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Complete Bereavement Checklist

Everything you may need to do after someone passes away in the UK, gathered in one place so nothing catches you out. Plenty of it will not apply to you, so please take only what you need.

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Right now

There is nothing you have to do this minute. Take all the time you need.
If they died at home, call their GP surgery or 111. They will gently talk you through what happens next.
If your family is Muslim or Jewish, contact the mosque or synagogue (burial may need to happen within 24 hours)
If they died abroad, call the Foreign Office on 020 7008 5000

When you are ready (first few days)

Tell the people closest to you. There is no rush, and no right order.
Collect the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) from the doctor or hospital
If the death was sudden or unexplained, a coroner will be involved and will guide you through it
Register the death at the local register office (legally required within 5 days of getting the confirmation, or 8 days in Scotland)
Order around 5 to 10 certified copies of the death certificate while you are there, depending on how many accounts and policies there were (£12.50 each in England and Wales, around £15 in Scotland, £8 in Northern Ireland at registration)
Use the Tell Us Once service at the register office, within 28 days of getting your unique reference number (not available in Northern Ireland)

Learn more: How Tell Us Once works · Find your local register office · How many death certificates do you need?

First 2 weeks

Contact a funeral director when you feel ready. Ask at least 3 of them for itemised quotes.
If there was a pre-paid funeral plan, contact that provider instead
Apply for Funeral Expenses Payment if you are on benefits (0800 151 2012)
Apply to the Children's Funeral Fund if they were under 18
Find the will (look at home, and ask their solicitor or their bank, or search the National Will Register)
Make their home secure if they lived on their own
Check the home insurance on the empty property (some policies become void after 30 days unoccupied)

Learn more: Compare all funeral types · Full cost breakdown · Free funeral options

First month

Let banks and building societies know (or use the Death Notification Service to tell several at once)
Look for any life insurance policies and make a claim
Let pension providers know (state, workplace, private)
Ask their employer about death-in-service benefits and any final pay
Apply for Bereavement Support Payment if your husband, wife, or civil partner has passed away
Update council tax (an exemption on an empty property, or the 25% single person discount)
Let the utility companies know (gas, electric, water, broadband)
Cancel subscriptions and direct debits
Sort out the vehicle (DVLA, insurance, V5C logbook)
Set up Royal Mail post redirection
Check the guardianship arrangements if there are children

Learn more: Dealing with bank accounts · Finding unknown accounts · Bereavement benefits · Who to notify

Within 3 months

Apply for probate (Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration)
In Scotland, apply for Confirmation at the Sheriff Court
Read up on the intestacy rules if there is no will
Get legal advice if you were their partner but not married, and there is no will
Check whether inheritance tax applies (estates above £325,000)
Place statutory notices in The Gazette to protect yourself from debts nobody knew about
Let the mortgage lender know
Apply for council tax exemption on the empty property
File the final Self Assessment tax return if they were self-employed

Learn more: Full probate guide · Executor duties · Intestacy rules · Inheritance tax

Within 6 months

Pay any inheritance tax due (within 6 months of the end of the month of death)
Deal with property (transfer, sell, or end tenancy). Grant of Probate is needed first.
Update the Land Registry
Collect all assets into the estate with the Grant of Probate
Claim Funeral Expenses Payment if on benefits (must claim within 6 months of the funeral)

Learn more: Property after a death · Council tax exemptions

When you are ready

Share out the estate between the beneficiaries (once probate, debts, and taxes are settled)
Close any remaining bank and financial accounts
Memorialise or close social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram, Google)
Cancel any remaining digital subscriptions and online accounts
Register with the Bereavement Register (thebereavementregister.org.uk) to stop junk mail arriving in their name
Settle the last of the estate tax affairs
Think ahead about the harder dates: birthdays, anniversaries, holidays
Reach out for support whenever you need it. Cruse: 0808 808 1677. Samaritans: 116 123. Both free.

Learn more: Digital legacy guide · Cancelling subscriptions

If writing to organisations feels like a lot, our template letters cover banks, utility companies, HMRC, employers, insurers, and more. Fill in the details and send.

This is a general checklist, and no two situations are the same. If you would like a shorter list with only the things that apply to you, along with the dates that matter and links to the right places, use our free tool.

Related guides

Printable Checklist

A clean, print-friendly checklist you can tick off on paper

Deadline Tracker

Enter the date of death and see every key deadline calculated for you

Step-by-Step Guide

Everything you need to do, in order, from the first 24 hours onwards

Template Letters

Ready-to-use letters for banks, utilities, HMRC, employers, and more