The Death Notification Service
Last reviewed 18 August 2026
Among the small mercies for a grieving executor is a single form that spares the weary round of telephoning every bank in turn.
What it does, and who it covers
The Death Notification Service (DNS) is a free service that lets you notify several banks and building societies of a death in one online submission. It covers a number of the largest institutions — Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds, NatWest, Santander, Nationwide and Shawbrook among them — passing the notification to each so you need not contact them separately.
What it does not do
The DNS notifies; it does not close accounts or release funds — each institution still follows its own bereavement process and thresholds after being told. It is also separate from the Government’s Tell Us Once service, which notifies public bodies (HMRC, DWP, the DVLA and the like). Notably, NS&I is covered by neither, and must be contacted directly.
Questions
Which banks does the Death Notification Service cover?+
Is it the same as Tell Us Once?+
Sources. Death Notification Service (participating institutions); GOV.UK, Tell Us Once.