Few things are harder than the week after someone you love dies. This is a short, calm checklist for the UK. It is not legal advice. It will not cover everything. But it is a starting point on a day when starting is the hardest part.
In the first 24 hours
- If the death was expected and at home, contact the GP. If it was sudden, dial 999. - The death must be verified by a medical professional. They will issue a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death. - Tell close family. Take your time. There is no rush.
Within the first five days
- Register the death with the local register office. In England and Wales this must happen within 5 days; in Scotland, within 8. - You will receive the official death certificate. Order several certified copies. You will need them. - Contact a funeral director if you have not already.
Notifying banks, government, and providers
The UK has a free government service called Tell Us Once. It notifies many government departments (HMRC, DWP, DVLA, Passport Office, local council) in a single call.
For banks, utilities, and pensions, you will usually need to contact each one separately. Many banks now offer a bereavement service.
The personal notifications, which no service does for you
There is a category that no government form will help with: the personal phone calls. The schoolfriend who must hear it from a human. The neighbour who needs to be told before the funeral notice goes up. The employer. The solicitor. The accountant. The hospice that cared for them.
These calls fall, almost always, on one or two grieving people. They are often the calls that wear families out fastest.
Where Y.O.D.O. fits
Y.O.D.O. does not replace Tell Us Once and does not notify banks or government bodies. It is a private communication support service for the personal handover.
- Account Holders can nominate Special Delegates, the professionals and organisations they trust, such as a solicitor, notary, accountant, employer, funeral director, banker, or a befriending charity. Each receives a single neutral notice once a passing has been verified, so the family does not have to make those calls. - Account Holders can also leave sealed messages for the people they love, in text, voice, or video. Each Recipient hears from them in their own words, only after verification is complete.
The verification is deliberate: a Delegate reports the passing and completes Persona identity verification, a death certificate is uploaded within 30 days, and a 72-hour dispute window must close before anything is released.
A note on the days ahead
There is no checklist for grief. The forms above are designed to take the smallest possible amount of the day, so the rest of it belongs to you and the people you love.
If you want to make this easier for the people you would leave behind, join the Y.O.D.O. waiting list and we will be in touch when we open.