Call the GP surgery. They will arrange for verification of death — usually a doctor visiting to confirm. Your loved one does not need to leave the home immediately. There is no statutory rush.

Call 999. Police and paramedics will attend. The death may need to be referred to the coroner before it can be registered. This is normal procedure, not a sign of suspicion.

The clinical team confirms the death and prepares a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD). Hospital bereavement officers (most large hospitals have one) will guide the practical steps that follow.

Since 9 September 2024, every death in England and Wales that is not referred to a coroner is independently reviewed by a medical examiner before it can be registered. The doctor's certificate now goes electronically to the medical examiner, who scrutinises the cause of death, then releases it to the registrar. The medical examiner's office will usually phone you to explain the cause and answer questions — a voluntary conversation. You cannot book the registration appointment until this is done.

Take this at the pace that feels right. The phone calls do not all have to happen today. A short text or an early-evening call is kinder than a rushed message at the moment of news.

Cancelling direct debits. Notifying the bank. Calling pension providers. Posting on social media. None of these are time-sensitive, and several are best done in a specific sequence later.

At the local register office where the death occurred — by appointment, booked online via GOV.UK, once the medical examiner or registrar paperwork is ready. The registrar issues the Certified Copy of an Entry of Death (the green-edged document banks and institutions accept) and a certificate for burial or cremation. Order several certified copies at the time of registration — £12.50 each in England and Wales; the same £12.50 standard fee (or £38.50 priority, next working day) applies if you order more later from the General Register Office. Most estates need around four to six, as each bank, pension provider, the probate registry and any conveyancing typically want an original.

The registrar gives you a reference for Tell Us Once, a free government service that reports the death to most government departments at once — HMRC, DWP, DVLA, His Majesty's Passport Office, the local council, the State Pension and Veterans UK. Use it at the registrar's or online within 28 days. It saves dozens of separate calls and is available in England, Scotland and Wales. Not available in Northern Ireland. Note: the deceased's National Insurance record must be updated separately — Tell Us Once does not cover this.

There is no legal requirement to use a funeral director. The deceased may have recorded preferences (in a funeral wishes worksheet, a will, or a pre-paid plan). Compare quotes — costs vary by hundreds of pounds within a single town. A direct cremation typically costs around £1,200–£1,800; a traditional attended funeral around £4,200 with cremation or £5,440 with burial (2025 figures, SunLife Cost of Dying Report 2026). The National Association of Funeral Directors and SAIF maintain searchable codes-of-practice registers.

If one exists, the plan provider must be notified — they coordinate directly with the funeral director. Since 29 July 2022, plan providers have been FCA-regulated; the FCA register confirms whether a provider is authorised. The plan reference often lives with the provider, not with you — a phone call with the deceased's name and date of birth is usually enough.

Take a sealed copy of the death certificate. Sole accounts will be frozen — direct debits stop, standing orders cease, no further payments can be made. Joint accounts pass to the surviving holder under the Rule of Survivorship. Banks will set up an estate account if needed for paying funeral costs and ongoing essentials.

It may be at home, with the deceased's solicitor, or registered with the National Will Register. The executor named in the will is the legal authority for handling the estate. If no will exists, the rules of intestacy apply and a close family member typically applies for letters of administration.

Each provider needs to be told separately. Death-in-service benefits (where the deceased was in employment) often pay out fast — sometimes within weeks. Life policies in trust pay out without waiting for probate. Policies not in trust form part of the estate and follow the probate timeline.

HR will manage final salary, accrued holiday pay, death-in-service pension, and any group life cover. Most employers handle this with kindness; some send paperwork that feels mechanical. Either is normal.

Subscriptions, social media accounts, mobile phone contracts, utilities not in joint names. None are statutory; all can be done in the second or third week without penalty.

DIY probate is realistic for organised estates with no IHT due, a single executor, and no contested issues. Hybrid (executor + solicitor on the regulated bits) suits estates where the documentation needs review. Full-service is appropriate for complex estates, contested issues, or where the executor lacks time. The free Probate Cost Calculator on this site shows the order of magnitude.

If the estate is below the nil-rate band (£325,000) and no IHT is due, a short-form return suffices. If IHT is due, IHT400 plus supplementary pages should be delivered within twelve months of the date of death, and any tax owed paid within six months — interest runs on unpaid tax after that point, not on late filing. The free IHT Calculator on this site shows the position.

The online application fee is £526 for estates over £5,000 (nothing if the estate is £5,000 or less); extra sealed copies of the grant are £2 each. A sealed grant unlocks each remaining institution — banks holding sole accounts, share registrars, foreign authorities. You can apply yourself on GOV.UK or instruct a solicitor.

If the deceased was a spouse or civil partner who paid sufficient National Insurance, the survivor (with dependent children, or under State Pension age) may be able to claim Bereavement Support Payment from the DWP. Apply on form BSP1 via GOV.UK — check the current amounts there. Claim within 3 months of the death for the maximum backdated lump sum; the full claim window is 21 months from the date of death. Beyond BSP, there are seven other bereavement benefits many families miss — check your eligibility in 8 questions →

Once the grant is sealed, each remaining provider — share registrars, brokers, foreign banks, premium bond holders, NS&I — releases assets against a sealed copy of the grant. This is tedious but mechanical. Expect to send several sealed copies during the year.

Estate debts must be paid before beneficiaries receive anything. The executor publishes a statutory notice (the Section 27 notice, in The Gazette) to give creditors two months to come forward. After that period, the executor is protected against unknown claims. Income tax to date of death and any remaining IHT is settled.

Once debts and taxes are settled, the executor distributes per the will (or the rules of intestacy). Final estate accounts are prepared — beneficiaries may ask to see them. Once distribution is complete, the executor's role ends.

Income tax for the executors' year, capital gains on any sold assets, and claims under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 — which must be brought within six months of the grant. None of these are urgent in the first weeks; all matter in the first year.

Free national helpline: 0808 808 1677. Trained volunteers, available across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Same-day callbacks for urgent need. cruse.org.uk

A directory of regional and specialist bereavement services. Child loss, sibling loss, suicide bereavement, sudden death. thegoodgrieftrust.org

Free support line for anyone affected by terminal illness or bereavement: 0800 090 2309. mariecurie.org.uk

Bereavement is a recognised reason to see a GP. Sleep, appetite, anxiety, intrusive thoughts — all are normal reactions, all are worth mentioning. Your GP can refer onward to NHS Talking Therapies or local bereavement counselling.

Bereavement Support Payment (above) is the main DWP support. Local councils may have hardship funds. The funeral director can apply for a Funeral Expenses Payment on the family's behalf if specific qualifying benefits are in place.