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When a member of your family or a close friend passes away, dealing with their personal affairs can be hard, especially if you don’t know what to do. We hope the following information will help you through this difficult time.
If you need any help, please contact us.
Ending the tenancy
Please call us on 01249 466180. We will:
- make a record of your phone call; and
- send you a form (known as a ‘tenancy termination form’) so that you can end the tenancy.
There will be more information on the tenancy termination form.
What you need to do
(Under the terms and conditions of the tenancy agreement, all tenancies end on a Sunday.)
- Return the tenancy termination form.
- Arrange an inspection of the property with us.
- Supply us with a copy of the death certificate.
- Let us know who will be the executor (the person carrying out the wishes in the will), or who is dealing with the estate.
- Give us at least four weeks’ notice to end the tenancy, starting from a Monday.
- Arrange to clear the property before the date the tenancy ends.
- Return all keys (including door-entry keys and fobs) to us at the Methuen Park office by 1pm on the Monday after the date the tenancy ends.
Rent charges
We charge rent for all our homes until we have received the keys and the tenancy has ended.
Housing Benefit
If, before they died, the tenant was receiving Housing Benefit to help pay the rent, this benefit stops on the Monday after they passed away. After this, the tenant’s estate must pay the full rent.
After the tenancy has ended and the property has been cleared and inspected, if there is any money due for rent or work we have carried out, we will contact the executor, or the person dealing with the estate, to ask them to make the payments.
Who you need to contact
You need to contact your local council. The following phone numbers may be useful.
Wiltshire Council 0300 4560100
Swindon Borough Council 0845 850 0962
You will also need to tell the Post Office to redirect any mail.
Benefits
Your local Jobcentre Plus may be able to help you claim appropriate bereavement benefits. Or, you can ring 0845 608 8616 to speak to an advisor.
Your local citizens advice bureau (CAB) may also be able to help you. Their phone numbers are as follows:
- North Wiltshire CAB – 0845 120 3707
- West Wiltshire CAB – 0845 120 3737
- Swindon CAB – 0845 050 5155
The national Citizens Advice website address is www.citizensadvice.org.uk.
Aids and adaptations
If there is any equipment in the property supplied by social services, you will need to return it to the department that provided it. To organise this, please ring whichever of the following applies:
- Wiltshire Social Services – 01225 713001
- Swindon Social Services – 0800 0856666
Bulky waste
If there is any bulky rubbish that needs to be removed, you can contact the local council to arrange for it to be collected. There may be a charge for this service. Remember, the items need to be removed from the property before you return the keys.
The council’s phone numbers are listed above under the heading ‘Who you need to contact’.
Recycling
A number of charities will take away unwanted furniture and electrical goods. If you want to ask about this service, please contact either of the following:
- Waste Not Want Not, Hungerdown Lane, Chippenham – Phone: 01249 447140.
- Group 5 Furniture – Phone: 01225 765849.
Bereavement advice
Here are some phone numbers and websites that may be helpful:
- Bereavement Advice Centre
Phone: 0800 6349494
Website: www.bereavementadvice.org - The Bereavement Register (to stop mail being sent to the person who has died)
Website: www.the-bereavement-register.org.uk
Support
If you feel you need support, your local GP may be able to offer this. Or, you may want to contact the following support agencies.
Cruse Bereavement Care
This is a charity offering free information and support to anyone who has been affected by bereavement. You can contact them in any of the following ways.
Phone: 01761 417250
Fax: 01761 417350
Website: www.cruse.org.uk
The Samaritans
This charity offers confidential emotional support to people in crisis. You can contact them in any of the following ways.
Phone: 01722 323355 or 08457 909090 (local-rate calls)
Website: www.samaritans.org.uk
Need more help or advice?
We hope we have covered most of the questions that people often ask. However, if you are still not sure about something or need more help, please call us on 01249 466180, 01249 466130, 01249 466140, or 01249 466120.
You can download a copy of this information in PDF format here.
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What to do when a member of your family or a close friend passes away
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