What to Do When Someone Dies in England — A Practical First Steps Guide

The first week after a death in England involves more administrative steps than most people expect — and more of them have strict legal deadlines than is widely understood. This guide covers the critical first steps in the right order, including several procedural changes that came into force in September 2024 that have altered how death registration works.

Step 1: Wait for the Medical Examiner (Within 48–72 Hours)

Since 9 September 2024, all non-coronial deaths in England and Wales must be independently reviewed by a senior Medical Examiner before the cause of death can be officially certified. A Medical Examiner Officer will contact the family by telephone within two to three working days. They will explain the proposed cause of death and give you the opportunity to raise any concerns about the clinical care the person received.

This is not an investigation and does not delay funerals unnecessarily in straightforward cases. It is a statutory quality-assurance step. Do not contact the Register Office before the ME has approved and transmitted the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) — you cannot register the death until this has happened.

If the death is referred to the coroner (for example, if the cause is unknown, sudden, or unexpected), the coroner takes over the process and the ME is not involved. The coroner's office will guide you through what happens next.

Step 2: Register the Death — Within Five Days

Once the Medical Examiner transmits the MCCD to the Register Office, you have exactly five days to register the death. This five-day clock runs from the date the Medical Examiner notifies you — not the date of death.

Registration must take place at the local Register Office for the area where the death occurred. The person registering is called the "informant" and is usually:

• A relative who was present at the death or during the final illness
• A person present at the death
• The occupier of the premises where the death occurred
• An executor or other person who has agreed to take responsibility for the funeral

You do not need to bring documents proving your identity at most Register Offices, but you should bring any documents the deceased held, such as their NHS number, and be ready to provide details of their full name, date and place of birth, last occupation, and marital status.

At the registration appointment, order death certificates. A realistic minimum is eight to twelve copies — each institution holding assets in the deceased's name typically needs an original certified copy. At roughly £11 to £14 each at registration, they are significantly cheaper than reordering later through the General Register Office.

The registrar will also give you a unique 12-digit reference number for the Tell Us Once service.

Step 3: Use Tell Us Once (at the Register Office)

Tell Us Once (TUO) is a free government service available through the Register Office that notifies multiple central and local government departments in a single step using the reference number the registrar provides. In one go it notifies:

• Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) — to stop benefits, pensions, and tax credits
• HMRC — to close tax records
• DVLA — to cancel the driving licence and notify about any vehicle
• HM Passport Office — to cancel the passport
• Local council — to end Housing Benefit, Council Tax, or Blue Badge entitlements

What Tell Us Once does not cover: banks, building societies, insurance companies, utility providers, private pension schemes, or subscription services. Those require separate notification.

Step 4: Use the Death Notification Service for Banks

The Death Notification Service (DNS) is a free private-sector initiative that allows you to notify multiple banks, building societies, and insurance companies simultaneously through a single online portal. Major high-street banks participate. This saves hours of repetitive phone calls and physical document mailing.

The DNS does not automatically close accounts or release funds — it initiates the bereavement process at each institution. Each bank will then contact you with their specific requirements for releasing assets or closing accounts.

Step 5: Secure the Estate Immediately

Before probate is granted, executors are permitted — and required — to secure the deceased's estate. This means:

• Lock the property: Secure all access points to the deceased's home. Ensure home insurance remains active (some policies require notification if a property will be unoccupied for more than 30 days).
• Remove high-value portable items (jewellery, cash, important documents) for safekeeping.
• Do not distribute or sell any assets. Executors are legally prohibited from liquidating investments, selling property, or transferring assets to beneficiaries before a Grant of Probate is issued. Doing so creates personal liability.

Step 6: Locate the Will — With Care

The original Will is the document that names who has authority to act as executor and how the estate should be distributed. Search the deceased's papers, filing cabinets, safe, and with their solicitor or bank if appropriate.

Critical warning: Do not remove staples, unpin pages, or attach paperclips to the original Will. HMCTS Probate Registry treats any staple holes, rust marks, or paperclip indentations as evidence that a codicil may have been attached and removed. This triggers a requirement for the executor to swear an Affidavit of Plight and Condition in front of a solicitor — a preventable delay.

Step 7: Freeze Bank Accounts via Written Notification

Banks automatically freeze accounts in the sole name of the deceased upon notification. This protects the assets but creates a temporary liquidity issue for families needing to cover immediate expenses, including the funeral. Banks can release funds directly to funeral directors if you present the death certificate alongside an official funeral invoice — ask the bereavement team at each bank about this specifically.

What Comes Next

After the first week, the estate administration moves into a longer phase: compiling an asset inventory, assessing whether inheritance tax applies, applying for the Grant of Probate, and eventually distributing assets to beneficiaries. A standard estate in England takes nine to eighteen months from death to final distribution.

The England Estate Settlement Guide walks through every stage of administration with a month-by-month roadmap, agency notification tracker, bank threshold matrix, and step-by-step guidance on probate forms and HM Land Registry property transfers. Get the complete guide

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