Death of someone close to you checklist

When someone close to you dies, you’ll need to register their death so you can get a death certificate. You can use the death certificate to close any accounts they may have with businesses or government.

If you have a funeral director, they may register the death for you. Find out how to register a death on your state or territory website.

• ACT – Death registration
• NSW – Death certificates
• NT – Register a death
• Qld – Applying for a death certificate
• SA – Apply for a death certificate
• Tas – Apply for a death certificate
• Vic – Get a death certificate
• WA – Death Registration and Certificates

If the person who died was getting support from the federal government, you’ll need to tell the government department they’ve died.

Visit the agency website to find out how to tell them about the death. These links will take you away from myGov.

• Tell the Australian Taxation Office someone has died
• Tell the Department of Veterans’ Affairs someone has died
• Tell the NDIS someone has died
• Tell My Aged Care someone has died
• Tell Services Australia someone has died

Cancel a passport

You can cancel a passport by visiting your local Australia Post office. You will need to bring the death certificate as well as the passport.

Close their myGov account

You don’t need to close their myGov account because it will automatically close after not being used. Find out more about closure of inactive myGov accounts.

You may need to let businesses and organisations know that someone has died. These may include:

• utility companies like electricity or gas
• banks
• superannuation
• telecommunication companies.

The Australian Death Notification Service can help you get in touch with some organisations using a single online notification. Find out how you can let organisations know that someone has died on the Australian Death Notification Service website.

It’s important to notify the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) when someone has died. This will help to stop any notifications from the ATO. 

If there are any tax returns that need to be lodged, you can find information about how to do this on the ATO website.

Find out more about deceased estates on the ATO website.

There are payments available if you need financial help.

If the person who died was your partner

There are payments you may get from Services Australia when someone close to you dies. You may get a lump sum bereavement payment or you can apply for a Centrelink payment.

Find out what support you can get if the person who died was your partner on the Services Australia website.

If you cared for the person who died

If you were getting:

• Carer Allowance at the time the person you care for died, you may get a lump sum payment
• Carer Payment at the time the person you cared for died, you may keep getting it for up to 14 weeks.

Find out more about financial support you may get if the person you cared for died on the Services Australia website.

If your child dies

There’s support available if your child dies, including payments if your baby was stillborn or died soon after birth. Find out what help there is when a child dies on the Services Australia website.

Coming to terms with the loss of a loved one can be difficult. You might feel a range of emotions that last longer than you expect.

The Griefline offers free, compassionate and confidential support. If you need to speak to someone urgently, you can get help on the Griefline website.

If you’re struggling with mental health and need further support, find out about mental health care and Medicare on the Services Australia website.

You can take compassionate leave after you lose someone close to you. All employees, including casuals, are entitled to compassionate or bereavement leave as part of the National Employment Standards.

Find out when compassionate leave can be taken on the Fair Work Ombudsman website.

If your baby was stillborn or your child died

If your baby was stillborn or your child dies within the first 24 months, you’re eligible for unpaid leave. Find out more about stillbirth, premature birth or infant death on the Fair Work Ombudsman website.