How does Tell Us Once work?
- Register the death — see how to register a death.
- Get your reference — the registrar hands it over at the appointment (or posts it).
- Submit within 28 days — online at gov.uk or by phone, using the reference plus the deceased's details.
- Departments act — state pension and benefits stop, tax codes adjust, the passport and driving licence are cancelled, council tax and electoral roll update.
What do you need for Tell Us Once?
- The Tell Us Once reference number
- The deceased's date of birth, address and date of death
- Details of any benefits or state pension they received
- Their passport number and driving licence number (if held)
- Name and address of the executor or next of kin
Which organisations does Tell Us Once contact?
Covered: HMRC · DWP (state pension, Pension Credit, Attendance Allowance and other benefits) · Passport Office · DVLA · local council (council tax, electoral services, housing benefit, blue badge, adult social services) · public sector pensions · Veterans UK.
Not covered:banks and building societies, private and workplace pensions, insurers, mortgage lenders, utilities and telecoms, streaming and subscription services, premium bonds (NS&I), and employers. For the financial side, follow our bank accounts after a death guide.
Why does Tell Us Once matter for the estate?
Benefits and state pension paid after the date of death become an overpayment that must be repaid from the estate — Tell Us Once stops that quickly and cleanly. It also prevents identity misuse: cancelled passports and licences can't be abused. If you are the executor, keep the confirmation alongside your other paperwork — the full sequence is in the executor checklist.