Things to cancel when someone dies
When someone close to you dies, there are a lot of things to consider in addition to arranging the funeral. This list of businesses and organisations will help you decide who you need to contact following their death.
In order to manage the finances of someone that has died, you will need to obtain a grant of probate. This is a legal document that will give you authority to deal with the deceased person's estate. However, in order to pay immediate expenses such as funeral costs, most banks will usually allow a direct payment to the funeral director upon presentation of the final bill, prior to the funds going to probate.
You may be struggling to know where to start with notifying other organisations about the death. Below are suggested places to start.
The Death Notification Service
The Death Notification Service is free and allows you to notify several organisations about the death, at the same time. Predominantly, this service allows you to notify banks and building societies.
Tell Us Once
Tell Us Once is a government service that allows you to report the death to multiple government agencies at the same time. In order to use the service, you will need:
- Date of birth
- National Insurance number
- Driving licence number
- Vehicle registration number
- Passport number
- Medical certificate (may be required if they died at home)
Tell Us Once will notify the following agencies:
- HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC)
- Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)
- Passport Office
- Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)
- The local council
- Veterans UK
Utility companies
If a property has been left unoccupied by the person that has died, you will need to inform the relevant utility companies. It is recommended that you take meter readings as soon as possible.
If the property will remain occupied, the accounts will need to be transferred to the person living in the property. It should be noted that home and contents insurance may become invalid after a death, so you should ensure the company is notified and they can amend the policy accordingly.
Mortgage companies
If there is a mortgage in place, where a home was jointly owned, the monthly payments will still be required. A life insurance policy or the estate monies may cover the payment, however if not you should speak to a financial advisor who will be able to provide guidance.
Post
You should contact Royal Mail to arrange a redelivery if the property is to be unoccupied.
Subscriptions for TV, internet and phone
You should contact the relevant company to cancel any subscriptions as soon as possible. These could include Netflix, Sky, Spotify.
Social media accounts
Most people have a digital footprint, and you may need to access these. Please read our accessing a digital legacy blog here for more information on this.
