TCM0040120 - Changes - death (customer): Death of a customer - reporting to TCO (AG)

To deal with the notification of the death of a customer, consider steps 1 to 5.

Step 1

If notification of the death of a customer is received in

• Tax Credit Office (TCO), go to Step 2.
• Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) or a Jobcentre Plus (JCP) office in Great Britain or the Department for Communities (DfC) in Northern Ireland, go to Step 3.

Note: If an executor, guardian or surviving partner notifies the death of a customer to Child Benefit Office (CBO), CBO will

• deal with their aspects of the claim
• provide any relevant information required by TCO
• refer the case directly to the Priority 1 Team.

Step 2

If the notifcation of the death of a customer is a work item on DMS, go to Step 6.

If the notifcation of the death of a customer is not a work item on DMS

Complete form TC648

• mark the top of the form TC648 with ‘Urgent Priority 1 Team’
• complete the form with the customer’s
  • full name
  • NINO
    and, if you hold them, the following details
  • date of birth
  • date of death
  • name of the executor, surviving partner or guardian, as appropriate
  • NINO of the executor, surviving partner or guardian, as appropriate
  • phone number of the executor, surviving partner or guardian, as appropriate
  • address of the executor, surviving partner or guardian, as appropriate
  • any other information
    then
• send form TC648 and any accompanying correspondence marked ‘Urgent Priority 1 Team’ to the Priority 1 team
• take no further action.

Step 3

Explain to the executor, guardian or surviving partner that their case will be dealt with by a specialist team in the TCO. Ask them to provide you with their

• full name
• NINO
• an address and contact phone number with a convenient time for the specialist team to contact them
  Note: Tell the caller that a member of the specialist team will only contact them if necessary.
  and, if they hold them. the following details about the customer
  • full name
  • NINO
  • date of birth
  • date of death
  • whether they have made a claim to tax credits
  • any other information
    then
• go to Step 4.

Step 4

Record all these details on form TC648

• tell the executor, guardian or surviving partner you will forward the information on to the specialist team as a matter of priority
  Note: If the caller asks about Child Benefit or Child Trust Fund, inform them that the specialist team will be able to deal with their enquiry.
  then
• If the claim is
  • pre-award, use Function CAPTURE APPLICATION and go to the Summary Information screen to record the callers enquiry in the Application Notes field
    Note: You must follow the guidance in TCM0152060 when you record the note and also follow the guidance in TCM0152040.
  • post award, use Function MAINTAIN HOUSEHOLD NOTES to record the callers enquiry
    Note: You must follow the guidance in TCM0152060 when you record the note and also follow the guidance in TCM0152160.
    then
• go to Step 5.

Top of page

Step 5

When the executor, guardian or surviving partner has left the office

• phone the Priority 1 team (This content has been withheld because of exemptions in the Freedom of Information Act 2000)
• provide the team with
  • your details and a contact phone number
  • the details you have obtained about the deceased customer
  • the contact details of the executor, guardian or surviving partner
• forward the details you have recorded, clearly marked with ‘Priority 1 Team’ in red and send it with any accompanying correspondence the executor, guardian or surviving partner has given you to the TCO following your normal postal instructions.

Step 6

Redirect the document using

• update DMS notes to show a category redirection
• select ‘CBO- Priority 1’ category from the ‘Category’ drop down menu
• select ‘Change Category’
• end of action