When
someone dies there are many decisions and arrangements to be made.
Sadly, these have to be made at a time of personal distress. Some of
these things can be done by a close relative or friend; others need
to be done by the executor or administrator of the estate - the
people appointed to carry out the terms of a will.
Checklist
To
help you, here is a simple checklist to guide you through the
process. Before you start, it is very useful to have the following
information to hand about the person who has died. This will make the
task of completing any forms or documents much easier.
What
to do in the first five days
notify
the family doctor
register
the death at the relevant Registrar's Office, except where the death
has been referred to the Coroner
find
the will - the deceased person's solicitor may have a copy if you
can't find one
begin
funeral arrangements - you will need to check the will for any
special requests
if
relevant, a completed Form 36 should be sent to the local Social
Security or Jobs & Benefits office regarding the deceased's
benefits (given to you when you register the death; read the reverse
to see if it applies)
if
the person who has died was receiving any benefits or tax credits
you can contact The Bereavement Service
The
Bereavement Service
If
you need to report the death of someone receiving Social Security
benefits, you can do this by contacting The Bereavement Service.
The
Bereavement Service will:
record
the date of death and notify each office that paid benefit to the
deceased
offer
you an eligibility check, as you may be entitled to claim benefits
If
you are eligible to make a claim for Bereavement Benefits and/or a
Social Fund Funeral payment The Bereavement Service can take the
information for your application over the phone and forward this to
the relevant office.
If
there is a will
If
there is no will
Who
else to contact
As
well as informing people who are close to the person, in many cases
you'll need to close down accounts, or cancel or change insurance
details, subscriptions, agreements, payments or direct debits.
Here's
a list to help you keep track; just cross through the ones that don't
apply:
relatives
and friends
employer
school
solicitor/accountant
Government
organisations
Financial
organisations
general
insurance companies - for example,contents, car, travel or medical
any
other company with which the deceased may have had rental, hire
purchase or loan agreements
if
the deceased was the first named on an insurance policy, make
contact as early as possible to check that you are still insured
pension
providers/life insurance companies
banks
and building societies
mortgage
provider
hire
purchase or loan companies
credit
card providers/store cards
Utilities
and household contacts
Other
useful contacts
Bereavement
Register and Deceased Preference Service to remove the deceased's
name from mailing lists and databases
clubs,
trade unions, associations with seasonal membership for cancellation
and refunds
church/regular
place of worship
social
groups to which the deceased belonged
dentist
creditors
- anyone to whom the deceased owed money
debtors
- anyone who owed the deceased money
Register
with the Bereavement Register(external link)
Deceased
Preference Service(external link)
Benefits
and financial help
You
may be able to claim certain benefits and one-off payments if you
lived with or were dependent on the deceased. Time limits apply, so
contact your nearest Social Security or Jobs & Benefits office as
soon as possible to find out.
Making
a new will
Surviving
relatives and friends of the deceased may need to make a new will.
It's important to ask a solicitor about this.
Bereavement
- counselling and support
Everyone
deals with bereavement in their own way. If you or someone you know
needs counselling or support, ask your family doctor or contact an
organisation, such as Cruse Bereavement Care. Its aim is to promote
the well-being of bereaved people and provides counselling and
support. It also offers information, advice, education and training
services.
Your
local council may provide support and advice about the arrangements
that need to be made after a bereavement, such as registering the
death and obtaining a death certificate. If you follow the link to
the bereavement service you can enter details of where you live and
you will be directed to your local authority website where you can
find out more.
More
useful links
Do
it online