You will need to inform the government of the person’s death so that state benefits, such as a state pension, can be stopped and the person’s tax situation finalised.
If the deceased person was in receipt of state benefits you will need to contact the local Department for Works and Pension (DWP). You can also inform the bereavement section at the DWP by calling the following number: 0345 608 8601.
You must follow up by sending the certificate of registration of death form (BD8) when you have completed it. The BD8 form is the white one given to you by the registrar when you registered the death.
Following receipt, the DWP will determine whether any payments are outstanding or a refund due and will let you know. You should also personally double check to ensure that all benefits were fully paid to the date of the death.
The DWP will then send the BD8 form on to HM Revenue & Customs.
You must inform the deceased person’s tax inspector of the death. HM Revenue & Customs will ask you for the deceased person’s full name and address and national insurance number as well as details of the personal representatives.
You may find that there is some tax to be paid but conversely there may be a tax credit owing which can be added to the assets in the estate.
For more information from HM Revenue & Customs on what to do regarding tax and benefits after a death, please click here.
Tell Us Once is a new service which has been introduced in some parts of England, Scotland and Wales. If your local authority is using the service, then the information you give to one government department is automatically shared with other departments and services. For more information on the service, please click here.
For further information on bereavement benefits, please see the section of ‘When someone dies’ in Lasting Post called Financial assistance.
For further advice from the government on financial assistance and bereavement benefits that you may be able to claim, please click here.
The information which we provide through Lasting Post is in outline for information or educational purposes only. The information is not a substitute for the professional judgment of a solicitor, accountant or other professional adviser. We cannot guarantee that information provided by Lasting Post will meet your individual needs, as this will very much depend on your individual circumstances. You should therefore use the information only as a starting point for your enquiries.