Notifying the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)
Form BD8 Registration or Notification of Death (form 3344SI in Scotland, form 36/BD8 in Northern Ireland) should be completed if the deceased was in receipt of a state pension or any other benefits. The death can be notified to the Pensions Service via telephone. In this instance, it may not be necessary for the BD8 form to be posted.
We advise phoning the DWP to notify them of the death as soon as you can – do not wait to get this form. This means all benefit / pension payments to the person who died will be stopped. If payments go through between the death and when notification occurs, these payments will have to be refunded to the DWP.
If the coroner is involved in the death, you can still obtain this form from the registrar, even if the death cannot be registered yet.
‘Tell Us Once’ service
Some registrars offer the Tell Us Once service, which means they will notify the DWP and other central and local government agencies of the death e.g. DVLA, the Passport Agency, Housing Office, Blue Badge scheme. If Tell Us Once is offered, you will probably not need to complete form BD8. If it is not offered, you will need to complete this form and the registrar may provide an envelope with the form inside.
What if the death occurs abroad?
You must register the death according to the regulations in the country where the person died. You will be given a local death certificate, which will be accepted in the UK. It may need to be a certified translation of the document if it is not in English. You can then also apply to register the death with the UK authorities.
Call us for free* on 0800 024 6121 and we can guide you through the process, or use our live chat function.
Alternatively, you can explore the Government guidance offered, here.