What documents to gather after someone dies (UK)

When someone close to you dies, there’s a lot of paperwork, and it often arrives at the hardest time. Here is a calm checklist of what to look for, so you can take it one step at a time.

First: registering the death

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland a death should usually be registered within 5 days, and in Scotland within 8 days. The doctor or medical examiner will tell you when the medical certificate is ready. It helps to take the person’s birth certificate, NHS number and National Insurance number if you can find them. It’s worth ordering several copies of the death certificate, as banks and insurers often want to see one.

Tell Us Once

In most of the UK, the registrar can offer Tell Us Once. It tells most government departments in one go, such as HMRC, the DWP, the passport office and the DVLA. That saves a lot of phone calls.

Papers to look for

• The will, and the name of the executor
• Birth and marriage or civil partnership certificates
• Bank and building society accounts
• Pensions: workplace, private and State Pension
• Life insurance and funeral plans
• Property deeds, mortgage or tenancy papers
• Council tax, gas, electricity, water, phone and broadband
• Any loans, credit cards or other debts
• Passport and driving licence

Probate

If the person left money or property, the executor may need probate (called confirmation in Scotland) before they can deal with it. GOV.UK explains when you need it and how to apply.

You don’t have to do everything at once. Many things can wait a few weeks. Ask for help: family, friends and the bank’s bereavement team are there for exactly this.