a funeral director who’s a member of: the National Association of Funeral Directors ( NAFD ) the National Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors ( SAIF ) Funeral Experts These organisations have codes of practice - they should give you a price list when you choose their services. Contact your local council to see if they run their own funeral services. Some local councils do this alongside local funeral directors, for example for non-religious burials. The British Humanist Association and Institute of Civil Funerals can also help with non-religious funerals. Arranging the funeral yourself You can choose to arrange a funeral yourself. Contact your local council for information about: buying burial plots contacting crematorium services funeral costs Cremations There are different forms to complete depending on where the death took place. Contact your local council or crematorium if you need support with your application. Funeral costs Funeral costs can include: funeral director fees things the funeral director pays for on your behalf (called ‘disbursements’ or ‘third-party costs’), for example the person who performs the funeral service, crematorium or cemetery fees, or a newspaper announcement about the death local authority burial or cremation fees Funeral directors are legally required to publish a price list for the standard set of products and services they offer. MoneyHelper has information about funeral costs and how to reduce them . Paying for a funeral The funeral can be paid for: from a financial scheme the person had, for example a pre-paid funeral plan or insurance policy by you, or other family members or friends with money from the person’s estate (savings, for example) - getting access to this is called applying for a ‘grant of representation’ (sometimes called ‘applying for probate’ ) You can apply for a Funeral Expenses Payment if you have difficulty paying for the funeral. 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. Moving a body for a funeral abroad You need permission from a coroner to move a body for a funeral abroad. You must do this even if the death is being investigated by the coroner. Apply at least 4 days before you want the body to be moved. Find a local coroner using the Coroners’ Society of England and Wales website . There is a different process for: moving a body abroad from Scotland moving a body abroad from Northern Ireland

What to do if a child or baby dies

You must register the death . You may also need to report the death of a child to other organisations depending on your circumstances. There are different rules for registering a stillbirth . This guide is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg) . Child Benefit You should tell the Child Benefit Office as soon as possible if you’re claiming Child Benefit. Child Benefit payments will usually carry on for 8 weeks after a child’s death. You may still be able to claim Child Benefit if your child died before you made a claim. If a newborn baby dies You’re entitled to up to 8 weeks of Child Benefit if you claim within 3 months of the death. If the child died before the end of the week they were born in, the 8 weeks starts from the Monday following the death. If a child is stillborn You cannot claim Child Benefit if the child’s stillborn. Tax credits If you’re claiming tax credits and your child dies, your payments may change. You’ll need to tell HM Revenue and Customs ( HMRC ) within 1 month of the death. If you do not, you might: have to pay back overpayments not get all the money you’re owed You can continue to get tax credits for up to 8 weeks following the death. If the child died before you claimed tax credits, you can still claim (unless the child was stillborn). Call HMRC to claim. Sure Start Maternity Grant You can still get the grant if you qualify. You must make a claim within 3 months of the birth. Maternity and paternity leave and pay You’ll still qualify for leave and pay if your baby: is stillborn after the start of the 24th week of pregnancy dies after being born Parental bereavement leave and pay You and your partner may be eligible for parental bereavement leave and pay if you’re employed and either: your child dies before they turn 18 you have a stillbirth after 24 weeks of pregnancy The death or stillbirth must have happened on or after 6 April 2020. Child Trust Fund payments When a child dies, any money in their Child Trust Fund account - including any payments from the government - usually passes to whoever inherits the child’s estate.

Bereavement help and support

Bereavement is a personal experience and can affect people in different ways. This guide is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg) . You can find information about understanding and managing grief from the following organisations: NHS advice on dealing with bereavement, grief and loss Cruse Bereavement Support to learn more about the grieving process National Bereavement Service for ways to manage grief The Good Grief Trust for support if you are newly bereaved You can find someone to speak to about bereavement from the following organisations: Cruse Bereavement Support for local one-to-one support and group sessions The Marie Curie helpline for ongoing support over the phone Sue Ryder’s Online Bereavement Support includes an online community to talk to others who are grieving, a video chat counselling service and personalised grief support by text message AtaLoss for free live chat with a bereavement counsellor Citizens Advice has guidance about what happens after a death and things you might need to do, depending on the circumstances. Children and young people If you’re a bereaved child or young person, or a child you know has suffered a bereavement, you can get help from the following organisations: Childhood Bereavement Network NHS advice on children and bereavement

What to do after someone dies

Register the death

After someone dies, a medical examiner will check the cause of death to make sure it’s accurate.

They will be a senior doctor and they will not have been involved in the care of the person who has died.

The medical examiner’s office will then contact you to:

explain the cause of death
answer any questions you have about this or the healthcare provided to the person before they died

This is voluntary and you do not have to speak to them.

Registering the death

You’ll also be contacted by the medical examiner’s office to confirm you can register the death.

After you’ve registered the death

You’ll get a certificate for burial or cremation (often called ‘the green form’).

Give the certificate to your funeral director, crematorium or burial authority. You must do this before the funeral can take place.

This guide is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg).

View a printable version of the whole guide

Step 1 Register the death
1. You are currently viewing: Register the death
Check what to do if:
Step 2 Tell government about the death
The Tell Us Once service allows you to inform all the relevant government departments when someone dies.
1. Use the Tell Us Once service to tell government
2. If you cannot use Tell Us Once, tell government yourself
You'll also need to tell organisations outside government, like employers and private pension providers, banks, and utility companies.
Step 3 Arrange the funeral
Step 4 Check if you can get bereavement benefits
You might be eligible for financial help.

Check if you can get:
and Deal with your own benefits, pension and taxes
Your tax, benefit claims and pension might change depending on your relationship with the person who died.
1. Manage your tax, pensions and benefits if your partner has died
2. Check how benefits are affected if a child dies
and Find bereavement support and services
Get help with managing grief and the things you need to do when someone dies.
1. Find bereavement help and support
2. Find bereavement services from your local council
and Check if you need to apply to stay in the UK
If your right to live in the UK depends on your relationship with someone who died you might need to apply for a new visa.

Check the rules if:
- you're in the UK as the partner of a British Citizen or someone with indefinite leave to remain
- your partner who died served as a member of HM Forces
1. Contact UKVI to check the rules for other visas
Step 5 Value the estate and check if you need to pay Inheritance Tax
To find out if there’s Inheritance Tax to pay, you need to estimate the value of the property, money and possessions (the ‘estate’) of the person who died.
1. Estimate the value of the estate to find out if you need to pay Inheritance Tax
1. Find out how to report the value of the estate
1. Pay Inheritance Tax if it’s due
Step 6 Apply for probate
You might need to apply for probate before you can deal with the property, money and possessions (the ‘estate’) of the person who died.
1. Check if you need to apply for probate
1. Apply for probate
Step 7 Deal with the estate
Pay any debts or taxes owed by the person who's died. You can then distribute the estate as set out in the will or the law.
1. Deal with the estate
1. Update property records

What to do after someone dies

Register the death

Registering the death

After you’ve registered the death

Step 1 Register the death

Step 2 Tell government about the death

Step 3 Arrange the funeral

Step 4 Check if you can get bereavement benefits

and Deal with your own benefits, pension and taxes

and Find bereavement support and services

and Check if you need to apply to stay in the UK

Step 5 Value the estate and check if you need to pay Inheritance Tax

Step 6 Apply for probate

Step 7 Deal with the estate

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What to do after someone dies

Register the death

Registering the death

After you’ve registered the death

Part of What to do when someone dies: step by step

Step 1: Register the death

Step 2: Tell government about the death

Step 3: Arrange the funeral

Step 4: Check if you can get bereavement benefits

and Deal with your own benefits, pension and taxes

and Find bereavement support and services

and Check if you need to apply to stay in the UK

Step 5: Value the estate and check if you need to pay Inheritance Tax

Step 6: Apply for probate

Step 7: Deal with the estate

Is this page useful?

Help us improve GOV.UK

Help us improve GOV.UK

Step 1 Register the death

Step 2 Tell government about the death

Step 3 Arrange the funeral

Step 4 Check if you can get bereavement benefits

Step 5 Value the estate and check if you need to pay Inheritance Tax

Step 6 Apply for probate

Step 7 Deal with the estate