Notifying the Government After a Death: Who to Tell and How

In the US there is no single service that reports a death to every government agency. The funeral director normally reports the death to Social Security, and the state issues the death certificate. You contact the rest yourself: the IRS, the VA and other pension agencies, state benefit offices, the motor vehicles office, the passport office and the local election office. Social Security accepts death reports only by phone or in person, not online.

This guide covers the US. If the person died in the UK, there is a one-stop service, covered near the end.

Who reports the death to the government?

Three different people are usually involved:

• The doctor or medical examiner and the funeral director file the paperwork that creates the death record. The state vital records office then issues certified copies of the death certificate.
• The funeral director should report the death to Social Security for you if you give them the person's Social Security number, according to USAGov.
• You, or the executor, handle everything else.

Which agencies do you need to notify?

What do you need to do about Social Security?

Social Security is the most time-sensitive agency because payments keep arriving until it is told.

Reporting the death. USAGov lists three ways: through the funeral director, by calling 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778), or by visiting a local Social Security office. Social Security does not accept reports by email or online. It notifies Medicare once it knows.

The month-of-death rule. Federal regulations say entitlement to old-age benefits ends with the month before the month the person dies. Because Social Security pays a month in arrears, if someone dies in July, the payment that arrives in August is for July and must be returned. If it arrived by direct deposit, tell the bank straight away so it can return it.

The lump-sum death payment. It is $255. Under the regulations it goes first to a widow or widower who was living in the same household as the person, and otherwise to people who qualify for certain survivor benefits, or to eligible children. You must generally apply within two years of the death, unless you were already getting spouse's benefits on the person's record.

Survivor benefits. Spouses and minor children may qualify for ongoing benefits, but you have to apply. Our guide to the Social Security death benefit explains the rules.

What about the VA and other pensions?

Veterans Affairs. The VA says to contact it to report a veteran's death and avoid overpayments. Survivors of a veteran who died from a service-connected condition may qualify for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), a tax-free monthly benefit. The VA suggests filing an intent to file before you apply, which can protect the start date of any back payments while you collect evidence. The VA's burial benefits are separate and are covered in our guides to the VA burial allowance and veterans' burial benefits.

Federal retirees. For someone receiving a federal retirement annuity, complete OPM's online Report Annuitant Death form or call the Retirement Information Office on 888-767-6738. OPM then sends survivor benefit forms.

Employer pensions. Contact the plan administrator. Our guide to notifying pension providers has a US section, and the 401(k) and IRA guide covers retirement accounts.

Do you have to file a final tax return?

Yes. The executor, administrator or other responsible person must file the final income tax return and pay any tax due. The IRS says to file it the way you would if the person were alive: report all income up to the date of death and claim all eligible credits and deductions. If a refund is due, you claim it with Form 1310. If earlier years weren't filed, you may need to file those too. IRS Publication 559 covers executors and survivors in detail. If the estate is large or complicated, a tax professional is worth paying for.

What do state agencies need?

State rules differ, so check your state's website or call the office.

• Motor vehicles office. Cancel the driver's license or ID, and transfer titles to vehicles the person owned. Our vehicle registration guide has more.
• Benefit programs. Cancel SNAP, TANF, Medicaid, rental assistance and similar programs so payments stop.
• Medicaid estate recovery. Federal law requires states to seek repayment from the estates of certain people who received Medicaid long-term care services, including many who were 55 or older when they received them. Recovery is limited while a surviving spouse is alive and in other protected situations. Ask the state Medicaid agency before you sell or transfer a home.
• Election office. Contact your local office to cancel the voter registration.

Do you need to return a passport?

USAGov says you can return the person's passport to the State Department for cancellation, to help prevent identity theft. The department will send it back cancelled or destroy it. Check the State Department's current instructions before you mail it.

How many death certificates do you need?

For most agencies, you'll need the person's Social Security number and a certified copy of the death certificate. USAGov says certified copies are needed for Social Security notices, closing financial accounts, and claiming life insurance or pensions.

Order them from the vital records office in the state where the death occurred. The state sets the price and any limits, and only certain family members, such as a spouse, siblings and children, may be able to get one. Our guides on how many death certificates you need and getting one in your state help you plan.

How do you protect the person's identity?

USAGov lists credit bureaus alongside banks and credit card companies as places to report the death. Tell each of the three nationwide bureaus and ask how they want the death recorded. Each has its own process. Before you publish an obituary, consider whether it needs a full birth date or home address. Then deal with the mail: see stopping junk mail for a deceased person and notifying banks after a death.

What if the person died in the UK?

England, Scotland and Wales have Tell Us Once, which reports a death to HMRC, the DWP, the Passport Office, the DVLA, local councils and public sector pension schemes in one go. The registrar gives you a reference number, and you must use the service within 28 days of getting it. It isn't available in Northern Ireland. You still have to contact banks, insurers, utilities and private pension providers yourself.

GOV.UK says a death in England and Wales should be registered within 5 days of the medical examiner's confirmation, and within 8 days in Scotland. See our guides to Tell Us Once and registering a death in the UK.

What to do next

1. Confirm with the funeral home that Social Security has been told, and check that no payment needs returning.
2. Order certified death certificates for the agencies on your list.
3. Report to the VA, OPM or DFAS if they apply.
4. Keep a log of every call, date and reference number. Our death notification checklist can start it.
5. Ask a probate attorney or tax professional if the estate is large, contested or has unfiled tax returns.