Guides & Resources

Practical advice and helpful resources to help you navigate bereavement.

Featured Guides

Our most popular guides to help you navigate bereavement.

Next of kin in the UK: what it means and what you're responsible for when someone dies

This guide explains what next of kin means, who counts, what you can and cannot do, and where your real responsibilities begin once someone has died.

7 min read

Managing the Estate

Death in service benefit UK: how it works and how to claim

This guide explains how death in service benefit works, who decides where the money goes, how to claim after a death, and what employers and HR teams can do to make claims faster.

7 min read

Managing the Estate

The 7 year rule for inheritance tax: how gifts before death are treated

This guide explains how the 7 year rule actually works in practice, where the common mistakes are, and what changed in the 2025 Autumn Budget.

6 min read

Managing the Estate

Bereavement Support Payment UK: who qualifies, how much, and how to claim

Bereavement Support Payment is a tax-free benefit from the Department for Work and Pensions for people whose spouse, civil partner, or cohabiting partner has died. It replaced three older bereavement benefits in April 2017: Widowed Parent's Allowance, Bereavement Allowance, and Bereavement Payment. The rates are unchanged for 2026/27.

5 min read

First Month

The residence nil rate band: how it works and what it could save you

The rules are more complicated than that headline suggests. The RNRB applies only in certain circumstances, tapers away for larger estates, and has several edge cases that catch families out. This guide explains how it works, who qualifies, and what practical steps matter when an estate involves a family home.

9 min read

Managing the Estate

What to do when someone dies in the UK: a step-by-step guide

This guide explains what to do in the first days, weeks and months after a death in the UK. It is written for the person taking on the practical tasks: a spouse, an adult child, an executor, a close friend. It assumes you are in England or Wales, with notes on the differences for Scotland and Northern Ireland.

10 min read

First Month

What happens to energy and water bills when someone dies in a property they owned?

When someone dies and leaves behind a property they owned, one of the many practical questions families face is: what happens to the gas, electricity and water bills?

5 min read

Managing the Estate

How much does a funeral cost in the UK?

The average cost of a simple attended funeral in the UK is now £3,828. That figure covers the core elements: funeral director services, a basic coffin, and the cremation or burial fee.

7 min read

Funeral Planning

Bereavement leave UK: what employees and employers need to know

This guide covers the current statutory position, what most employers offer in practice, the specific rights that exist for parents who lose a child, what to do if your employer's policy falls short, and what is changing under the Employment Rights Act 2025.

7 min read

First Month

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Bereavement Support Payment UK: who qualifies, how much, and how to claim

5 min read

First Month

The Death Notification Service (DNS): what it is, who is signed up, and how to use it

In practical terms, the DNS is the private sector counterpart to the government's Tell Us Once service. Tell Us Once handles HMRC, the DWP, the DVLA and your local council in one notification. The DNS handles a meaningful proportion of UK retail banks.

12 min read

First Month

How to stop mail and reduce identity fraud after a death: the Bereavement Register, DNS and Deceased Preference Service explained

This guide explains the four free services that work together to stop unwanted mail and protect the deceased's identity, plus the paid Royal Mail option for redirecting genuine post. It sets out how each one differs, in what order to use them, and what none of them can do.

12 min read

First Month

Funeral Planning

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How to write a eulogy

This guide focuses on what actually makes a eulogy land when delivered, and on the practical decisions that get you from blank page to finished draft. It is written for the person who has never done this before, may not speak in public often, and is grieving.

9 min read

Funeral Planning

How long after death is a funeral in the UK?

This guide explains what drives the timeline, what can delay a funeral, and what the realistic upper limit is if you need longer.

7 min read

Funeral Planning

Celebration of Life Ideas: How to Plan a Service That Feels Like Them

This guide covers practical ideas for music, venues, themes, order of service, and the smaller personal touches that make a difference.

7 min read

Funeral Planning

Managing the Estate

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Deed of variation: how to change who inherits from an estate in the UK

This guide explains how a deed of variation works, why families use one, who has to agree, and what it cannot do.

7 min read

Managing the Estate

Widow's pension UK: what replaced it and what you can claim now

The old name has stuck around, which is why people still search for it. This guide explains what happened to the widow's pension, what has taken its place, and what you can actually claim today.

7 min read

Managing the Estate

Next of kin in the UK: what it means and what you're responsible for when someone dies

This guide explains what next of kin means, who counts, what you can and cannot do, and where your real responsibilities begin once someone has died.

7 min read

Managing the Estate

Guides & Resources

Practical advice and helpful resources to help you navigate bereavement.

Featured Guides

Next of kin in the UK: what it means and what you're responsible for when someone dies

Death in service benefit UK: how it works and how to claim

The 7 year rule for inheritance tax: how gifts before death are treated

Bereavement Support Payment UK: who qualifies, how much, and how to claim

The residence nil rate band: how it works and what it could save you

What to do when someone dies in the UK: a step-by-step guide

What happens to energy and water bills when someone dies in a property they owned?

How much does a funeral cost in the UK?

Bereavement leave UK: what employees and employers need to know

First Month

Bereavement Support Payment UK: who qualifies, how much, and how to claim

The Death Notification Service (DNS): what it is, who is signed up, and how to use it

How to stop mail and reduce identity fraud after a death: the Bereavement Register, DNS and Deceased Preference Service explained

Funeral Planning

How to write a eulogy

How long after death is a funeral in the UK?

Celebration of Life Ideas: How to Plan a Service That Feels Like Them

Managing the Estate

Deed of variation: how to change who inherits from an estate in the UK

Widow's pension UK: what replaced it and what you can claim now

Next of kin in the UK: what it means and what you're responsible for when someone dies

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