Checklist Below is a checklist of useful organisations that you may need to contact. You must close accounts, cancel or change insurance details, subscriptions, agreements, payments or direct debits. It is useful to have reference numbers, date of birth/ death and address information about the deceased when you contact any company or association. If you have used the ‘Tell Us Once’ Service, some of the following will already have been done for you and you will not need to contact them again. What to do first • Notify the family doctor • Find the Will – the deceased person’s solicitor may have a copy • Begin funeral arrangements – remember to check the Will for any special requests If there is a will • Contact the executor (usually nominated in the Will to sort out the deceased’s estate) – to enable them to start the process of obtaining probate If there is no will • Decide who will apply to sort out the deceased’s estate • Contact the Probate Registry to apply for ‘letters of administration’ Who else to contact • Employer • School • Solicitor/accountant • HM Passport Office – to cancel passport • DVLA – to cancel driving licence and to return car registration documents if a change of ownership becomes necessary Government and Local Council departments • State Pension • Universal Credit • Council or Social Housing • Housing Benefit • Council Tax • Council Tax Benefit • Attendance Allowance • Carer’s Allowance • Blue Badge Parking Permit • Personal Independent Payment • HM Land Registry • Child Benefit • Library Services • Electoral Services
• Adult Social Care (for example, if a specific care package was in place) • Children’s Social Care • Owed Payments To Council (eg. assisted bin collection, allotment fees, music tuition etc) • Bereavement Benefit Financial Organisations • General insurance companies – contents, car, travel, medical etc • If the deceased was first named on an insurance policy, make contact as early as possible to check that the insurance will continue • HM Revenues and Customs – personal taxation, national insurance etc • Rental, hire purchase or loan agreements • Personal Pension provider • Occupational Pension provider • Life insurance companies • Banks and building societies, post office savings • Premium Bonds, Stocks and Shares companies • Mortgage provider • Credit card providers/store cards Utilities and household contacts • Landlord or local authority if the deceased rented a property
• Any private organisation/agency providing home care • Utility companies • Royal Mail, if post needs re-directing • TV / Internet / Satellite / Cable companies Other considerations • Bereavement Register and Deceased Preference Service • Cancel memberships of clubs, trade unions, associations with seasonal membership • Cancel any local services, such as meals on wheels or transport • Return any travel passes / season tickets and claim any refund due • Return any Surrey free bus pass to Surrey County Council • Church / regular place of worship • Social groups to which the deceased belonged • Dentist and any other medical providers the deceased used eg. local hospital, chiropodist • Return any equipment the deceased may have borrowed from a hospital, clinic or social care services • Return any library books to the local library • Creditors – anyone to whom the deceased owed money • Debtors – anyone who owed the deceased money
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Bereavement Guide
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