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
- pre-award, use Function CAPTURE APPLICATION and go to the Summary Information screen to record the callers enquiry in the Application Notes field
- go to Step 5.
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