Tell us once

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Tell Us Once service

What is Tell Us Once?

When someone has died, there are lots of things that need to be done, at a time when you probably least feel like doing them. 

Tell Us Once is voluntary to use and very helpful. It enables you to report a death only once, telling central and local government services securely and confidentially without you having to inform them individually.

You'll find below a short information video explaining the Tell Us Once service.

Video: Reporting a death using the Tell Us Once service | Department for Work and Pensions

Transcript for this video

(00:02) Reporting a death using the Tell Us Once service. This video has audio, chapters and subtitles. We appreciate it can be a difficult time when someone you know dies. Tell Us Once makes it easier to report a death to most government departments many public sector pension schemes and local councils. It’s easy to use safe and secure saves you time and also saves you money.

(00:35) By using the Tell Us Once service you would need to buy fewer death certificates. You will get advice on how to use the Tell Us Once service when you register the death. After you provide the information needed Tell Us Once can notify: The Department for Work and Pensions to cancel their benefits and entitlements.

(00:59) His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs to update their benefits or personal tax records. His Majesty’s Passport Office to cancel a British passport. The Driver and Vehicle Licencing Agency to cancel their driving licence and update the keeper of a vehicle information. And Veterans UK to cancel War Pension Scheme and Armed Forces Compensation Scheme payments.

(01:28) Tell Us Once can also contact their local council to update records including: Housing Benefit Council Tax a Blue Badge Adult Social Services and the electoral register. Tell Us Once can notify many public sector pension schemes such as: the civil service NHS armed forces and local government. Tell Us Once cannot contact their bank utility companies mortgage TV Licensing private pension or insurance providers.

(02:15) This will need to be done by the person dealing with their affairs. For more information go to: gov.uk/when-someone-dies For bereavement support go to: nhs.uk and search for "bereavement".

 

You can find the BSL (British Sign Language) version below.

Video: BSL - Tell Us Once

Transcript for this video

(00:04) a guide to the tell us want service this video is for British sign language users and gives information about the Tellus once service and how to use it what is tell us once tell us once is a service from the government and is free to use tell us once helps you let most government departments and local councils know when someone dies to use the tell us want service the person who died needed to have lived in England Scotland or Wales the Tellus want service is not available in Northern Ireland for more information if you live in

(01:03) Northern Ireland go to www.direct.gov.uk SL articles SL who- tell D about- death about the tell us want service when you use tell us once they can help you let different organizations know about who has died tell us once we'll contact his Majesty's revenue and Customs hmrc they can update benefit and personal tax records the person who died may have been self-employed or owned a business tell us once do not deal with business taxes such as

(02:06) vat you need to contact hmrc for this separately department for work and pensions DWP they can cancel any DWP benefits if the person who died had them passport office they can cancel British passports if the person who died held One driver and vehicle licensing agency dvla they can cancel driving licenses the dvla can remove the person who died from their records if they were the keeper of a vehicle they can also cancel tax for their vehicle tell us once cannot deal with

(03:13) the sale of vehicles or changing details you need to contact the dvla for this or if you want to keep the vehicle the vehicle will need to be taxed again before you or someone else drives it local councils they can cancel housing benefit and council tax reduction sometimes called council tax support local councils can also cancel a blue badge and let Council Housing Services know what has happened they can also remove a person from The Electoral register hmrc and DWP can contact you about the tax benefits and entitlements

(04:13) of the person who died if they need to who else tell us once can contact tell us once can contact other public sector pension schemes so that they cancel future pension payments these include my civil service pension National Health Service NHS pension scheme pension schemes for NHS staff teachers police and firefighters in Scotland local Authority pension schemes veterans UK which is an organization within the ministry of defense and support service Personnel veterans and their families they can cancel payments

(05:12) from Armed Forces pension scheme War pension scheme Armed Forces compensation scheme who tell us once will not contact when your family member or friend dies you or the person who is dealing with their Affairs will need to contact their bank or Building Society private pension and insurance providers utility companies TV licensing this is so these organizations can close or change the details of the person's account before you use tell us once you need to have some information about the person who died before you use

(06:14) tell us once this includes their date of birth National Insurance number driving license number vehicle registration number passport number the date they died depending on what benefits or Services you need to cancel you will also need the following information personal details of their spouse or partner if they had one this includes their name address telephone number National Insurance number and date of birth personal details of a family member this would be if the person who died had no spouse or civil

(07:21) partner details of any benefits they got or could get State Pension could be one example details of any local Council Services they got or could get a blue badge could be one example details of public sector or Armed Forces pension schemes they were getting or paying into permission to share any details about any of the people who you get the information from using tell us once when a family member or friend dies their death needs to be registered you must do this within 5 days in England and Wales 8 days in

(08:27) Scotland when you register the death you will speak with a registar they will provide you with a death certificate registar will tell you how to use the tell us want service they will either complete the tel usw service with you or give give you a reference number so you can use the service yourself this reference number is unique this means that it is the only one like it you will need the reference number to use the tell us once service you must use this number within 28 days of getting

(09:34) it it is best to use it as soon as you can you can use the service online via www.gov.uk if you cannot hear or speak on the phone you can use relay UK the registra will give you this number deaf and British sign language users may be able to use the video relay service known as vrs if you cannot register the death of a family member or friend you may not be able to register a death this may be because there is an inquest about the death of your family member or friend if this happens you can get an

(10:39) interim death certificate from the coroner that will enable you to use tell us once to get a reference number where to find more information for more information about about tell us once including contact details how to tell organizations yourself and about what to do when someone dies please see the websites listed on the video description below.

 

How do I access the service?

After you have registered the death with the Registrar, the Registrar may complete the Tell Us Once service with you at the same time. 

Otherwise, the Registrar will provide you with a unique Tell Us Once reference number, which will enable you to access the service Online via GOV.UK.

If you have been issued with a Coroners Fact of Death (Interim Death Certificate) you may still be able to use the service and the Registrar will advise you how to do so. 

What information will you need to give us?

To ensure we pass on the right information you need to provide the following:

  • date of birth
  • address of the deceased
  • National Insurance number
  • driving licence number
  • vehicle registration number
  • passport number

We may also ask for information about

  • details of any benefits or entitlements they were receiving, for example State Pension, Universal Credit
  • details of any local council services they were receiving, for example Adult Social Services, Blue Badge, travel pass
  • the name and address of their next of kin
  • the name and address of any surviving spouse or civil partner
  • the name, address and contact details of the person or company dealing with their estate (property, belongings and money), known as their ‘executor’ or ‘administrator’
  • details of any public sector or armed forces pension schemes they were getting or paying into
     

Who can we give information to?

We contact the following government and local services for you. 

  • the local council - to update services such as Council Housing, Housing Benefit, Council Tax, Blue Badge and remove the person from the Electoral Register
  • HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) - to deal with personal tax and to update regarding Child Benefit and Tax Credits claims (contact HMRC separately for business taxes, like VAT)
  • Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) - to update benefits information for example: State Pension, Universal Credit 
  • Passport Office - to cancel a British passport
  • Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) - to cancel a driving licence and to remove registered keeper details, possibly for up to five vehicles
  • Public Sector or Armed Forces Pension Schemes - to update pension records

Please note

  • Permission is required from the next of kin, the executor, the administrator and anyone who was claiming benefits or entitlements jointly with the person who died, before you give their details.
  • There is no need to follow-up contact after you have used Tell Us Once unless you don’t receive a confirmation from the relevant department after a reasonable period of time, in most cases a calendar month.
  • Once the various agencies informed by Tell Us Once have received notification of the death, they will make any further contact if necessary with the bereaved family. 
  • Tell Us Once is not a claim to benefit, therefore please contact GOV.UK or the relevant department for advice. 
  • Tell Us Once does not notify any commercial organisations of the death and cannot arrange for redirection of post.

Last updated: 13 April 2026