The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has issued a statement about when it will stop benefit payments for claimants. Andrew Western, the DWP minister, provided the update after being asked a question by an MP in Parliament.

He was asked by Independent South Basildon and East Thurrock MP James McMurdock, who was formerly a Reform UK member, what measures were being taken to “improve the timeliness and accuracy of death notifications across Government systems”. Mr Western, MP for Stretford and Urmston, went on to provide details about the Tell Us Once service which allows people to report a death to most central and local government organisations in a single go rather than each department individually. This ensures that any benefit payments belonging to the deceased are stopped.

As reported by Wales Online, he explained: “Tell Us Once is a cross government voluntary death notification service, available in all local authorities within England, Scotland and Wales.

“The service allows recently bereaved citizens, at a very stressful time in their lives, to inform participating government departments of a registered death, the choice of who is informed of the event of death and the supplementary information regarding the deceased is also dictated by citizen choice – thus providing the best possible experience with fairness, respect, compassion and dignity.”

He added: “Once a customer informs TUO of a death, partner organisations are informed by the next working day.”

What payments can be stopped through Tell Us Once?

• HMRC – to deal with personal tax and to cancel any benefits and credits, such as Child Benefit
• DWP – to cancel any benefits and entitlements, such as Universal Credit or the state pension
• Passport Office – to cancel a British passport
• DVLA – to cancel a driving licence. The service can also remove the person as the keeper of up to five vehicles and end the vehicle tax
• The local council – to cancel Housing Benefit, Council Tax Reduction (also known as Council Tax Support) or a Blue Badge. The service can also inform council housing services and remove the person from the electoral register
• Veterans UK – to cancel or update Armed Forces Compensation Scheme payments
• Social Security Scotland – to cancel benefits and entitlements from the Scottish Government, for example Scottish Child Payment.

The government added: “You can use Tell Us Once if the person who died was living in England, Scotland or Wales. This includes if the person died while they were abroad temporarily, for example on a holiday or business trip.”

How to use Tell Us Once

A registrar will explain the Tell Us Once service when you register the death. They will either:

• complete the Tell Us Once service with you
• give you a unique reference number so you can use the service yourself online or by phone

The Government added: “The registrar will give you a number to call. This includes Relay UK if you cannot hear or speak on the phone. If you’re a British Sign Language (BSL) user, there’s a video relay service if you’re on a computer – find out how to use the service on mobile or tablet.

“You must use the service within 28 days of getting your unique reference number.

“If you cannot register the death because an inquest is underway, you can still ask a registrar for a unique reference number. You’ll need to get an interim death certificate from the coroner holding the inquest first.”

You’ll also need the following details of the person who died:

• surname
• date they died
• name, address and contact details of the person or company dealing with their estate (property, belongings and money), known as their ‘executor’ or ‘administrator’
• if there’s a surviving spouse or civil partner, the name, address, telephone number and the National Insurance number or date of birth of the spouse or civil partner
• if there’s no surviving spouse or civil partner or their spouse or civil partner is not able to deal with their affairs, the name and address of their next of kin
• if they died in a hospital, nursing home, care home or hospice, the name and address of that institution