Guides &amp; Resources

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.

How much does a funeral cost in the UK?

This guide breaks down funeral costs by type of funeral and by region, explains what drives the bill, and covers the help available, including the Funeral Expenses Payment and paying from the estate.

First Month

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How to notify HMRC after a death: what Tell Us Once covers and what it does not

This guide explains how the notification works, when separate contact with HMRC is needed, and what the executor still needs to do after HMRC has been told about the death.

8 min read

How to cancel a deceased person's subscriptions and digital accounts

To cancel a deceased person's subscriptions and close their digital accounts, you stop the payments at the bank, tell each provider with a copy of the death certificate and the account details, and use the platform's own legacy tools for social media and Apple or Google accounts. There's no single place to do all of it at once. Every service runs its own process, and the order you tackle them in makes the job quicker and safer.

Who to notify when someone dies: a complete UK list

This guide is a complete list of who needs to be told when someone dies in the UK, split into the government bodies you can notify in one go and the private-sector accounts you have to contact one by one. It is written for the person taking on the practical tasks and trying to make sure nothing is missed.

6 min read

Funeral Planning

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Who pays for a funeral if there's no money?

This guide covers who is legally liable for the bill, what the estate can release, what the Department for Work and Pensions pays, and what a public health funeral involves.

7 min read

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

How long after death is a funeral in the UK?

This guide explains what drives the timeline, what can delay a funeral, how cremation and burial timings compare, and the realistic upper limit if you need longer.

7 min read

Managing the Estate

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Defined contribution pensions and inheritance tax: what the April 2027 change means for executors and beneficiaries

This guide explains what executors need to do differently, which pension types are affected, which benefits remain exempt, and how the tax is calculated and collected. It covers the position for beneficiaries too, including the double taxation question that arises when both income tax and inheritance tax may apply to the same pension pot.