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What happens after you buy
- 1. Download instantly, link on screen and by email in under 60 seconds.
- 2. Fill it in at your pace, plain-English prompts, edit in Word or print and handwrite.
- 3. Use it straight away, fill it in on your computer or print it and complete by hand.
- 4. Store it safely, where to keep it and who to tell, covered in the kit.
Death Notification Letter Templates UK: Bereavement Letters Pack
Twenty ready-to-send letters for telling banks, pension providers, insurers, utilities and others that someone has died, for England and Wales. Fill them in yourself in Word, or answer a few questions once and download every letter already completed.
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Try it before you buy
The Bereavement letters builder is included. It is free to fill in and preview, and your answers stay on your own device.
Open the bereavement letters builder →What’s included
- 20 template letters: bank or building society, NS&I, credit card or loan, mortgage lender, landlord, pension provider, life insurer, home or car insurer, shares and investments, gas and electricity, water, phone and broadband, TV Licensing, council tax, DVLA, employer, memberships, a follow-up letter, a letter sending the grant, and one for any other organisation
- Letters builder: answer once and download every letter filled in as one Word document
- Contact log to record each letter, call and reply
- Who-to-tell checklist, showing which organisations Tell Us Once covers and which you contact yourself
- Plain-English notes under each letter on what to enclose and what to ask for
- Editable Word document and print-ready PDF
Who it's for
- •Executors named in a will who need to write to banks, insurers and other organisations
- •Next of kin dealing with an estate where there is no will
- •Family members helping with the paperwork after a death in England or Wales
About this pack
When someone dies, the government's Tell Us Once service passes the news to HMRC, the Department for Work and Pensions, the Passport Office, DVLA and the local council. Everyone else has to be told by the family or the executor: banks, building societies, mortgage lenders, landlords, insurers, energy and water companies, phone providers, TV Licensing and personal or workplace pension schemes.
This pack gives you a letter for each of them. Every letter says who died and when, gives the reference the organisation needs, and asks for exactly what you will need back, such as the balance at the date of death or the amount owed. Short notes under each letter explain what to enclose and what to ask.
You can use the letters in two ways. Open the Word file and type over the prompts in square brackets, or use the letters builder included with the pack: answer the questions once and it fills in a separate letter for every organisation you list, as one Word document with a contact log at the end.
The letters ask for information and tell organisations what has happened. They do not make decisions about the estate, and they do not state any provider's limits, because each organisation sets its own rules. If the estate cannot pay its debts, is disputed or includes assets abroad, speak to a solicitor before you write to creditors.
This may not be right for you if…
- •Estates that cannot pay their debts, where creditors must be dealt with in a set order
- •Disputed estates, or estates with assets outside the UK
- •Anyone who wants someone else to contact the organisations for them: these are letters you send yourself
In these cases, we recommend speaking to a solicitor.
Who is told automatically, and who you tell yourself
| Organisation | Told through Tell Us Once? | Letter in the pack |
|---|---|---|
| HMRC and DWP (tax, State Pension, benefits) | Yes | Not needed |
| Passport Office | Yes | Not needed |
| DVLA (driving licence) | Yes, where the service is available | Yes, for when it is not |
| Local council (council tax) | Yes | Yes, for when it is not used |
| Main public sector pension schemes | Yes | Not needed |
| Banks and building societies | No | Yes |
| Mortgage lender or landlord | No | Yes |
| Insurance companies | No | Yes |
| Gas, electricity, water and phone companies | No | Yes |
| TV Licensing | No | Yes |
| Personal and workplace pension schemes | No | Yes |
What you get
| Item | Format | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| 20 template letters | Word and PDF | Type over the prompts, print, sign and post |
| Letters builder | Online, included | Answer once and download every letter filled in |
| Contact log | Word and PDF | A dated record of every letter, call and reply |
| Who-to-tell checklist | Word and PDF | Tick off each organisation as you go |
Your questions answered
Who do I need to notify when someone dies?
Register the death first, then use the government's Tell Us Once service, which passes the news to HMRC, DWP, the Passport Office, DVLA and the local council. Banks, mortgage lenders, insurers, utility companies, landlords, TV Licensing and personal or workplace pension schemes are not covered, so you contact each of those yourself.
What should a death notification letter include?
The full name, last address and date of birth of the person who died, the date of death, any account or policy number, your own name and address, and your connection to the estate. Then say what you need back, such as the balance at the date of death. Every letter in the pack follows that order.
Do I have to write, or can I phone instead?
Most organisations accept a phone call or an online form, and many banks can be told together through the free Death Notification Service. A letter gives you a dated record of exactly what you asked for, which helps if a reply is slow. The contact log in the pack covers calls and letters alike.
Do I need to send the death certificate?
Each organisation sets its own rules. Many ask to see an official copy of the death certificate, so the letters ask for it to be returned to you. DVLA says it does not need one. It helps to order several official copies when you register the death, because more than one organisation may ask at the same time.
How does the letters builder work?
You answer the questions once on the letters builder page: who died, when, your details and which organisations to write to. It previews the first letter free. With the pack you download one Word document containing every letter filled in, each on its own page, with a contact log. Your answers are not stored on our servers.
Is this legal advice, and has a solicitor checked the letters?
No. These are self-help template letters that you check, sign and send yourself. WillSafe is not a firm of solicitors, and the letters have not been reviewed by a solicitor. They ask organisations for information and do not decide anything about the estate. For a disputed estate, or one that cannot pay its debts, speak to a solicitor.
Can I get a refund if it is not what I need?
Yes, in full, within 30 days of purchase, provided you have not downloaded the files. Once the files have been downloaded they cannot be returned, although your statutory rights for faulty digital content are not affected. Download links last 7 days and are sent again free of charge if you ask.
Related reading
Free resources before you buy
- Probate cost calculator the court fee against typical solicitor charges, in 60 seconds.
- Inheritance tax calculator a first estimate of whether any inheritance tax is due on the estate.
- Intestacy calculator who inherits when there is no valid will.
Self-help template, not legal advice. WillSafe UK is operated by Richard Wood, trading as WillSafe. We are not solicitors. Our products are self-help templates for England & Wales. For complex estates, speak to a qualified solicitor. See our full disclaimer.