In this section
What to do if someone dies
A friend, relative or solicitor of the person who has died must tell us of their death, as soon as possible.
You can contact us online and will need to provide:
- name of the person who’s died
- date of death
- address of the property they lived in
- your name, address and telephone number
- Name and address details of executors if known
It is important that the executor(s) keep(s) us informed of:
- The date probate is granted,
- Details of the transfer or sale of the property or the end date of the tenancy,
- When the estate is settled. Where a Council Tax bill is due to be paid, the executor is responsible for making payment. The executor is not personally liable for the Council Tax charge and payment should be made from available funds within the deceased estate. If there are no funds within the estate, the executor should contact us immediately.
During this time we may contact the executors periodically to review entitlement to the exemption.
You will also need to contact the Benefits Team if the person who has died received:
- Housing Benefit
- Local Council Tax Support
Tell us once
Tell Us Once is a service that lets you report a death to most government organisations in one go.
How to use Tell Us Once
A registrar will explain the Tell Us Once service when you register the death. They will either:
- complete the Tell Us Once service with you
- give you a unique reference number so you can use the service yourself online or by phone
