Mental Health Support
Your GP will be able to put you in touch with bereavement services in your area.
You can also contact the national Cruse helpline on 0808 808 1677 or at a local Cruse centre.
Tell us Once service
Tell Us Once is a service that lets you report a death to most government organisations in one go including the HMRC, DWP, DVLA, Passport Office, local council. The alternative is that you will need to contact all of them individually.
The Registrar will explain the Tell Us Once service when you register the death and will either:
- complete the Tell Us Once service with you; or
- give you a unique reference number so you can use the service yourself online or by phone
Government Benefits & Financial Support
You may be entitled to benefits and financial support when a loved one dies including Bereavement Support Payment, Funeral Expenses Payment, Guardian’s Allowance etc.
Further information is available here:-
https://www.gov.uk/browse/benefits/bereavement
Probate
Probate is the legal right to deal with someone’s property, money and possessions (their ‘estate’) when they die.
You should not make any financial plans or put property on the market until you’ve got probate.
Further information is available here:-
https://www.gov.uk/applying-for-probate?step-by-step-nav=4f1fe77d-f43b-4581-baf9-e2600e2a2b7a
If you need to appoint a Solicitor, details can be found here:-
https://solicitors.lawsociety.org.uk/
Junk Mail
By registering with the free service www.stopmail.co.uk the names and addresses of the deceased are removed from mailing lists, stopping most advertising mail within as little as six weeks.
If you cannot access the internet, you can call 0808 168 9607, where you will be asked for very simple information that will take only a few minutes to complete.
Alternatively, ask the bereavement team for a leaflet that can be returned in the post. This free of charge service provided by the Bereavement Support Network will actively reduce the unwanted marketing mail but also can help reduce the likelihood of identity theft following the death of someone close. The information is not used for any other purpose and you only have to complete this once. Additionally to Stop Mail a comparable service can also be accessed from the Bereavement Register or Deceased Preference Service if you would prefer to use them.
