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Bedfordshire’s Tell Us Once Service

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What is Tell Us Once?

The Registration Team offers an innovative service called Tell Us Once.

The service aims to reduce the number of local and central government departments that Bedfordshire residents have to notify when they have had a baby or bereavement.

Tell Us Once is delivered straight after a birth or death registration, so you don't even need to leave the register office to notify key government departments such as the DVLA and Child Benefit of the change in circumstances.

The service is optional, but most people who register a birth or death choose to use Tell Us Once. They tell us that it saves them time at a stage in their lives when they are busy looking after a new baby or dealing with the emotional difficulties that come with a bereavement.

Bedfordshire’s Tell Us Once service is provided by Bedford Borough Council, Central Bedfordshire Council and Luton Borough Council.

What key local and central government departments are involved?

Tell Us Once can notify the following departments after you have registered a birth:

Child Benefit
Employment Support Allowance
Families Information Service
Housing and Council Tax Benefit
Library Services
Incapacity Benefit
Income Support
Job Seekers Allowance
Tax credits
Family Information Service

Tell Us Once can notify the following departments after you have registered a death:

Local authority departments:
Adult Services
Children’s Services
Blue Badge
Electoral Services
Library Services
Council Housing
Housing Benefit
Council Tax Benefit
Council Tax
Money owed to council

Identity and Passport Service

UK Passport

Can I use the service?

Bedfordshire’s Tell Us Once Service aims to make it easier for you during this special or sensitive time to book an appointment and register this life changing event, either on our website or over the telephone on 0300 300 8089

Customer consent

During the Tell Us Once service, officers will explain to customers that they need to give their consent at various stages.

Once this information has been collected and entered into the TUO system, a letter will then be produced for customers. This will advise;

Who has been informed
What will happen next and
What to do if they don't hear from organisations that were due to respond

If the service is provided in a face to face environment then customers will be provided with a letter at the end of the interview. If it is conducted over the phone then the letter will be posted.

Who receives the notifications?

Customers have the choice of who they notify and this will dictate which services receive notifications. However for a bereavement it is mandatory for Electoral Service and the Council Tax Office to be informed. Mandatory notifications for Child and Family Services are appropriate to birth.

For more information please contact us by calling our main switchboard on 0300 300 8089.