Home › Life changes › After a death

Broadband, Phone and Email After a Death: What to Do, and in What Order

By Adrian James, Broadband Editor · Reviewed by Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith · 25 July 2026

We are sorry for your loss. This page is written to be as short and as practical as we can make it. There is no need to read all of it, and nothing here has to be done today.

One thing before you cancel anything

Closing a broadband account starts a countdown on the email address attached to it. Virgin Media, for example, permanently deletes email accounts 90 days after services are disconnected, and there is no way to get them back. That mailbox is very often the password recovery address for banking, pensions, photo storage and subscriptions.

If you can, deal with the email first and cancel the broadband second. Everything else on this page can wait. That one bit of ordering cannot.

In short: you should not have to pay an exit fee, a scan of the death certificate is normally enough, and Tell Us Once does not contact telecoms companies, so each provider needs telling separately. Take the email and the phone number seriously before you close anything, because both can be lost permanently. Everything else is admin, and admin can wait.

The short version

  • No exit fee. Ofcom says you should not pay an early termination charge when closing a deceased person's account.
  • A scan of the certificate is enough. Ofcom says a photocopy or scan should do. You should not need to post an original.
  • Tell Us Once will not do this for you. It covers government departments, not telecoms or utilities.
  • Count accounts, not bills. Mobile is often a separate account from broadband, even within the same company.
  • Notify reasonably promptly. Providers are not obliged to backdate a closure or refund what was paid before they were told.

The order that matters

Direct answer: preserve the email and the phone number first, close accounts second. Doing it the other way round is the one mistake that cannot be undone.

Why the order of closing a broadband account matters Two timelines compared. In the wrong order, the broadband is closed first, which starts a deletion clock on the email mailbox, and the mailbox contents are permanently lost. In the right order, the mailbox is preserved and the phone number decision is made first, and only then is the broadband closed, so nothing is lost. The wrong order Close the broadband feels like the first job Deletion clock starts often 60 to 90 days, unannounced Mailbox gone permanently and the logins it recovered with it The right order Save what is in the email and note the number decision Then contact providers bereavement teams, one per account Close or transfer nothing irreversible left behind
The same tasks, two orders, two very different outcomes. Almost every guide to this subject puts closing the account first.

Step by step

  1. Find out how many accounts there are

    Count account numbers, not bills. Broadband, landline and TV bundled together are usually one account, but mobile is very often a separate account even inside the same company group. A BT broadband account and an EE mobile account, for example, are separate and each needs notifying independently.

  2. Deal with the email before you close the broadband

    If you have lawful authority as executor or administrator and you have the password, save what matters while the account is still live: photos, documents, and anything that looks like it was used to sign in elsewhere.

    If you do not have the password, be prepared for the honest answer. Data protection law does not apply to people who have died, so there is no subject access request route to a deceased person's emails, and providers frequently decline to release mailbox contents to an executor. There is no general legal right to a deceased person's email in the UK. Ask the provider what their policy is, and do not attempt to work around the login, which can cause its own problems.

  3. Decide about the phone number now, not later

    If a landline number needs to be kept, perhaps because a surviving partner is staying in the home, say so on the first call. Once a line is fully ceased the number goes back into the pool and is generally gone. Mobile numbers are typically recycled between three and twelve months after an account ends.

  4. Contact each provider's bereavement team

    Most large providers have a dedicated team, and they are generally far better at this than ordinary customer service. Ofcom requires providers to have policies for treating you fairly, and you should not have to pay an early termination charge. A photocopy or scan of the death certificate should be enough.

    Provider bereavement pages: BT · EE · Sky · O2 · Virgin Media · Vodafone · Three · TalkTalk

    Plusnet, NOW Broadband and Hyperoptic do not publish a dedicated bereavement page. Contact their general customer services and ask for the bereavement process. We link to providers' own pages rather than publishing phone numbers, because numbers change and a wrong one is worse than none.

  5. Decide whether to close or transfer

    If the account is in joint names, Ofcom says it should be put into the surviving person's name on request. For sole accounts it varies: some providers transfer, others close the account and open a new one, which can mean a fresh minimum term, a credit check and today's prices rather than the old deal.

    One detail worth knowing in advance. Ofcom notes that a new account holder will not have access to things like previous itemised bills, so if you need call records for any reason, ask before the transfer rather than after.

  6. Return the equipment and reclaim any credit

    Routers are usually loaned rather than sold and normally have to go back, often in a prepaid envelope. A mobile handset may need returning if it came with an airtime contract, particularly if it is new or valuable.

    Any credit on the account belongs to the estate, and a refund may be payable into an executor account. Note that providers are not required to backdate a closure or refund payments made before they were notified, though some do, which is the main practical reason not to leave this for months.

Your rights, in plain terms

What Ofcom says providers should do
QuestionThe position
Will I be charged an exit fee?You should not be. Ofcom says a provider should close the account on request without a penalty fee. Business accounts may differ.
Do they need the original certificate?No. A photocopy or scan should do, and some providers accept the certificate number alone.
Will they refund from the date of death?Not necessarily. Providers are not required to backdate closure or refund money paid before notification, although some choose to.
What about money still owed?It can be recovered through probate, but providers often waive outstanding charges.
Will letters keep arriving?They should not. Ofcom says it is fair to expect providers to stop addressing communications to the person who has died.
What if it all goes wrong?Complain to the provider first. If unresolved after six weeks you can go to an alternative dispute resolution scheme, but you will need a grant of probate or letters of administration to show authority. Our guide to complaints and the ombudsman explains the process.

Things people are surprised by

Tell Us Once does not cover telecoms

Tell Us Once notifies government departments: HMRC, the DWP, the DVLA, the Passport Office and council services. It does not notify banks, insurers, utilities or telecoms companies. The Death Notification Service, which covers banks and building societies, does not cover telecoms either. Every provider needs contacting separately. Tell Us Once operates in England, Scotland and Wales, but not Northern Ireland.

You probably do not need probate for this

A death certificate is normally enough to close a telecoms account. A grant of probate or letters of administration becomes necessary if a complaint has to be escalated to an ombudsman, because you must be able to show you have authority to deal with the estate.

Not sure who owns what? Our main guide explains why the contract, the phone number, the email address and the router all follow different rules.

If a surviving partner is staying in the home

Two practical things often follow, and both can reduce a bill at a point when household income has just dropped.

If anyone in the household uses a personal alarm or health pendant, please also read our guide to care alarms and telecare, because the landline switch-off affects those devices and the household needs to be flagged with the provider.

Frequently asked questions

Do you have to pay an exit fee to cancel broadband when someone dies?

You should not. Ofcom's guidance states that a provider should close a deceased person's account on request and that you should not have to pay a penalty fee, also known as an early termination charge. Business accounts may be treated differently. Providers are required by Ofcom's General Conditions to have policies for treating you fairly and appropriately in these circumstances.

Does Tell Us Once notify broadband and phone companies?

No. Tell Us Once notifies government bodies such as HMRC, the DWP, the DVLA, the Passport Office and local council services. It does not notify banks, insurers, private pensions, utilities or telecoms companies. You will need to contact each provider yourself. Tell Us Once is available in England, Scotland and Wales but not Northern Ireland.

Will I need a grant of probate to close a broadband account?

Usually not. A copy of the death certificate is normally enough, and Ofcom says a photocopy or scan should do. You would need a grant of probate or letters of administration if you had to escalate an unresolved complaint to an alternative dispute resolution scheme, because you must show you have authority to deal with the estate.

What happens to the email address when the broadband is cancelled?

It goes onto a deletion clock, and the timescale varies by provider. Virgin Media states that email accounts are deactivated and permanently deleted 90 days after services are disconnected, with no retention option. Because that mailbox is often the password recovery address for banking and other accounts, deal with the email before closing the broadband, not afterwards.

Can I get access to a deceased person's emails?

Often not, and the legal position is more restrictive than people expect. Data protection law does not apply to deceased people, so there is no subject access request route to their emails. Providers frequently decline to release the contents of a mailbox to an executor. There is no general legal right to a deceased person's email content in the UK, and access depends on the provider's own policy.

Can I keep the landline number after a death?

Sometimes, but only if you act before the line is ceased. Tell the provider you want to keep the number when you first contact them. If a line is fully ceased the number returns to the pool and getting it back afterwards is usually impossible. Mobile numbers are typically recycled somewhere between three and twelve months after an account ends.

Can the account be put into someone else's name instead of closed?

Often yes. If an account is in joint names, Ofcom says it should be put into the surviving person's name on request. For sole accounts, some providers transfer the account while others close it and open a new one, which may mean a new minimum contract term, a credit check and current pricing. Note that a new account holder will not have access to previous itemised bills.

Who gets a credit balance left on the account?

The estate. Ofcom states that a deceased person's assets belong to their estate, and it may be possible for a refund to be paid into an executor account. Providers are not required to backdate a closure or refund money paid before they were notified, although some choose to, which is a reason to notify promptly.

Does the router have to go back?

Usually yes. Routers are typically loaned rather than sold, and providers normally ask for them back when a landline or broadband account closes, often supplying a prepaid envelope. A mobile handset may need returning if it was provided as part of an airtime contract, particularly if it is new or valuable.

How do I stop marketing letters addressed to someone who has died?

Ofcom says it is fair to expect providers not to address further communications to the person who has died, so raise it with them directly if it continues. More broadly, free suppression services such as the Bereavement Register and the Mailing Preference Service's deceased register can reduce marketing mail from other organisations.

References

Written by Adrian James, Broadband Editor at BroadbandSwitch.uk. Reviewed by Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith. Published 25 July 2026. Regulatory positions verified against Ofcom sources on 25 July 2026. Provider policies and contact routes change, so check directly with the provider. This page is general information, not legal advice, and does not replace advice on your own circumstances. If you are dealing with an estate and are unsure, a solicitor or your local Citizens Advice can help. Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we will publish the correction.