Bereavement Service - reporting a death

The Bereavement Service

The Bereavement Service will:

• record the date of death and tell each office that paid benefit to the deceased
• offer you an eligibility check, as you may be entitled to claim benefits

If you are eligible to make a claim for Bereavement Support Payment and / or a Funeral Expenses Payment, the Bereavement Service can take the information for your application over the phone and forward this to the relevant office.  

Who can use the service

You can use the Bereavement Service if you need to report a death to the Department for Communities.

Information you need to provide

When you ring, you will need to provide details of the deceased, including:

• date of birth
• date of death
• National Insurance number
• benefits they were getting

If you want to make a claim for Bereavement Support Payment you will need details about:

• you (contact details, date of birth, National Insurance number)
• your spouse or civil partner (date of birth, National Insurance number, employment, pensions)
• your children (name, date of birth, where they live, benefits)
• other benefits you are getting
• your account details

If you want to make a claim for a Funeral Expenses Payment you will need details about:

• you, your partner and the deceased (address, date of birth, National Insurance number and surviving partner)
• benefits you, your partner and surviving relatives are receiving
• responsibility for the funeral (including payment)
• the Funeral Director and bill
• the estate (including probate solicitor details)
• money to pay for the funeral
• your account details

Contact details

If you use sign language, you might be able to use the video relay service to contact the Bereavement Service using British Sign Language (BSL) or Irish Sign Language (ISL). To access the service, go to:

• Bereavement Service