How to Notify EE After a Death in the UK

If the person who died had an EE account, the quickest route is usually EE's bereavement form. EE lets families close an account, transfer it into a new name, or in some mobile cases request a PAC code so the number can move to another provider.

That matters because an EE account is often more than one product. It might include a mobile, broadband, home phone, TV or bundled services that the household still relies on.

The short answer

EE has a dedicated online bereavement process. You choose what kind of account the person had, then tell EE whether you want to close it, transfer it, or keep the mobile number by moving it elsewhere.

Before you contact EE

Try to gather the basics first:

• the account holder's full name
• their date of birth
• their address and postcode
• their EE account number if you can find it
• the EE mobile number or broadband number linked to the account
• your own contact details
• a forwarding address for final correspondence, if needed

You do not need to panic if you cannot find every document immediately. In most cases, the most useful starting point is simply the person's name, address and the service they held.

It also helps to decide what outcome you want before you start. With EE, the right answer is not always "close everything".

What EE lets you do after a death

EE's bereavement flow is useful because it separates the decision by product type.

If the person had a mobile account

EE allows you to:

• close the mobile account
• transfer the mobile account into a new name
• request a PAC code to keep the number but move it to another provider

That PAC option is important. If the mobile number is still being used for two-factor authentication, bank security texts, family logins or household admin, preserving the number can save a lot of stress later.

If the person had broadband

EE allows you to:

• close the broadband account
• transfer the broadband account into a new name

If the broadband account also covers home phone, TV or other linked services, think carefully before closing it straight away. Households often still need internet access while they deal with probate, bills and notifications.

If the person had both mobile and broadband

EE gives mixed options, including:

• close both accounts
• transfer both accounts
• close the mobile account but transfer the broadband account
• close the broadband account but transfer the mobile account

This is one of the reasons EE deserves its own guide. The practical question is often not "how do I cancel EE?" but "which part should stay live for now?"

A step-by-step way to handle EE

1. Decide whether the service still needs to stay active

Ask:

• does anyone still live at the property?
• is the broadband needed for home alarms, remote monitoring or everyday use?
• is the mobile number tied to important accounts?
• do you need access to old billing emails or account messages before closure?

If the answer to any of those is yes, transfer may be better than immediate closure.

2. Choose the right EE bereavement path

EE's form asks what service the account holder had:

• mobile
• broadband
• mobile and broadband

From there, you choose the action you want EE to take.

3. Tell EE if the service supports medical equipment

In parts of EE's broadband bereavement process, EE asks whether the household relies on the service for medical needs such as a telecare alarm or health pendant. Do not skip that question if it applies. It can affect how urgently the account needs handling.

4. Give a reliable contact number and email

EE says it may need to speak to you before transferring an account into a new name. On some combined-account journeys, EE says it aims to call within 5 working days to confirm details.

If EE cannot contact you, some paths say the account may be closed with 30 days' notice. So use contact details you will actually monitor.

5. Keep a note of what you asked for

Write down:

• the date you submitted the form
• which action you selected
• any account or reference numbers
• whether a final bill or refund is still due

This is exactly the sort of admin that becomes hard to track when you are also grieving. A simple checklist or a tool like GetPassage can help keep all those follow-ups in one place.

What happens to refunds and final bills?

EE's forms explain that if an account is in credit, it may refund the balance to the existing Direct Debit. If that Direct Debit has already been closed, EE may issue a cheque instead.

Final correspondence is usually sent to the account holder's address unless you provide a different one.

That means there are two common mistakes to avoid:

1. closing the Direct Debit before the refund path is clear
2. forgetting to redirect final bills or letters to the person dealing with the estate

Should you use a PAC code after a death?

Sometimes yes.

A PAC code can make sense if:

• a surviving partner wants to keep the number
• the number is tied to security texts or recovery codes
• the number is widely known to friends, family or customers
• you want to move to a cheaper provider without losing access

It may be less useful if the number is no longer needed and no one can legally or practically manage it going forward.

Does Tell Us Once cover EE?

No. The government's Tell Us Once service is helpful for public bodies such as DWP, HMRC, DVLA and local councils, but it does not notify private telecom providers like EE.

So even if you have already used Tell Us Once, you still need to contact EE separately.

If you have not done Tell Us Once yet, our guide to the Tell Us Once service can help you understand what it covers and what it does not.

Common problems families run into

"I don't know the account number"

Start anyway. EE's forms ask for it, but they also ask for the account holder's name, number, date of birth and address. Use what you have.

"I need the broadband to stay on, but I want the mobile closed"

EE specifically allows mixed outcomes on combined accounts. Choose the route that matches the real household need rather than cancelling everything by default.

"I need to keep the number"

Look at the PAC code option before closing the mobile account.

"I am worried about getting cut off too quickly"

If the service supports daily living or medical equipment, make that clear in the form. And do not ignore any follow-up calls or letters from EE.

Final thought

The best EE bereavement decision is usually the one that protects continuity first and tidies up billing second. If a phone number, broadband line or linked TV service is still useful to the household, pause before cancelling.

In the middle of grief, it is easy to think every account must be shut immediately. Often the smarter move is to keep what you still need, move it into the right name, and only then close what is no longer useful.