The Tell Us Once Service: How One Phone Call Saves You Hours of Admin

What Is the Tell Us Once Service?

When someone dies, there is a long list of government departments that need to be told. The Department for Work and Pensions, HMRC, the DVLA, the Passport Office, local council services - each one normally requires a separate phone call, letter, or online form.

The Tell Us Once service exists to simplify this. It allows you to report a death to most central and local government services in a single session, either by phone or online. One conversation. Multiple notifications handled for you.

It is free, and it is available across most of England, Scotland, and Wales.

How Does Tell Us Once Work?

When you register the death at your local register office, the registrar will usually give you a Tell Us Once reference number. This is your key to the service.

You then have two options:

• Phone the Tell Us Once helpline on 0800 085 7308 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm)
• Complete the process online at GOV.UK using your reference number

The session takes around 15 to 20 minutes. You will need some basic information about the person who died, including their National Insurance number, date of birth, and details of any benefits or pensions they were receiving.

Which Departments Does Tell Us Once Notify?

Tell Us Once contacts the following on your behalf:

Department	What It Covers
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC)	Income tax, tax credits
Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)	State Pension, benefits
Passport Office	Cancels the passport
DVLA	Driving licence records
Local council	Council tax, housing benefit, electoral register, blue badge, local library
Veterans UK	Armed forces pension or compensation

It does not notify banks, building societies, utility companies, or private pension providers. Those still need to be contacted separately.

What Information Do You Need?

Before you start, gather the following:

• The Tell Us Once reference number from the registrar
• The deceased person's full name, date of birth, and National Insurance number
• Their address and date of death
• Details of any benefits, pensions, or tax credits they were receiving
• Names and addresses of any surviving next of kin
• Details of the person dealing with the estate (executor or administrator)

Having this to hand before you call will make the process much smoother.

Is Tell Us Once Available Everywhere in the UK?

The service is available in most areas of England, Scotland, and Wales. However, not every local council has opted in. If Tell Us Once is not available in your area, the registrar will let you know and you will need to contact each department individually.

Northern Ireland has a separate system and does not use Tell Us Once. In Northern Ireland, you will need to contact each department directly.

When Should You Use It?

You can use Tell Us Once as soon as you have registered the death. Most people do it within the first few days. There is no strict deadline, but acting promptly helps prevent overpayments of benefits or pensions, which can create complications later.

If you are managing things on behalf of the family, this is one of the most time-efficient steps you can take early on. It reduces what might otherwise be a full day of phone calls into a single session.

What Tell Us Once Does Not Cover

It is worth being clear about what still sits with you:

• Banks and building societies - each must be contacted directly
• Utility companies - gas, electric, water, broadband
• Private pension providers - workplace and personal pensions
• Insurance companies - life insurance, home, motor
• Subscriptions and memberships - everything from streaming services to gym memberships
• Social media accounts - Facebook, Google, and other platforms have their own processes

For these, you will need to work through them one by one. Tools like GetPassage can help you track what has been done and what still needs attention.

Tips for Making It Easier

Do it online if you can. The online version lets you work at your own pace and pause if you need to find a document.

Keep the reference number safe. You cannot use the service without it, and the registrar may not be able to reissue it easily.

Do it early. The sooner government departments are notified, the fewer complications arise with benefit overpayments or tax records.

Ask the registrar questions. If anything is unclear when you are at the register office, ask. Registrars deal with this daily and can talk you through what to expect.

A Small Step That Makes a Real Difference

In the days after a death, the list of things to do can feel endless. The Tell Us Once service will not take everything off your plate, but it removes a significant chunk of administrative burden in one go. It is one of those rare government services that does exactly what it says - and it is worth using as early as you can.