Practical things you may need to do after someone has died
After someone has died, it can seem like there's suddenly a lot that you need to do, or that you need to know about.
This page tells you about the main things that normally need to happen after someone has died.
On this page:
The first days and longer-term tasks
Some of the things we talk about on this page will happen in the first days. And then there are longer-term tasks that you may need to do too. It will depend on your relationship to the person who died and if you're responsible for sorting out their affairs.
See our checklist of things you may need to do after someone has died. It also explains where you can find more information and support for these practical tasks.
The moment of death
The exact moment when someone dies is not always clear. When a person dies, you may notice that:
- they stop breathing
- their face suddenly relaxes
- they may look peaceful.
Read more about the final moments of life.
You cannot know how you'll react when someone important to you dies, even when you know it's going to happen.
Read about the feelings you may have when someone has just died.
Caring for someone's body after death
What happens next may depend on whether the person died at home or in a hospice or hospital.
Customs or preferences when someone's died
If a healthcare professional is there when the person dies, they'll check the person's care plan to see if there are any religious or other customs that need to be followed. You can tell them if there's anything they should or should not do.
Care after death
This may include washing the person's body, dressing them in clean clothes and arranging their hair. This is sometimes called 'last offices' or 'laying out the body', although these mean different things to different people.
If a Marie Curie Nurse or another healthcare professional is present, you can ask them to do it for you, or ask them to help you do it. You may wish to stay for this, or you may prefer not to be in the room. There's no right or wrong decision − do whatever you feel comfortable with.
For religious or personal reasons, you may not want a healthcare professional to lay out the body. This should be in the care plan, but you can let them know your wishes.
Leave any equipment, such as a syringe driver, in place. A healthcare professional will remove it after the death has been verified.
Returning medication
If the person has any leftover medicines, it's important to dispose of them safely. You should not keep them, throw them in the bin or flush them down the toilet. People usually return any leftover medication to a pharmacy. Needles should be put in a safe container – ask your nurse or another healthcare professional about what to do with them.
Some people find removing the medication upsetting. If you're finding it difficult, you can ask a healthcare professional for help.
Checklist: Things you may need to do after someone has died
Often people who have been bereaved will get advice at the beginning from a healthcare professional − especially if the person died in a hospice or hospital.
1. Tell the person's nurse or GP
Someone who is there when the person dies needs to tell their nurse or GP or, if they died in a hospice or hospital, the team who was looking after them.
2. A healthcare professional verifies the death
A trained healthcare professional needs to verify the death to confirm that the person has died. This is known as 'formal verification of death,' or 'confirmation of death' in Scotland.
Read more about how the death is verified.
3. Take care to respect the wishes of the person who died
Everyone should respect any wishes the person had about how their body should be cared for, if possible. This includes religious or cultural practices.
4. A doctor certifies the death
A doctor does this by completing a medical certificate of cause of death. This is not the same as the death certificates you can get when you register the death.
Read more about certifying the death.
5. Arrange for the person's body to be collected
If you will be using a funeral director, you can call them, and they will usually come and collect the person's body.
Read our information about choosing a funeral director.
6. Register the person's death
The death needs to be registered at a register office. The registrar will register the death and issue a certificate for burial or cremation. You give this to the funeral director or the cemetery or crematorium, if you are not using a funeral director.
See our information on how to register a death.
7. Get copies of the death certificate
The registrar can give you certified copies of the death certificate. You will need to pay for these.
Read about why you need copies of the death certificate.
8. Tell organisations about the death
You may need to tell some organisations about the person's death, for example:
- employers and colleagues
- government departments
- bank, credit card and mortgage companies
- insurance companies
- utility companies, such as gas, water, electricity and telephone
- the person's landlord (if they were a tenant)
- Royal Mail
- TV and internet companies.
You can use the Tell Us Once service, or the Bereavement Service in Northern Ireland, to report a death to most government departments in one go.
Read more about the Bereavement Service.
9. Find out whether the person who died had a Will
A Will can tell you who the named executors are. The executors are the people who sort out the person's affairs and deal with their estate.
See our information about making a Will.
A Will may also have the person's instructions for their funeral. If you cannot find the Will, the solicitor they used should have a copy.
10. Deal with the person's estate and apply for probate ('confirmation' in Scotland)
For information about dealing with a person's estate, including what to do if they did not leave a Will, it is best to start by looking at the guidance on the relevant government site:
- GOV.UK (England and Wales)
- mygov.scot (Scotland)
- nidirect (Northern Ireland)
There's more support available from organisations like Citizen's Advice , MoneyHelper or the Bereavement Advice Centre .
11. Stop the person's benefits
You do this by using the Tell Us Once service if the person who died lived in England, Wales or Scotland, or the Bereavement Service if they lived in Northern Ireland.
Read about what happens to someone's benefits when they die.
Tell Us Once – England, Scotland and Wales
Tell us Once is a service that allows you to report a death to most government organisations in one go. It is available in England, Scotland and Wales.
The organisations that Tell Us Once will contact include :
- the person's local council – for Housing Benefit, Council Tax, Blue Badge schemes, to inform council housing services and remove the person from the electoral register
- HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) for personal tax and to cancel, for example, Child Benefit and tax benefits
- the Department for Work and Pensions to cancel benefits and entitlements, for example Universal Credit or State Pension
- HM Passport Office
- Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency
- Veterans UK – to cancel or update Armed Forces Compensation Scheme payments
- Social Security Scotland – to cancel benefits and entitlements from the Scottish Government.
Tell Us Once will also contact some public sector pension schemes, including:
- My Civil Service Pension
- NHS Pensions for NHS staff in England and Wales
- Armed Forces Pension Scheme
- Scottish Public Pension Agency schemes for NHS staff, teachers, police and firefighters in Scotland
- Local Government Pension Schemes (LGPS).
How to use Tell Us Once
The registrar will tell you how to use the Tell Us Once service when you register the death. They will either:
- complete the Tell Us Once service with you
- give you a unique reference number so you can use the service yourself online or by phone.
The registrar will give you a number to call. This includes Relay UK if you cannot hear or speak on the phone. If you're a British Sign Language (BSL) user, there's a video relay service you can use online.
You must use the Tell Us Once service within 28 days of getting your unique reference number.
If there is an inquest into the person's death you will need to ask the coroner (or procurator fiscal in Scotland) for an interim death certificate. You can then notify the registrar about the death and use the Tell Us Once service.
See the step-by-step guide to using Tell Us Once at GOV.UK. It includes information on the things you will be asked about the person who has died when use this service.
Bereavement Service – Northern Ireland
Tell Us Once is not available in Northern Ireland. Instead, family members can use the Bereavement Service on 0800 085 2463. It's a single point of contact for reporting the death to the Department of Communities. It will:
- forward details to any department that paid benefits to the person who died
- help you to access any other benefits that you may be able to get at this time.
Find out more about the Bereavement Service in Northern Ireland.
Getting support
We know that this can seem like a lot to organise at a very difficult time when it's important to look after yourself too. Do not feel like you must do everything on your own. If you can, ask for support from health and social care professionals, family and friends.
If you need emotional support or information about any of the practical things you need to do after someone has died, you can contact the Marie Curie Support Line for free on 0800 090 2309.
Useful websites
GOV.UK Registering a death
nidirect Registering a death in Northern Ireland
mygov.scot What do do when someone dies in Scotland
Bereavement Advice Centre Practical help when someone dies
MoneyHelper What to do when someone dies
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About this information
This information is not intended to replace any advice from health or social care professionals. We suggest that you consult with a qualified professional about your individual circumstances. Read more about how our information is created and how it's used.
