Who to Notify After a Death in Northern Ireland

If you've looked up the "Tell Us Once" service hoping to notify every government agency in a single phone call, stop. Tell Us Once does not exist in Northern Ireland. It works in England, Scotland, and Wales — but not here. In NI, you must contact each agency individually, and missing any one of them can lead to overpayment demands, accumulating rate bills, or forfeited benefits worth thousands of pounds.

This is the complete notification list, in the order you should tackle it.

Week 1: The Essential Calls

DfC NI Bereavement Service (0800 085 2463) — This is the closest thing Northern Ireland has to Tell Us Once, but its scope is limited to social security benefits. The operator will stop the deceased's benefit payments (preventing overpayment recovery demands against the estate), and can simultaneously start your Bereavement Support Payment claim. Call this number first.

General Register Office for Northern Ireland (GRONI) — The death must be registered within 5 days. In most cases, the hospital or doctor forwards the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death electronically to GRONI, and the local registrar contacts you by phone to complete registration. You'll need to order multiple certified death certificates — at least 5 to 10 copies. Banks, insurers, and the Probate Office will not accept photocopies.

Banks and building societies — Notify every institution where the deceased held accounts (current, savings, ISAs, credit cards). Accounts will typically be frozen until probate is granted, though many NI banks will release small amounts for funeral costs. Each bank has different probate thresholds.

Weeks 2-4: Financial Notifications

HMRC — Report the death using form P1000 to stop tax and National Insurance collection. If the deceased was self-employed, their Self Assessment obligations need closing. HMRC operates separately from the DfC — the Bereavement Service call does not notify HMRC. See our guide on HMRC death notification.

Land & Property Services (LPS) — If the deceased lived alone or was the named ratepayer, notify LPS immediately through their online portal. You can apply for a 100% exclusion on empty property rates while the estate is being administered — but only if you proactively apply. LPS won't automatically stop the rate bills. See our guide on empty property rates after death.

Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) — If the deceased was a Housing Benefit recipient or NIHE tenant. The surviving partner has a 12-month bedroom tax protection period.

Pension providers — Contact every workplace and private pension provider. Many occupational pensions include a survivor's pension or death-in-service lump sum that needs claiming.

Life insurance companies — Gather all policy documents and contact each insurer with a certified death certificate.

Month 2 Onwards: Administrative Clean-Up

DVA (Driver and Vehicle Agency) — Return the deceased's driving licence. If the car needs transferred, the V5C logbook needs updating.

Utilities — Transfer or close electricity, gas, broadband, and mobile phone accounts. If the property will remain occupied by the surviving partner, transfer the accounts. If it will be empty, arrange closure dates to align with the LPS empty property exclusion.

Council services — Cancel bin collection if the property will be vacant. Update electoral registration.

Subscriptions and memberships — Cancel direct debits for gym memberships, streaming services, magazine subscriptions. Check bank statements for recurring payments you might miss.

Passport Office — Cancel the deceased's passport to prevent identity fraud.

What the Bereavement Service Does NOT Cover

Many families assume the DfC Bereavement Service call handles everything. It does not. The service only notifies DfC-administered benefits offices. You still need to independently contact:

• HMRC (tax, NI contributions)
• LPS (property rates)
• NIHE (housing)
• Banks and building societies
• Pension providers
• Insurance companies
• DVA
• Utility companies

That's why the absence of Tell Us Once in Northern Ireland is so punishing. In England, a single 30-minute call to the registrar handles most of this list automatically. In NI, you're looking at dozens of separate phone calls and letters over several weeks.

The Northern Ireland Survivor Benefits Navigator includes a complete notification tracker — every agency, every phone number, every form reference — designed to replace the Tell Us Once service that Northern Ireland doesn't have.

See more Northern Ireland guides →