Losing a partner is devastating. It also generates a mountain of urgent financial and legal matters — at the worst possible time.
This checklist is designed to be practical and compassionate. You don’t need to do everything at once. The first section covers what’s urgent; later sections can wait.
Take support where you need it. Cruse Bereavement Support: cruse.org.uk / 0808 808 1677
In the First Few Days
1. Register the Death
Legal requirement:
- England, Wales, Northern Ireland: Within 5 days
- Scotland: Within 8 days
Register at the local register office for the area where the death occurred. You’ll receive the death certificate (get several certified copies — you’ll need them for banks, pensions, probate).
What you need: Medical certificate of cause of death (from the GP or hospital).
2. Notify the Tell Us Once Service
The government’s Tell Us Once service notifies multiple government departments simultaneously:
- HMRC
- DWP (benefits and State Pension)
- Passport Office
- DVLA
- Local council (council tax, housing)
Available through GOV.UK or your local registrar after death registration. This single step saves many separate notifications.
3. Locate the Will
Find your partner’s will. Check:
- Home (filing cabinet, safe)
- Solicitor (most wills are held by the solicitor who drafted them)
- Banks (some hold wills in safe deposit boxes)
- National Will Register (willregistry.co.uk)
If no will is found, your partner died intestate — their estate is distributed according to intestacy rules (not necessarily to you if you were not married or in a civil partnership).
4. Notify the Bank(s)
Contact each bank immediately with a death certificate:
| Account type | What happens |
|---|---|
| Joint accounts | Pass to surviving account holder — bank notified; account continues in your name |
| Sole accounts | Frozen immediately until probate / letters of administration |
| Joint mortgage | Continues in your name; notify lender |
Practical note: Most banks have a bereavement team. They understand this is a difficult time. Ask specifically about releasing funds for immediate needs — many will release funds for funeral expenses and immediate living costs even before probate.
5. Contact the DWP Bereavement Service
Call 0800 731 0469 (free).
The DWP will:
- Assess your entitlement to Bereavement Support Payment
- Advise on State Pension implications
- Flag any Universal Credit or benefit changes
Bereavement Support Payment (for deaths on/after 6 April 2017):
- You must have been married, in a civil partnership, or living together as joint parents of a child
- Your partner must have been under State Pension age
- Lump sum: £3,500 (or £10,000 if you have children)
- Monthly payments: £350/month for 18 months (or £100/month)
In the First Weeks
6. Apply for Probate (or Letters of Administration)
Probate gives you legal authority to deal with your partner’s estate.
| Situation | What to apply for |
|---|---|
| Will exists | Grant of Probate |
| No will | Letters of Administration |
Exemptions: If all assets were jointly held (house, accounts), you may not need probate. Check with your solicitor.
How to apply: Online via HMRC/GOV.UK or through a probate solicitor.
Cost: £300 government fee (estates over £5,000); additional copies cost extra.
7. Pension Notifications
Contact every pension provider your partner had:
- Workplace pensions
- Personal pensions and SIPPs
- Old employer schemes
What happens depends on scheme type:
| Pension type | What usually happens |
|---|---|
| Defined contribution (DC) | Trustee pays death benefit to nominated beneficiary — not via will |
| Defined benefit (DB) / final salary | Spouse’s pension payable; lump sum death benefit may apply |
| State Pension | Surviving spouse may inherit part of late partner’s State Pension record |
Important: Pension death benefits are paid based on nomination forms — not your will. If your partner never updated their nomination form after a previous relationship, the pension could go elsewhere. This is dealt with via the probate/trustee process.
8. Check for Life Insurance
Search for life insurance policies:
- Previous policy documents (filing cabinet, email)
- Contact former employers (group life insurance / death in service)
- Check bank statements for monthly premiums paid
Death in service from your partner’s most recent employer may be separate from their personal policies. Contact their employer’s HR team directly.
9. Notify All Other Financial Institutions
| Organisation | Action |
|---|---|
| Mortgage lender | Notify; review mortgage provisions (some have life insurance built in) |
| ISA providers | Inherited ISA allowance rules — you can contribute extra following a spouse’s death |
| Investment platforms | Notify; await probate to transfer/sell |
| Premium Bonds | Winnings continue for 12 months; then prize bond closed — request payment |
| Credit cards (in partner’s name) | Close account; notify of death |
| Loans (in partner’s name) | Contact lenders — liability depends on whether loan was joint or sole |
Inherited ISA — Important
When a spouse or civil partner dies, you inherit an Additional Permitted Subscription (APS) ISA allowance equal to the value of your partner’s ISA. You can use this to shelter the inherited amount in a new ISA, protecting the tax-free status.
Time limit: You have 3 years from the date of death (or 180 days after estate administration completes, if longer) to use the APS.
State Pension After a Partner Dies
Inherited State Pension:
If your partner was receiving or entitled to State Pension:
- You may inherit a percentage of their Additional State Pension (SERPS/S2P, accrued before April 2016)
- Limited inheritance of new State Pension (accrued after April 2016) — only under specific deferral circumstances
Contact DWP for a personalised assessment of what you’ll receive.
If your partner was not yet receiving State Pension:
- Their NI record cannot be directly inherited, but you may be entitled to the inherited additional state pension or pension credit adjustments
In the Following Months
10. Reassess Your Financial Position
Once immediate admin is resolved, take stock:
Income:
- What income do you now have vs what you had as a couple?
- Are you entitled to any benefits you weren’t previously claiming?
- Does your part/full-time work situation change?
Outgoings:
- Which regular costs from your partner’s accounts need moving to yours?
- Can you maintain the family home on your income alone?
11. Update Your Own Will, Pensions, Insurance
Following your partner’s death:
- Your own will may now be outdated — update it
- Update pension nominations to new beneficiaries
- Review your own life insurance coverage and beneficiaries
- Consider Lasting Power of Attorney if you haven’t made one
12. Seek Help If Needed
Grief support: Cruse Bereavement Support cruse.org.uk
Financial guidance: MoneyHelper moneyhelper.org.uk
Legal support: Citizens Advice citizensadvice.org.uk
Death of a Partner: Financial Checklist
| Task | Timeframe | Done? |
|---|---|---|
| Register the death | Within 5 days | ☐ |
| Use Tell Us Once service | When registering | ☐ |
| Obtain multiple death certificate copies | At registration | ☐ |
| Locate the will | Within days | ☐ |
| Notify banks (joint and sole accounts) | Within days | ☐ |
| Contact DWP bereavement service | Within days | ☐ |
| Apply for Bereavement Support Payment | Within 3 months | ☐ |
| Contact all pension providers | Within weeks | ☐ |
| Check for employer death in service | Within weeks | ☐ |
| Search for life insurance policies | Within weeks | ☐ |
| Apply for probate / letters of administration | Within weeks if needed | ☐ |
| Notify mortgage and other lenders | Within weeks | ☐ |
| Check Inherited ISA allowance | Within weeks | ☐ |
| Contact DWP re: State Pension inheritance | Within months | ☐ |
| Update your own will | Within months | ☐ |
| Update your own pension nominations | Within months | ☐ |