"Helping you to tell government departments about a death"
What is ‘Tell Us Once’?
When someone dies, there are many things that need to be done, at a time when you probably least feel like doing them. This includes contacting government departments and local Council services.
In North East Lincolnshire, a service called ‘Tell Us Once’ is available to make this easier and reduce the amount of time it takes. You provide all the information to one advisor at North East Lincolnshire Council who then passes the relevant parts on to the people who need to know.
How does it work?
When you call to make an appointment to register the death at the local Register Office, the registrar will explain about Tell Us Once and you will be asked if you wish to use the service. If you choose to take part, the registrar will set up the deceased’s details on the Tell Us Once national database. This usually takes about five minutes at the end of the registration appointment.
Once the details have been entered on to the database, an appointment will be made for a full Tell Us Once interview to be carried out. You can book a face-to-face Tell Us Once appointment with a registrar or alternatively, the service is offered at the Cleethorpes Customer Access Point.
What information will I need to use the Tell Us Once service?
So the team can make sure you get the most out of the service and that the correct information goes to the organisations that are contacted, it will help if you bring along the following information about the person who has died:
• National Insurance number and date of birth
• Details of any benefits or services they were receiving
• Death certificate
• Driving licence or driving licence number
• Passport or passport number
You may also be asked for information about:
• Their next of kin
• Any surviving husband, wife or civil partner
• The person dealing with their estate
You must obtain the agreement of the persons listed above if you are going to provide information about them.
If I take part in Tell Us Once, which government departments and organisations can be informed about the death?
Tell Us Once can notify the following departments after you have registered a death:
• European blue badge
• Council tax
• Council tax benefit
• Electoral services
• Housing benefit
• Library services
• Council debt recovery
• Attendance allowance
• Carer’s allowance
• Child benefit
• Child tax credit
• Disability living allowance
• Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)
• Employment Support Allowance
• Incapacity benefit
• Jobseeker's allowance
• Passport Service
• Tax help for older people
• Working tax credit
Where applicable, Tell Us Once will pass details to these departments on
your behalf. The departments you choose to notify will contact you directly if they need any more information to process your change in circumstances.
Tell Us Once is a partnership among North East Lincolnshire Council and departments across Government.
For more information about registering a death and the Tell Us Once service, please call 01472 313131.