Registering · 4 min read · 21 July 2026
Tell Us Once, explained
Written by Simon D Campbell, Director, Shropshire Expert Cleaners LTD · 17 years in bereavement, trauma and hospital-standard cleaning
The short answer
Tell Us Once is a free government service offered when you register a death. With one reference number it notifies HMRC, DWP, the DVLA, the Passport Office and the local council. It does not notify banks, insurers, utilities or private pensions.
When you register the death, the registrar will offer you the Tell Us Once service and give you a reference number. Use it — it saves several hours of repeated phone calls.
It notifies HMRC, DWP, the DVLA, the Passport Office, the local council and, in most areas, council tax and Blue Badge teams. It does not notify banks, insurers, utilities or private pensions. Those still have to be done individually.
Take the person's National Insurance number, passport, driving licence and any benefit details to the appointment. Write the Tell Us Once reference down somewhere you will find it again.