Informing family, friends and specific organisations

You will, of course, need to let family and close friends know of the death. In addition, there are a number of organisations and companies that will need to be informed:

Employers

  • Employer of the deceased, if appropriate

Property

  • Post office – redirect mail
  • Private landlord – tenancy/rent
  • Return of any rented household appliances

Personal

  • Voluntary services – meals on wheels etc
  • Newsagent regarding deliveries of newspaper and magazines
  • Subscriptions for magazines, trade journals
  • Clubs, associations, societies, professional memberships, etc

Professional advisers

  • Solicitor
  • Accountant
  • Financial adviser

Financial organisations

  • Bank account
  • Building society account
  • Post Office account
  • Credit cards
  • Debit cards
  • Shop cards
  • Premium bonds

Insurance companies

  • Home and contents insurance provider
  • Life insurance provider
  • Car insurance provider
  • Healthcare insurer

Pension providers

  • State pension
  • Private pension provider

Mortgage/rental/loan providers

  • Mortgage provider
  • Personal loan provider
  • Car finance provider

Utility companies

  • Electricity provider
  • Gas provider
  • Water provider
  • Landline provider
  • Mobile phone provider
  • TV licence

Local authority

  • Council tax
  • Hospital, doctors, dentist – cancellation of appointments and return of any equipment
  • Parking permits, travel cards, disabled parking badge
  • Local library and return books

Government

  • HMRC – Tax
  • DVLA – vehicle registration documents will need to be returned
  • Passport office – passport will need to be returned

Local police force

  • Gun licence

Further help

You will need to find details of any benefits which the deceased person was receiving; for example, a state pension (Department for Work and Pensions) or tax credits (HM Revenue & Customs).

You will also need proof of your relationship to the deceased (eg marriage/civil partnership or birth certificate, child’s birth certificate naming both parents) and your social security card/national insurance number if you will be claiming/changing benefits.

Please note

The information which we provide through Lasting Post is in outline for information or educational purposes only. The information is not a substitute for the professional judgment of a solicitor, accountant or other professional adviser. We cannot guarantee that information provided by Lasting Post will meet your individual needs, as this will very much depend on your individual circumstances. You should therefore use the information only as a starting point for your enquiries.