Telling us that somebody has died
When a relative has died there are lots of things that need to be done, at a time when you probably feel least like doing them. One of these is contacting government departments and council services that need to be told.
We’re using the Department for Work and Pensions Tell Us Once service to make it easier for you to tell us that someone has died.
When you register a death with the registrar in Barnsley, we'll give you more information about Tell Us Once and how you can use it. We will also give you a reference number. You'll need to use the number when you contact the Department for Work and Pensions to access the Tell Us Once service.
All of the information on this page is available to download in our Tell Us Once leaflet.
Who Tell Us Once informs
The following organisations and departments are all part of Tell Us Once and when you use the service they'll be automatically notified about the death.
Barnsley Council services:
- Council Tax billing
- Council Tax Support
- Housing Benefit
- Payment services
- Libraries
- Electoral services
- Blue Badges
- Adult social services
- Children's services
- Council housing (if you're ending a council tenancy you'll need to tell Berneslai Homes you're ending a tenancy on behalf of a tenant who's died.)
You can fill in our online form if you need to cancel our help to put bins out.
Government services
The Department for Work and Pensions for:
- Pensions and benefits
HM Revenue and Customs for:
- Child Benefit
- Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit
- Personal taxation
Also:
- HM Passport Office
- Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency
- Ministry of Defence, Veterans UK (War Pensions Scheme)
The information you'll need to provide
When you contact the Department for Work and Pensions you'll need to have the following information with you:
- The Tell Us Once service number from the registrar (12 digits).
- The death certificate provided by the registrar.
- Details of any benefits or services the person who has died was receiving.
- Their date of birth and national insurance number, if you have it.
- Their passport or passport number and town/country of birth.
- Driving licence or licence number.
- Their Blue Badge details if they had one.
- The dates of any recent stays in hospital, a hospice or care home.
You may also need the contact details for:
- The person's next of kin.
- A surviving husband, wife or civil partner.
- The person dealing with their estate.
If you’re providing information about somebody else you'll need to have their permission.
If you're the next of kin
If you're the person's next of kin, your entitlement to benefits may change, so the Department for Work and Pensions will need to know your name, date of birth and your own National Insurance number.
Please remember that it is your responsibility to ensure that all organisations that pay you a benefit have correct and up to date information about you.