What are the practical steps after a death?
A few tasks come first, and the rest can follow at your own pace:
- Confirmation and the medical examiner: a doctor confirms the death and a medical examiner reviews the cause. See what to do when someone dies.
- Register the death within 5 days of the medical examiner's confirmation: how to register a death.
- Use Tell Us Once to inform government departments: how Tell Us Once works.
- Arrange the funeral, checking for a funeral plan or written wishes.
- Deal with the estate when you are ready: the probate checker, the probate guide and the executor checklist.
What financial help is available?
Several government payments can help, depending on your situation:
| Payment | Who it is for | Key rules |
|---|---|---|
| Bereavement Support Payment | A husband, wife, civil partner or cohabiting partner under State Pension age | Higher rate £3,500 plus 18 monthly payments of £350; lower rate £2,500 plus 18 of £100. Claim within 3 months for the full amount; usually within 21 months at the latest. |
| Funeral Expenses Payment | People on certain benefits who are responsible for the funeral | Claim within 6 months of the funeral. Covers certain costs plus up to £1,000 for other expenses. |
| Guardian's Allowance | Someone bringing up a child whose parents have died | Check eligibility on GOV.UK. |
| Parental Bereavement Pay and Leave | Employed parents whose child has died before 18, or after a stillbirth from 24 weeks | Check eligibility on GOV.UK. |
A cohabiting partner qualifies for Bereavement Support Payment only if they were getting, or entitled to, Child Benefit for a child living with them, or were pregnant, when their partner died. The DWP Bereavement Service on 0800 151 2012 can check what else you may be entitled to.
Where can you get emotional support?
Free bereavement support is available by phone, online chat and in person; the organisations below are a starting point, and GOV.UK lists more, including support for bereaved children. FuneralFinder's UK bereavement helplines list adds specialist charities for the death of a baby, a child or a partner, or a death by suicide. If the death is being investigated by a coroner, the Coroners' Courts Support Service helpline is 0300 111 2141.
What should an executor do first?
Take stock before acting. Being named executor is a responsibility, not a race: find the original will, keep the estate safe and start listing what the person owned and owed. The role is explained in what an executor does and I have been named executor. If there is no will, the process is similar, but the intestacy rules decide who inherits and who can apply.
Should you think about your own will?
Only when you are ready. Many people who deal with an estate see how much a clear, valid will helps. If your situation is straightforward, SwiftWill can prepare it online for £35; if it involves trusts, property abroad or a likely dispute, see do I need a solicitor for a will?
Sources
- GOV.UK: What to do after someone dies (including bereavement help and support)
- GOV.UK: What to do when someone dies, step by step
- GOV.UK: Bereavement Support Payment
- GOV.UK: Funeral Expenses Payment
- Cruse Bereavement Support: helpline; GriefChat; AtaLoss; Samaritans
Sources checked 24 September 2026.