If someone close to you has died, sorting out practical tasks like stopping their benefits and any carer benefits you were getting, might feel daunting or even overwhelming. That's why we've put together this information about what to do, who to contact and where to get more advice.
Sorting out benefits of someone who has died
Benefit payments will not automatically stop when someone dies. After registering the death, you will need to tell the government to stop their benefit payments. This includes (but is not limited to):
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- Attendance Allowance
- Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Universal Credit
- Adult Disability Payment
- Disability Living Allowance
- Child Disability Payment
- Housing Benefit.
In England, Wales and Scotland you can contact the government's Tell Us Once service after someone dies. Tell Us Once is not available in Northern Ireland, or if the person died while living abroad. See below to find out who to contact if you cannot use Tell Us Once.
Tell Us Once is a service that helps you report a death to most government organisations at once. As well as benefits, they will sort out other things like cancelling the person's passport and sorting out personal tax. When you register the death, the registrar will either complete the Tell Us Once service with you, or give you a unique reference number to use the service.
How do I inform DWP of a death?
Tell Us Once will contact the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and Social Security Scotland (SSS) to cancel the person's benefits. They'll also contact their local council to cancel the person's Blue Badge or Housing Benefit. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), the DWP and SSS may then contact you about the person's benefits.
What if I cannot use Tell Us Once
In Northern Ireland: you can contact the Bereavement Service on 0800 085 2463 to report someone's death. They will help you sort out the person's benefits. They can also help you access any benefits you may be entitled to.
In England, Wales and Scotland: visit GOV.UK to find out what to do if someone dies while living abroad.
What happens to my carer's benefits?
If you're receiving carer's benefits, you need to report the person's death to Tell Us Once, the DWP Bereavement Service or the Northern Ireland Bereavement Service, as above.
Your carer's benefits will stop after the person you were caring for has died. If you're overpaid because you did not let the government department know about the person's death, you may have to repay money.
Carer's Allowance after someone dies
If you're getting Carer's Allowance, you can receive it for up to eight weeks after the death of the person you were caring for.
Other carer benefits
- Income Support will continue for up to eight weeks after the person has died.
- Carer premium may also continue for up to eight weeks.
- Universal Credit – in some circumstances, some amounts can continue at their existing rate after a person dies, before entitlement is recalculated. This is known as a bereavement run-on. The carer element in Universal Credit can continue for the remainder of the monthly assessment period in which the person dies, and for the next two monthly assessment periods.
What benefits can I claim after someone dies?
You may be able to claim the following benefits after someone has died:
- Bereavement Support Payment if the person who died was your husband, wife or civil partner and you're under State Pension age. If you were cohabiting with your partner (but were not married or in a civil partnership) and you have dependent children, you are not currently entitled to Bereavement Support Payment. However the rules are going to change, and you might be able to make a backdated claim.
- Funeral Expenses Payment if you live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, or Funeral Support Payment if you live in Scotland.
It may help to get advice from a financial or benefits advisor to make sure you're getting any support you're entitled to. See below for where you can access further help.
Support when someone dies
Sorting out practical things when someone dies can be difficult. You can find more information and support in our online information resources on when someone dies, or you could download our booklet, When someone dies. Or you can call Marie Curie's Support Line on 0800 090 2309.
Where can I get more help?
The benefits system can be complicated, so it’s important you have the right information and advice.
See some organisations that can provide further support using the links below.