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HMRC Notification of death

Hi All,
I have recently received a written notification from HMRC that I appear to be dead and are asking for details of the executor or solicitor dealing with my estate.
This, just 5 days before my own mothers funeral !
I have spoken to them and they simple apologised and said that I shouldn't have received that letter and they would investigate.
No confirmation that I am still alive, yet !
Has anyone else had a similar experience ?
Is this just maladministration or a data protection breach ?
Should I be concerned ?
Am intrigued to know who may have notified them of my untimely demise but doubt that they will tell me how this 'error' has occurred.
Can only assume at the moment that it is a flaw in the 'Tell me Once' system.
Any ideas ?
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Comments

  • Is it possible that when using 'Tell Us Once' your phone/computer has automatically infilled the details with your own instead of your mother's? Never used it before so not sure if that's possible but I have been caught out with auto-fill in the past
  • BooJewels
    BooJewels Posts: 2,989 Forumite
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    Sorry for your recent loss.  Was it you who registered the death and used the Tell Us Once service - in which case I wonder if data on those forms has got transcribed or mixed up somehow.  From memory, I think both forms have the person reporting and the deceased's details on.  
  • pjs493
    pjs493 Posts: 560 Forumite
    500 Posts Name Dropper
    BooJewels said:
    Sorry for your recent loss.  Was it you who registered the death and used the Tell Us Once service - in which case I wonder if data on those forms has got transcribed or mixed up somehow.  From memory, I think both forms have the person reporting and the deceased's details on.  
    From memory when I completed Tell Us Once for my late husband, the code I was issued with pre-populated the fields with his information and I had to then select which government departments I wanted to inform eg if my husband didn’t drive I could have deselected informing the DVLA. 

    My understanding is that the codes are unique and relate to a specific recorded death. 
  • BooJewels
    BooJewels Posts: 2,989 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    pjs493 said:
    BooJewels said:
    Sorry for your recent loss.  Was it you who registered the death and used the Tell Us Once service - in which case I wonder if data on those forms has got transcribed or mixed up somehow.  From memory, I think both forms have the person reporting and the deceased's details on.  
    From memory when I completed Tell Us Once for my late husband, the code I was issued with pre-populated the fields with his information and I had to then select which government departments I wanted to inform eg if my husband didn’t drive I could have deselected informing the DVLA. 

    My understanding is that the codes are unique and relate to a specific recorded death. 
    Yes, that's how it works where the registrar is linked up to Tell Us Once - not all are yet though.  I've done it both ways, having to manually enter the information on the Government Web site, where it wasn't pre-populated.

    The point I was making was that if the OP was the informant, there would be a valid reason for HMRC to have their details in respect of a recent death and it might just be a clumsy and insensitive error.  If they weren't the informant, then it's potentially a whole different type of problem.
  • Thank you all for your comments.
    I did not contact HMRC regarding my mothers passing.
    I have also attempted to access Gov.UK portal but during the login process, as soon as I enter my NI number I get a screen asking "Has this person died ?" and I cannot proceed any further.
  • BooJewels
    BooJewels Posts: 2,989 Forumite
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    QuasiArt said:
    Thank you all for your comments.
    I did not contact HMRC regarding my mothers passing.
    I have also attempted to access Gov.UK portal but during the login process, as soon as I enter my NI number I get a screen asking "Has this person died ?" and I cannot proceed any further.
    It sounds like something that you're just going to have to try and get to the bottom of with HMRC.  As you've already found, it is likely to cause you a number of problems, if they think you're dead.  Hopefully, they're already onto it from your previous conversation and it will be sorted promptly.
  • poppystar
    poppystar Posts: 1,474 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    QuasiArt said:
    Thank you all for your comments.
    I did not contact HMRC regarding my mothers passing.
    I have also attempted to access Gov.UK portal but during the login process, as soon as I enter my NI number I get a screen asking "Has this person died ?" and I cannot proceed any further.
    Are you sure it was your NI number they asked for? I have only ever had to give the deceased NI number. This may be where things went wrong? 
  • poppystar said:
    QuasiArt said:
    Thank you all for your comments.
    I did not contact HMRC regarding my mothers passing.
    I have also attempted to access Gov.UK portal but during the login process, as soon as I enter my NI number I get a screen asking "Has this person died ?" and I cannot proceed any further.
    Are you sure it was your NI number they asked for? I have only ever had to give the deceased NI number. This may be where things went wrong? 
    They got my NI . correct, just don't know who has told them ?
    Like I say, want to know whether it's a case of maladministration or a data protection breach
  • @poppystar can I ask if you ever got to the bottom of this? The same thing has happened to me, however HMRC said they have no records of sending me this letter. It’s very disturbing isn’t it 😳
  • poppystar
    poppystar Posts: 1,474 Forumite
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    MissMcxxx said:
    @poppystar can I ask if you ever got to the bottom of this? The same thing has happened to me, however HMRC said they have no records of sending me this letter. It’s very disturbing isn’t it 😳
    I think maybe that question is for the OP of this thread? 
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