The Bereavement Service in Northern Ireland now offers a ‘one call’ service to allow relatives to report a death once to the Social Security Agency, and to help them access other benefits they may be entitled to, such as help paying for funeral costs.
Previously, reporting a death would require multiple phone calls to the Social Security Agency to ensure all areas had been informed. The service will help to ease the stressful and difficult time following a death of a loved one. Many people may not know that they may be eligible for benefits.
Customers may now call Bereavement Service to do the following:
- report a death to the Social Security Agency
- make a claim for bereavement benefits
- make a claim for a Social Fund Funeral Payment.
The new freephone number is 0800 085 2463. More details about the service can be found on the NI Direct website.
The service is similar to ‘Tell us once’ service in England, Wales and Scotland which allows relatives to report a death to a number of central and local government organisations at once – over the phone, online or in person. This service is run by local councils or local authorities and so may not be available everywhere.
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