What to Do When Someone Dies: Practical Checklist UK

When someone dies, even simple admin can feel impossible. This guide breaks the process into what usually needs doing in the first 24 hours, the first week, and the first month, so you can focus on the next step rather than the entire mountain.

This is a practical UK guide, not legal advice. Some steps vary if the coroner is involved or if the death happened abroad, but for most families this checklist covers the key tasks.

First 24 Hours

1. Get the death verified

What happens first depends on where and how the person died.

• In hospital: the bereavement office will usually guide you through next steps.
• At home, expected death: call the GP surgery, NHS 111, or the district nursing team if one is involved.
• At home, unexpected death: call 999.
• In a care home: staff will usually contact the appropriate clinician and explain what happens next.

If the death is unexpected, unexplained, or there are legal concerns, the coroner may become involved. That can affect timings for registration and funeral arrangements.

2. Inform close family and one practical point of contact

You do not need to update everyone at once. Pick one or two key relatives or friends who can help spread the news and take pressure off you.

3. Check for any written wishes

Look for a will, funeral plan, prepaid cremation plan, or any note about whether the person wanted burial, cremation, or direct cremation. If there is no paperwork, do not panic — families make these decisions every day without a formal instruction.

4. Contact a funeral director or direct cremation provider

You do not have to wait until the death is registered before making initial contact. A provider can often begin arrangements and bring the deceased into care sooner, especially if they are at home or in a care setting.

If you want the simplest and usually lower-cost option, read our guide to what direct cremation is. If you are comparing prices, use our provider comparison.

First Week

5. Obtain the medical paperwork

In many cases a doctor will issue the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD). If the coroner is involved, there may be a delay while the case is reviewed or a post-mortem is arranged.

6. Register the death

In most of the UK, a death should be registered within 5 days, unless the coroner is involved. In Scotland the normal deadline is 8 days.

You will usually need to attend the register office in the area where the person died. The registrar can issue:

• Death certificates (buy several copies if you can)
• The certificate for burial or cremation, where applicable
• A reference for the government’s Tell Us Once service

7. Use Tell Us Once

Tell Us Once lets you notify multiple government departments in one go, including HMRC, DWP, the Passport Office, and DVLA. It is not glamorous, but it removes a lot of repetitive admin at once.

8. Decide on funeral or cremation arrangements

This is the point where many families feel rushed into a traditional funeral they do not actually want. Slow down and compare the options.

• Traditional funeral: attended service, hearse, ceremony, and burial or cremation.
• Attended cremation: a cremation with a service, often simpler than a burial.
• Direct cremation: no attended service at the crematorium, lower cost, and more flexibility to hold a memorial later.

If cost is a concern, read our direct cremation cost guide and funeral cost UK guide before committing.

9. Check how the costs will be paid

Funeral and cremation invoices can often be paid directly from the deceased’s bank account if the bank receives the invoice and death certificate. This is common and worth asking about early.

If there is no money immediately available, some families may qualify for government support such as a Funeral Expenses Payment, depending on circumstances and benefits eligibility.

10. Secure important property and documents

Make sure the person’s home, car, keys, phone, wallet, and paperwork are safe. Gather bills, bank statements, pension letters, insurance documents, and any will or solicitor details into one place. Future-you will be grateful.

First Month

11. Notify banks, pension providers, insurers, and utilities

This is where the admin starts to sprawl. Make a list and work through it methodically. Typical organisations to contact include:

• Banks and savings providers
• Mortgage lender or landlord
• Pension providers
• Life insurance companies
• Utility companies and council tax
• Broadband, mobile phone, streaming services, and subscriptions

Keep a simple spreadsheet or notebook with dates, reference numbers, and who you spoke to. It stops the whole thing becoming a fog.

12. Start dealing with the estate

If there is a will, find out who the executor is. If there is no will, the closest relatives may need to apply to deal with the estate instead. Probate may or may not be required depending on the size and structure of the assets.

You do not need to understand everything on day one. But you do need to identify who is responsible so paperwork does not drift.

13. Cancel or transfer day-to-day accounts

Think about memberships, social media, online shopping accounts, and recurring subscriptions. These often keep charging quietly unless somebody stops them.

14. Plan any memorial, gathering, or ashes decision

If you choose direct cremation, one of the advantages is time. You can hold a memorial later, in a place and style that suits the person, without trying to organise everything in a few frantic days.

Some families scatter ashes quickly. Others wait months. There is no rule saying you must decide immediately.

15. Don’t ignore emotional support

Grief is not a task list, and people often hit the wall after the practical flurry dies down. If you or someone close to you is struggling, it is worth speaking to your GP, a bereavement support charity, or a trusted faith/community group.

Useful support options include:

• Cruse Bereavement Support
• NHS talking therapies via GP referral or self-referral where available
• Age UK or condition-specific charities where relevant
• School or workplace support if children are affected

A Simple Summary Checklist

First 24 hours

• Get the death verified
• Inform close family
• Look for a will or funeral wishes
• Contact a funeral director or direct cremation provider

First week

• Get the medical paperwork
• Register the death
• Use Tell Us Once
• Choose funeral, cremation, or direct cremation arrangements
• Sort payment for the invoice
• Secure documents and property

First month

• Notify banks, pensions, insurers, and utilities
• Start estate administration
• Cancel subscriptions and transfer accounts
• Plan any memorial or ashes decision
• Seek support if grief is becoming overwhelming

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Guides

• Direct cremation checklist
• What is direct cremation?
• How to choose a cremation provider
• Funeral cost UK 2026
• Direct cremation vs traditional funeral