What to Do When Someone Dies: Step-by-Step Guide (2025)
When someone dies, there are certain things that have to be done. But this often comes at an incredibly difficult time when we feel least able to manage. We can help you think through what you need to do and the steps you need to take.
This guide explains what to do in the hours, days, and weeks following a death: from registering the death and notifying government services to arranging the funeral and dealing with the estate.
All information here is drawn from official GOV.UK guidance (2025) and verified national organisations.
Checklist: What to Do When Someone Dies
This summary brings together all the key steps in one place. You can print it, bookmark it, or tick off each stage as you go.
|
Stage
|
What to Do |
When to Do It |
|
1. Confirm the death
|
Contact a GP, NHS 111 or call 999 if sudden. Get a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death. |
Immediately
|
| 2. Notify close family |
Let relatives and key contacts know.
|
Within 24 hours |
|
3. Contact a funeral director (optional)
|
Arrange collection and care of the person, or wait until certificate issued. |
Within 1–2 days
|
| 4. Register the death |
Book an appointment at the local register office; bring the medical certificate.
|
Within 5 days (8 in Scotland) |
|
5. Obtain key documents
|
Get several death certificates and the Green Form for burial or cremation.
|
At registration
|
| 6. Use Tell Us Once service |
Inform government departments (HMRC, DWP, DVLA etc.). |
After registration |
| 7. Contact other organisations |
Notify banks, insurers, pension providers, utilities and employers.
|
Within 1–2 weeks
|
|
8. Check for pre-paid funeral plans
|
Contact any plan or insurance provider before arranging the funeral.
|
As soon as possible |
| 9. Arrange the funeral |
With a funeral director or directly via your council.
|
Once registration complete
|
|
10. Apply for financial help (if needed)
|
Check eligibility for Funeral Expenses Payment or Bereavement Support Payment.
|
Before paying final costs
|
| 11. Manage the estate |
Find the will, identify executor/administrator, apply for probate if required. |
Within a few weeks
|
| 12. Seek support |
Contact bereavement charities, NHS Bereavement, or local counselling. |
Anytime |
Immediately After Someone Dies
When someone dies, there are practical steps that need to be taken straight away. The actions depend on where the person died and whether the death was expected or sudden.
This section outlines what to do first: who to contact, what documents you’ll need, and how to start the process calmly and correctly.
Confirm the death
If the death happens at home and was expected:
If the person dies in a hospital, hospice or a care home:
If the death was sudden, unexpected or accidental:
-
You must call 999 immediately to reach the police and ambulance service.
-
The police will contact a coroner, who may arrange a post-mortem to determine the cause of death.
-
You’ll be told when you can register the death and proceed with funeral arrangements.
Notify family and close friends
Before starting formal arrangements, contact close family members and anyone named in the person’s will or paperwork.
If you feel unable to do this yourself, you can ask a relative or friend to help make those calls.
Contact a funeral director (optional at this stage)
If the death occurred at home or in a care setting, you can choose to contact:
-
A funeral director immediately, to move the person to their care, or
-
Wait until after the medical certificate has been issued.
If you’re unsure who to call, your GP, hospital bereavement office, or local council can recommend licensed funeral directors in your area.
Obtain key documents
Before you can register the death, you’ll need:
-
The Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (from a doctor or coroner).
-
Any existing documents, such as the person’s birth certificate, NHS card, or marriage certificate, if easily accessible.
If the coroner is involved, you’ll be issued an interim certificate until the inquest is completed.
If the person died abroad
-
Contact the British consulate or embassy in that country.
-
You’ll need to register the death abroad and notify the UK authorities.
-
GOV.UK provides detailed steps: Register a death abroad.
Register the Death
Once a doctor or coroner has issued the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death, you must register the death at your local register office.
In England and Wales, this must be done within 5 days (or 8 days in Scotland).
Where to register
-
Go to a register office in the area where the person died.
-
You may need an appointment — check your local council website.
-
In most cases, you must register in person.
To find your nearest office, visit Find a register office and enter the postcode of where the person died. The site lists address, phone, email and opening hours.
If a coroner is involved, the death can only be registered after their investigation.
Who can register a death?
-
A relative of the person who died.
-
Someone present at the death.
-
The person arranging the funeral (not the funeral director).
What you need to bring
What you receive
- Death Certificate: Proof of death — buy several certified copies (£11 each in England & Wales).
-
Certificate for Burial or Cremation (Green Form): Given to the funeral director so the funeral can go ahead.
-
Certificate of Registration of Death (Form BD8): For National Insurance and benefits records (often replaced by Tell Us Once).
If a coroner is involved, you may be issued an interim certificate until the investigation is complete; this allows you to notify organisations in the meantime.
Tell Organisations and Government Services About the Death
After registration, notify government departments, local authorities and companies.
Use the Tell Us Once service
This free GOV.UK service lets you report a death to several departments in one step. The registrar will either complete it with you or give you a Tell Us Once reference number to use online or by phone within 28 days.
Who it notifies: HMRC, DWP, Passport Office, DVLA, Local Council, Veterans UK.
You’ll need: the person’s National Insurance number, date of birth, address, benefits or pensions info, driving licence and passport numbers, and executor details.
👉 Tell Us Once service
Notes:
-
Available in England, Scotland and Wales.
-
Not available in Northern Ireland, or if the person lived abroad permanently.
-
Some local authorities may not yet provide the service; the registrar will confirm.
If you can’t use Tell Us Once service
You’ll need to contact each organisation yourself: starting with HMRC, DWP, Passport Office, DVLA, and the local council, then banks, insurers, pensions, utilities and employers. Keep a checklist and dates of contact.
Services that can help
Settld offers a free service to notify multiple companies (banks, utilities, insurers) in one place.
If the Person Who Died Had a Lasting or Enduring Power of Attorney
A lasting power of attorney (LPA) or enduring power of attorney (EPA) ends automatically when the person dies. The executor or administrator then takes over the affairs of the deceased.
Steps:
-
Notify the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG).
-
Send the original LPA / EPA and a copy of the Death Certificate to the OPG.
-
Contact the person’s bank or solicitor to confirm who will manage the estate.
Arrange a Funeral
A funeral can only take place once the death has been registered (or released by the coroner).
Check for a prepaid plan or policy
Look for funeral-plan documents, life-insurance policies or workplace death-in-service benefits before arranging anything.
Would you like you or someone you care about to have a funeral insurance plan so that you can lock in a plan that you’re comfortable with to pay today’s prices and not tomorrow’s? Select your age range below to get started: ⤵️
Using a funeral director
Choose one registered with NAFD or SAIF and ask for a written, itemised estimate.
Arranging a funeral yourself
You can organise it personally: contact your local council’s cemeteries/crematoria office, use the Green Form, and arrange transport, officiant and payment.
Arrange a funeral without a funeral director: GOV.UK.
Help with funeral costs
Here’s what you need to know about funeral costs:
|
Type of support
|
Who can apply |
What it covers
|
|
Funeral Expenses Payment
|
People on certain benefits
|
Burial/cremation fees, travel, part of funeral-director’s costs
|
|
Children’s Funeral Fund
|
Under 18 / stillbirths after 24 weeks
|
All cremation / burial fees
|
| Bereavement Support Payment |
Spouse / civil partner under pension age |
Lump sum + monthly payments
|
| Local Welfare Assistance |
Some councils
|
One-off grants
|
👉 Help paying for a funeral — GOV.UK
Average costs (UK 2025)
Deal with the Estate
The ‘estate’ means and includes everything the person owned and owed.
What’s included
Money, property, possessions, life insurance/pensions, and debts.
Who manages the estate?
Executor (if a will exists) or administrator (if not). Check for a will or search the National Will Register.
When probate is needed
Required if the person owned property or a bank requests it. May not be needed for small or jointly owned estates.
Apply for probate — GOV.UK
Steps in probate
-
Value the estate.
-
Apply for probate/letters of administration.
-
Pay debts and taxes.
-
Distribute remaining assets.
-
Keep records.
Support and Bereavement Help
Grieving is personal, and there’s no right or wrong way to feel. These national charities and online services offer free counselling, peer groups and advice.
For Children and Young People Needing Support
Children and teenagers experience grief differently. These organisations specialise in helping young people and families cope.
If you need urgent emotional support
-
Call Samaritans on 116 123 (24 hours, free)
-
In an emergency, call 999 or go to your nearest A&E
-
You can also contact NHS 111 for mental-health help