What to do when someone dies: step by step
Source: gov.uk (2025-08-14)

Check what to do after a death - how to register the death, notify government departments and deal with the estate.

Register the death

Register the death (/after-a-death)

Check what to do if:
- the death has been reported to a coroner (/after-a-death/when-a-death-is-reported-to-a-coroner)
- the death happened outside the UK (/after-a-death/death-abroad)
- you’re registering a stillbirth (/register-stillbirth)
- someone is missing and you think they’re dead (/get-declaration-presumed-death)
Tell government about the death

The Tell Us Once service allows you to inform all the relevant government departments when someone dies.

Use the Tell Us Once service to tell government (/after-a-death/organisations-you-need-to-contact-and-tell-us-once) If you cannot use Tell Us Once, tell government yourself (/after-a-death/report-without-tell-us-once)

You’ll also need to tell organisations outside government, like employers and private pension providers, banks, and utility companies.

Arrange the funeral

Arrange the funeral (/after-a-death/arrange-the-funeral) Get help paying for a funeral (/funeral-payments) Get help paying for a child’s funeral (/child-funeral-costs)

Check if you can get bereavement benefits

You might be eligible for financial help.

Check if you can get:
- Bereavement Support Payment if your partner has died (/bereavement-support-payment)
- Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay and Leave if your child has died or you’ve had a stillbirth (/parental-bereavement-pay-leave)
- Guardian’s Allowance if you’re bringing up a child whose parents have died (/guardians-allowance)
Deal with your own benefits, pension and taxes

Your tax, benefit claims and pension might change depending on your relationship with the person who died.

Manage your tax, pensions and benefits if your partner has died (/death-spouse-benefits-tax-pension) Check how benefits are affected if a child dies (/after-a-death/if-a-child-or-baby-dies)

Find bereavement support and services

Get help with managing grief and the things you need to do when someone dies.

Find bereavement help and support (/after-a-death/bereavement-help-and-support) Find bereavement services from your local council (/find-bereavement-services-from-council)

Check if you need to apply to stay in the UK

If your right to live in the UK depends on your relationship with someone who died you might need to apply for a new visa.

Check the rules if:
- you’re in the UK as the partner of a British Citizen or someone with indefinite leave to remain (/visas-partner-dies)
- your partner who died served as a member of HM Forces (/government/publications/hm-forces-partners-and-children)
Contact UKVI to check the rules for other visas (https://www.gov.uk/contact-ukvi-inside-outside-uk)

Value the estate and check if you need to pay Inheritance Tax

To find out if there’s Inheritance Tax to pay, you need to estimate the value of the property, money and possessions (the ‘estate’) of the person who died.

Value the estate and pay Inheritance Tax if it’s due (/valuing-estate-of-someone-who-died)

Apply for probate

You might need to apply for probate before you can deal with the property, money and possessions (the ‘estate’) of the person who died.

Check if you need to apply for probate (/applying-for-probate?step-by-step-nav=4f1fe77d-f43b-4581-baf9-e2600e2a2b7a)

Apply for probate (/applying-for-probate/apply-for-probate)

Deal with the estate

Pay any debts or taxes owed by the person who’s died. You can then distribute the estate as set out in the will or the law.

Deal with the estate (/probate-estate)

Update property records (/update-property-records-someone-dies)