What to do when someone dies in the UK: a step-by-step guide
This guide covers the first hours, the first 2 weeks and the first 6 months in England and Wales, with Scotland and Northern Ireland noted at each step.
What is on the checklist when someone dies?
The checklist when someone dies runs to 8 steps, in this order.
Step 1, verify the death and get the certificate: within hours for verification, then 2 to 5 working days for the medical examiner's review.
Step 2, register the death: 5 days in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, 8 days in Scotland.
Step 3, use Tell Us Once: 28 days from the date you get the reference number.
Step 4, arrange the funeral: 1 to 3 weeks after the death for most UK funerals.
Step 5, notify the private sector: from the first 2 weeks, one organisation at a time.
Step 6, apply for probate: around 6 weeks for a digital grant, 15 weeks for a paper one.
Step 7, settle inheritance tax: within 6 months of the date of death, where any is due.
Step 8, close accounts and chase refunds: 6 to 12 months for a straightforward estate.
Work through this what to do when someone dies checklist in order, because only steps 2, 3 and 7 carry a fixed deadline.
Step 1: what do you do when someone dies at home?
What to do when someone dies at home depends on whether the death was expected. If it was expected, call the GP surgery or the community nursing team, not 999, and a doctor or nurse will attend to verify the death. If it was unexpected, call 999, and an unclear cause is referred to a coroner.
In a hospital, hospice or care home, staff handle verification and explain what happens next, including arrangements for the body.
Verification is not certification. A medical examiner then reviews the death and sends the medical certificate of cause of death electronically to the registrar. In England and Wales this became a statutory requirement on 9 September 2024 (GOV.UK), and the review usually adds 2 to 5 working days.
The medical examiner is an independent senior doctor who scrutinises the proposed cause of death and contacts the family to explain it. If the coroner is involved instead, an inquest can delay registration for weeks or months, and the coroner can issue an interim death certificate that lets you start dealing with the estate.
In Scotland the process uses different forms, administered by the Crown Office. In Northern Ireland a medical examiner system is being introduced, and the pre-2024 arrangements still operate for most deaths.
Step 2: how do you register a death?
You register the death at a register office within 5 days in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, or 8 days in Scotland. The 5 day clock starts when the medical examiner completes the review, not when the person died, and it pauses if the coroner is involved.
Make an appointment at a register office (GOV.UK). Register in the area where the person died and certificates are issued on the spot. Register elsewhere and they are posted a few days later.
You do not need to bring the medical certificate, because the medical examiner sends it electronically. The registrar issues certified copies of the death certificate, the green form giving authority for burial or cremation, the BD8 form reporting the death to the Department for Work and Pensions, and the reference number that opens Tell Us Once.
Order several death certificates at the point of registration, because most people need between 6 and 10 and ordering more later costs more. Certified copies cost £12.50 each in England and Wales (GOV.UK). Our guides to how many death certificates you need and how to register a death cover the appointment in full.
Step 3: what does Tell Us Once cover?
Tell Us Once notifies most public sector organisations from a single submission, including HMRC, the DWP, the Passport Office, the DVLA and the local council (GOV.UK). It is free, it takes about 20 minutes, and you can do it online, by phone, or at the register office. You have 28 days from the date the registrar gives you the reference number.
Tell Us Once does not cover any private sector organisation. Not the bank. Not the pension provider. Not the insurer. Not the mortgage lender. Not the utilities, the phone provider or the subscriptions.
This is the single biggest gap families fall into: government notification handles only the part the government owns. Our guide to Tell Us Once sets out which departments are included.
Step 4: how do you arrange the funeral?
Most UK funerals take place between 1 and 3 weeks after the death, so there is no rush. Check three things before anything is booked.
Pre-paid funeral plan: contact the provider first, because they coordinate with the funeral director.
Funeral wishes: look for a letter of wishes or a funeral wishes document, because a will is often sealed until probate.
Policies that pay out: a life insurance policy, an over-50s plan or a death-in-service benefit may cover the cost.
If there is no plan or policy, the SunLife Cost of Dying Report 2025 put the average UK attended funeral at £4,285 and a direct cremation at £1,597. London averages over £5,400 and Northern Ireland around £3,400. Our guide to how much a funeral costs breaks the figure down.
If there is no money in the estate, the person arranging the funeral may be eligible for a Funeral Expenses Payment from the DWP. Most funeral directors will wait for probate where the estate has funds.
Step 5: who do you need to notify in the first 2 weeks?
You notify every private sector organisation the person held an account with, one at a time. Each runs its own process: some want a certified copy of the death certificate, some accept a scan, some close in days and others take weeks. The list typically includes:
Banks and building societies, including dormant accounts
Credit card issuers and the mortgage lender
Pension providers, because private and workplace pensions are not on Tell Us Once
Insurers, covering life, car, home, health and travel
Investment platforms, ISA providers and NS&I, for Premium Bonds, Income Bonds and savings
Utilities, phone and broadband, TV Licensing, subscriptions, loyalty cards and store cards
The DVLA for vehicle keepership, Royal Mail redirection, and social media and digital accounts
If you do not know what accounts exist, start with bank statements from the last 12 months. Direct debits and standing orders reveal most recurring payments, and incoming credits show pensions and benefits. Our list of who to notify when someone dies works through the organisations in order.
Step 6: do you need probate?
You need probate if the deceased owned property in their sole name or as tenants in common, held accounts above the bank's threshold, held shares registered in their name, or if there is a dispute. Bank thresholds typically run from £5,000 to £50,000, and each bank sets its own. If everything was held jointly with a surviving spouse, probate may not be needed.
Find the will first. It may be with the deceased's solicitor, in a safe deposit box, at home, or lodged with the Probate Service. The executor named in the will administers the estate. If there is no will, the estate passes under the intestacy rules and a relative applies to become administrator.
As of early 2026, HMCTS was issuing grants in around 6 weeks for digital applications and around 15 weeks for paper applications. The overall process, from application to final distribution, runs to 6 to 12 months for a straightforward estate. Our guide to what is probate explains when a grant is required. The probate application fee in England and Wales is £526 for estates worth more than £5,000, and free for estates of £5,000 or less (GOV.UK).
Step 7: how much inheritance tax will the estate pay?
Most estates pay no inheritance tax at all. HMRC's latest figures, for 2022/23, show that 4.6% of deaths resulted in a tax charge. Inheritance tax is payable on estates above the nil-rate band, currently £325,000.
The residence nil-rate band adds up to £175,000 where a main home passes to direct descendants, and any unused nil-rate band can be transferred between spouses.
Every estate above £325,000, and every estate with more complex arrangements, must submit a return even where no tax is owed. Where tax is due, it is payable within 6 months of the date of death, often before probate is granted. A probate solicitor or a STEP-qualified estate practitioner can work out the liability.
Step 8: what is still running 6 months after the death?
Account closures, refunds and stray post are still running 6 months after most deaths. Once probate is granted, the executor collects in the assets, pays the debts, and distributes what remains. Track four things to the end.
Incoming mail: new accounts and services can surface months after the death.
Payments still leaving the account: any direct debit taken after you notified the bank can be reclaimed under the Direct Debit Guarantee.
Refunds owed: utility companies, insurers and councils often owe money back when accounts close mid-period.
Identity fraud risk: registering with the Bereavement Register reduces marketing post, and the longer accounts stay open the wider the exposure.
Keep a record of every organisation you have contacted, the date, and what you sent. Council tax and the deceased's pension each have their own rules, and bereavement leave sets out the time off employees can take.
Frequently asked questions
Call 999 only if the death was unexpected. If the death was expected and happened at home, call the GP surgery or the community nursing team instead, and a doctor or nurse will attend to verify the death. An unclear cause of death is referred to a coroner.
Yes. The checklist runs to 8 steps: verify the death, get the medical certificate, register the death, use Tell Us Once, arrange the funeral, notify private providers, apply for probate, and settle inheritance tax. Registration is due within 5 days in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and 8 days in Scotland.
Most people need between 6 and 10 certified copies of the death certificate. Banks, pension providers, insurers and the probate service each need their own. Order them at the registration appointment, because ordering additional copies later costs more and takes longer than buying them on the day.
The executor named in the will is responsible for administering the estate. Where there is no will, a relative applies to become administrator and the estate passes under the intestacy rules. The executor collects in the assets, pays the debts, and distributes what remains to the beneficiaries.
A straightforward estate takes 6 to 12 months from application to final distribution. As of early 2026, HMCTS was issuing grants of probate in around 6 weeks for digital applications and around 15 weeks for paper ones. The administrative work runs to 20 or more hours for most estates.
This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Individual circumstances vary. If you are dealing with an estate, consider taking advice from a solicitor who specialises in probate. For other guidance specific to your circumstances, speak to a funeral director, Citizens Advice, or a regulated financial adviser.