Free bereavement notification and advice service

Co-op has been providing support to bereaved families for over 100 years. Building on our heritage, our free bereavement notification and advice service provides practical support and guidance to families dealing with the affairs of a loved one who has died.

We can provide with practical help on the following:

• Stopping unwanted junk mail
• Notifying banks, financial institutions and utility / phone providers
• Notifying insurance providers
• Notifying government organisations
• Managing social media accounts
• Help with legal matters

Stopping unwanted junk mail

We can set up junk mail suppression to help prevent unwanted junk mail being sent to the address of the person who has died.

Notifying Banks, Financial Institutions and Utility / Phone Providers

We can provide letter templates and process information to notify banks and other financial institutions of the death. This covers banks, building societies, pension funds and other financial institutions.

It's important to notify these organisations and freeze accounts as soon as possible to reduce the risk of fraud or unwanted transactions. We can also help you notify other organisations, such as utility companies and phone providers, which might be holding funds on behalf of the person who has died.

Notifying insurance providers

We can help you to notify insurance providers of the death, providing letter templates so that you know they have all the necessary information.

Some insurance policies will become void upon the death of the policy holder so it's important to speak to the insurance provider to ensure that the relevant cover remains in place.

Notifying government organisations

There are a number of government organisations that will need to be informed of the death. This includes HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), Driver and Vehicle Licencing Agency (DVLA), the local council and the Passport Office.

Many of these organisations can be notified using the Government's Tell Us Once (TUO) service. We'll explain how this service works and help you through the process. If the TUO service isn't available in your area then we can provide you with template letters to notify each of these organisations individually.

Managing social media accounts

Inactive social media accounts can be a target for hackers, so it's a good idea to either close these accounts down or turn them into memorial accounts (where available). We can provide help and guidance on how this process works across various social media platforms.

Help with legal matters

Following the death of a loved one, there may be some legal matters to take care of. We can provide initial guidance at no charge to help you understand your options.

If you do require legal assistance, at Co-op Legal Services we provide transparent, fixed fee pricing across all of our legal services. Once we have provided you with details of our fixed fee for the work to be carried out, that price will not change (unless the information provided is incorrect or circumstances change).

Probate and estate administration

We can explain whether or not Probate might be needed to deal with your loved one's Estate. If it is, we can arrange a no-obligation home visit with one of our Probate Consultants at no cost to you. The Consultant can talk you through the process in more detail.

Family law

If you have any questions regarding property or savings, or if you were in an unmarried relationship with the person who has died and you don't know where you legally stand, we can provide general guidance on this.

Employment law

If you have any employment queries that have arisen as a result of your loved one's death, we can provide guidance on these, for example carer redundancy claims or work issues your loved one had before they died.

Coroner's inquest representation

If your loved one's death has been reported to the coroner and a decision is made that an inquest is necessary, we can provide initial guidance.