Why aren't more firms signed up to the Death Notification Service?

The Death Notification Service (DNS) can save executors time and stress, but this vital service is ignored by many key companies, Which? research has found.

On average executors have to contact 6.4 organisations after a death, according to research commissioned by Marie Curie in 2023.

The Death Notification Service aims to help executors by notifying multiple organisations at once, but low take-up and poor promotion by financial providers may be limiting its use. Only a third of people who have settled a loved one’s affairs in the past two years used the DNS, according to a survey of 807 Which? Connect panel members in April.

Here, we reveal how many key companies aren’t signed up to the Death Notification Service and explain how to notify providers of a bereavement

What is the Death Notification Service?

The Death Notification Service, launched by Equiniti in 2018, is a free service that allows you to notify a number of financial providers of a death simultaneously. 

The platform aims to reduce the burden on executors by allowing them to submit death notifications to multiple private sector organisations simultaneously, and is similar to the government’s Tell Us Once service.

Executors fill out a simple form online, and member organisations will be notified of the bereavement as quickly as the next working day, depending on when the notification form is submitted.

• Find out more: how to administer an estate

Key providers aren’t signed up

You can currently notify 43 banks, building societies, and car and home insurance providers using the DNS, including Barclays, Lloyds and Santander.

But our research has revealed that many key providers aren’t signed up to the voluntary service.

We found that only 12 out of 34 UK current account providers are signed up. Many smaller high street banks were absent, along with most (although not all) app-based providers.

None of the brands working with the five largest home and car insurance providers (according to research agency Mintel) take part in the scheme.

Messaging opportunities missed

Equiniti told us that all members of the DNS are encouraged to promote it on their websites when they join the scheme, but our research found that many companies could do more to make sure executors are aware of the service.

When we looked at the websites of the 43 providers that are signed up to the DNS as of June, only 20 referenced the service in their instructions for how to submit a death notification.

Another 13 mentioned the DNS elsewhere, for example, as part of instructions for how to contact other firms. 

We couldn’t find any mention of the DNS on 10 of the websites we looked at.

Equiniti told Which? Money it is consistently engaged across the industry and has made good progress in attracting insurers. 

A spokesperson for Equiniti said: ‘We see the DNS as providing a real social benefit that deserves to be known and supported more widely…where a unified or single-system approach to death notification does not currently exist in the UK, Equiniti believes there is significant scope to raise the profile of the DNS and expand its membership’.

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Who do you need to contact after a bereavement?

If you’re named as an executor in someone’s will, the first step you need to take is to go through their papers to find out what accounts they hold and notify any providers of their death.

This includes:

• Government organisations, including HMRC, DVLA and the local council
• Utilities and telecom providers
• Financial providers, including banks and building societies, insurance providers, pension providers, and mortgage and loan companies.

Once you notify providers of a death, organisations will begin the process of closing accounts and cancelling any automatic payments.

Most banks will freeze the accounts until you receive probate, although some may release funds to cover funeral expenses or if the amount held in the accounts is below a certain limit.

• Find out more: grant of probate

How to notify providers of a bereavement

1. Use Tell Us Once to notify government organisations

If the deceased lived in England, Scotland or Wales, you can use Tell Us Once to notify multiple government organisations of the death.

You need to register the death in order to use the service. The Registrar will then either complete the service with you or give you a unique reference number so that you can use the service yourself.

The registrar will give you a phone number to call, or you can fill out a form online.

As well as the reference number, you’ll need some details about the bereaved, including their name, address, date of death and information about their government records.

 For more information, check out the government website. 

2. Use the Death Notification service to notify financial organisations

You can use the DNS to notify multiple financial providers at once.

To submit a death notification, executors need to fill out an online form and provide details of the deceased, including their name, date of birth and death, and last address. 

The death is then validated against the General Records Office database, and member organisations are notified. 

If an account is identified for the deceased, member organisations will contact you within 10 working days to let you know about the next steps.

3. Contact the provider directly

If a provider isn't covered by Tell Us Once or the DNS, you'll need to contact them directly. 

The Death Notification Service also recommends that you contact organisations directly if a case is particularly time sensitive (for example, if you believe there’s a risk to the estate or money needs to be released urgently).

Most banks will allow you to notify them of a death online, via phone or in branch.  Check the providers' website to find out which documents are required: you'll generally need a copy of the death certificate, your ID and proof that you’re responsible for administering the estate. 

Utility companies may also ask for an up-to-date meter reading if possible.