What is The Bereavement Register? | Experian Business (2025)

FAQs

What does the bereavement register do? ›

If someone you know has died recently or even years ago, The Bereavement Register® can help reduce the amount of direct mail sent to their address, stopping painful daily reminders. Unless companies are informed of a death, they will continue to send promotional mailings about their products and services.

A deceased person's details can be registered and their information will be entered into a bank of data. Organisations who wish to check their mailing lists against the Bereavement Register are able to identify any matches and are then obliged by law to remove these records from future mailings.

A friend, family member or someone associated with the accounts will need to help report the death to the credit bureaus. Reporting the death to the credit bureaus can help prevent possible fraud or identity theft.

The second source is the Social Security Administration (SSA), which routinely sends out a list of newly deceased individuals to the three major credit bureaus: Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax. However, this is not a reliable source. There are millions of social security fraud cases in which deaths are not reported.

Bereavement care is defined as services offered pre and post loss, aimed at preparing relatives for their loved one's imminent death, and/or to support them in coping with it afterwards.

The five stages – denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance – are often talked about as if they happen in order, moving from one stage to the other. You might hear people say things like 'Oh I've moved on from denial and now I think I'm entering the angry stage'. But this isn't often the case.

Register the deceased person on the Deceased Do Not Contact (DDNC) List administered by the Direct Marketing Association (DMA). It helps to remove the deceased person from commercial direct marketing lists and is a good step to take immediately. There is no fee to register a name.

Redirecting post after someone's death

You can redirect the post of someone who has died by filling in a 'special circumstances' form and taking it to your local Post Office - you can't do it online or by post. The Post Office will need to see a death certificate or proof of power of attorney.

If there's no money in their estate, the debts will usually go unpaid. For survivors of deceased loved ones, including spouses, you're not responsible for their debts unless you shared legal responsibility for repaying as a co-signer, a joint account holder, or if you fall within another exception.

The SSA cannot pay benefits for the month of a recipient's death. That means if the person died in July, the check or direct deposit received in August (which is payment for July) must be returned.

How do credit card companies know when someone dies? ›

Credit reporting companies regularly receive notifications from the Social Security Administration about individuals who have passed away, but it's better to also notify them on your own to ensure no one applies for credit in the deceased's name in the meantime.

If you file a return and claim a refund for a deceased taxpayer, you must be: A surviving spouse/RDP. A surviving relative. The sole beneficiary.

On the final tax return, the surviving spouse or representative will note that the person has died. The IRS doesn't need any other notification of the death. Usually, the representative filing the final tax return is named in the person's will or appointed by a court.

A surviving spouse, surviving divorced spouse, unmarried child, or dependent parent may be eligible for monthly survivor benefits based on the deceased worker's earnings. In addition, a one-time lump sum death payment of $255 can be made to a qualifying spouse or child if they meet certain requirements.

The BEREAVEMENT COMMITTEE is a group of women who have volunteered to serve those who are experiencing the loss of a loved one by preparing a meal for the bereaved and to assist with a meal for out of town guests who may be attending the funeral.

Patient affairs (bereavement team)

The patient affairs office will aim to call you by midday on the first working day after the death of your loved one. They will explain the process at the hospital and what will happen before the medical certificate of cause of death (MCCD) is issued for registration of the death.

The verification of death certificate will allow the funeral director to transfer the deceased from your home and provide appropriate care. The medical certificate of cause of death allows you or the patient's relatives to register the death with the registrar of births, deaths, and marriages.

Most estate papers should be kept for 7 to 10 years after a death. This includes wills, trusts, deeds, and titles. Although you may shred these documents after 7 to 10 years, keeping a digital copy may be beneficial. These documents can be important for resolving any potential disputes about the estate.