The Tell Us Once service is offered by most local authorities for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and is a single point of contact which allows the bereaved person to advise central and local government, such as HMRC about the bereavement, once the death is registered. The local registrar will be able to advise on whether the service is available in a particular area.

HMRC will contact users of the Tell Us Once service about the tax, benefits and entitlements of the person who died and what needs to be done next.

The tax adviser will need the following details of the person who died:

• date of birth;
• national insurance number;
• driving licence number;
• vehicle registration number; and
• passport number.

The following information is also required:

• details of any benefits or entitlements the deceased was receiving, for example state pension;
• details of any local council services receiving, for example Blue Badge;
• name and address of their next of kin;
• name and address of any surviving spouse or civil partner;
• name, address and contact details of the executor or administrator dealing with their estate (property, belongings and money);
• details of any public sector or armed forces pension schemes;
• The tax adviser must get permission from the next of kin, executor, administrator or anyone who was claiming joint benefits or entitlements with the person who died, before giving the deceased’s details.

It is worth always using the Tell Us Once service as if not, the organisations will all have to be contacted individually, for example, HMRC will have to be contacted directly as well as the national insurance contributions (NICs) office to ensure voluntary or self-employed contributions are cancelled.

Further information is available in HMRC’s bereavement guide and at Bereavement and deceased estate.

View the blog Bereavement support for your clients.