The Tell Us Once service means you only need to tell government departments and some council services one time about a death.
During an appointment to register a death, the registrar will explain the service so you can use it after the death is registered. This service is optional and is free.
They will either:
complete the service with you
give you a reference number to contact Tell Us Once yourself, online or by phone, within 28 days
The registrar will take the information needed from you to produce a ‘Capture letter’ with a unique reference number for the Tell Us Once Service. You will then be able to contact Tell Us Once online or by phone to provide all the details for the relevant departments and services.
You can also use this service if the coroner has given you a coroner’s certificate of the fact of death, otherwise known as an interim death certificate.
You'll need the following information about the person who died:
If you would like to complete the service with the Registrar, you need to provide documents (if available) belonging to the person who died:
Tell us once can only be accessed if the authority where the deceased person lived and the authority where the death is registered are both signed up to use the system.
If you register the death in North Yorkshire, the registrar can check if the other authority is also using tell us once and, if so, will enter the information you provide to notify government departments and local council services. Most local authorities are using this service but it is not required.
You can use tell us once when someone dies abroad (when visiting an EEA or Commonwealth country), but used public services in England, Scotland or Wales.
Yes, but not through the registration office. You may access the service by telephone; the registrar will give you details. You will need the death certificate plus the information listed on this page.
The information you give will be treated securely and confidentially. The organisations who are contacted will use the information to:
They may use this information in other ways, but only as the law allows.
The information you provide will be used to update records and will not be used to start new claims. You must contact the relevant organisation if you want to make a new claim to any benefit.