Tasks to Complete when a Loved One Passes Away

When someone you love passes away, it can take time to compose yourself mentally. At that point, you will likely start to complete the standard tasks that have to be sorted when someone has died, such as registering their death and planning a funeral.

But that's not all that needs to be done. There are many other things which will need to be done when someone has passed away, some of which we can easily forget to do. In today's blog I'm going to cover some of the tasks which will need to be completed when someone has passed on, with an emphasis on some you may have forgotten or didn't know needed doing at all.

Sometimes, the simplest things can slip your mind. When someone has passed away, most people/companies who send them letters will be unaware, meaning that unopened post (some of it important) can begin to pile up at their address.

You are able to go to any Post Office in the UK and request that post addressed to the person who has passed away is redirected to another address - usually in this case a close relative of the deceased. You can request different lengths of time for the post to be redirected for - be it a month, 6 months or even a whole year - just to make sure that nothing important is missed.

Another simple task that's easy to forget with so much going on, you need to ensure that all bank accounts belonging to the person who has passed away are closed, and that all their direct debits and standing orders are cancelled.

But what if there's money in the accounts you may ask? That would be when it's time to consult the deceased's will, and see what they wish to have done with their savings.

If the person who has passed away was living at their own address when they died, it's important to get in touch with the utility companies which they used, such as water, gas and electric. This is to let them know that the address will no longer require their service.

The company may want to send out a final bill as money is owed, which is where redirecting the post will also come in handy.

Most people know that you have to report a death after it's taken place. But did you also know that you are legally required to return the deceased's passport and driving licence?

The passport must be sent back to HM Passport Office, whilst the driving licence needs to be sent to DVLA. This needs to be done as soon as possible after the death certificate has been received.

Many people who pass away will have long since retired from day-to-day work. But what if someone of working age dies?

Their employer will need to be informed, so that any outstanding wages can be provided, and also as a common courtesy as the person who's deceased is likely to have many friends in the office who will want to know the news.

Thank you for taking the time to read today’s blog, I hope you found it interesting and helpful. If you want to learn more about this topic, please take a look at the Daily Mirror article on the same subject, which can be found here.