When someone you love dies there are lots of decisions which have to be made and you will have lots of questions. Here we aim to answer those questions and provide a forum for your to ask additional questions and get responses from other people in the same situation.

The first thing to keep in your mind is that you don’t have to do everything by yourself, ask a close friend or relative to help you.

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions in relation to documentation need to process a death:

• What information do I need to have about the person who has died before I begin completing documentation?
• What documents do I need to gather together to enable registration of the death and to start funeral arrangements?
• What other documents should I gather together?
• What documents do I need to notify benefits/tax credits offices about the death?
• What documents do I need about myself if I am sorting out the deceased’s affairs?
• What financial information about the decease will I need to complete documentation?
• What happend if the deceased owed money to others?
• What other information do I need to complete estate valuations?
• What documentaion or information will I need to inform organisations of the death?

• Address book listing close friends and relatives who will need to be informed
• Passport
• Vehicle registration documents if the deceased owned a car
• Driving licence/parking permits/travel cards/Blue Badge for disabled parking
• Membership cards or documents/correspondence showing membership of clubs, associations, Trade Unions and similar

• Valuations of assets such as jewellery, paintings and similar
• Inventories of property and other possessions
• Safety box deposit information
• PAYE form P60 and latest payslips if the deceased was employed
• Recent tax returns and tax calculation statements (if relevant)
• Company registration documents, accounts, tax and VAT returns if they had a business

To help sort our any monies owed you will need the following: 

• Outstanding invoices if the deceased ran a business
• Written/verbal evidence of other money owed to the deceased
• property deeds or leases (main home and any other at home or abroad)
• property keys

• Mortgage statement
• Credit card statements
• Utility/ Council Tax bills in the deceased’s name
• Rental agreements/statements (private or local authority)
• Other outstanding bills
• Leases, hire purchase agreements or similar (eg for equipment, car or furniture)
• Educational loan statements
• Any other loan statements

The person formally responsible for sorting out the deceased person’s estate, paying any taxes and debts and distributing the estate is known as the Personal Representative. That person will need the following documents wherever relevant:

• Proof of your relationship to the deceased. Eg marriage/civil partnership or birth certificate, child’s birth certificate naming both parents
• Your social security card/National Insurance number if you will be claiming/changing benefits  

• Any correspondence confirming payment to the deceased:
  • Benefits normally available from the Jobcentre Plus office
  • Tax credits normally available from HM Revenue & Customs
  • State Pension normally available from the Department for Work and Pensions
• Child Benefit Number (if relevant)

• Medical Certificate of the Cause of Death (signed by a doctor)
• Birth Certificate
• Marriage/Civil Partnership Certificates
• NHS Number/NHS Medical Card
• Organ Donor Card, if relevant

• The full name of the person
• Maiden surname and any names previously used
• Their last address
• Their occupation
• Their Date and Place of Birth
• Date of marriage/civil partnership if certificate not available
• Their National Insurance Number
• Their NHS Number
• Their Child Benefit Number
• Their Tax Reference Number
• Their religion
• The full name, occupation and date of birth of a surviving spouse or civil partner
• Whether they were receiving a state pension or any other state benefits, if so provide details