There are lots of decisions and arrangements to be made. Sadly, you’ll have to make these at a time when you may also be in personal distress. You can ask any close relative or friend to help you with some things, and others will be done by the executor or administrator of the estate.

You may be entitled to benefits to help you pay for funeral costs, as well as allowances, one-off payments, and other benefits. Time limits apply, so contact your nearest Jobcentre Plus office as soon as possible.

If you continue needing financial help, find out what you can claim and how it might affect what you already get.

If you’re already receiving benefits, you may need to let your local social security and tax office know of the change in your circumstances.

If you can’t meet essential repayments, such as your mortgage, talk to each company you owe money to as soon as possible and explain what has happened. They may be willing to wait for payment until the deceased’s estate has been wound up.

When someone dies, the executor or administrator normally sorts out their finances and then shares out what’s left according to the deceased’s will or the law (if there is no will). In some cases an executor or administrator may not be needed.

If the deceased has left money in joint accounts, it normally means that the surviving joint owner automatically owns the money. The money doesn’t form part of the deceased person’s estate and therefore doesn’t need to be dealt with by the executor or administrator.

If the deceased had more then £5,000 in accounts held only in their name, the executor or administrator may need to apply to gain access to the money.

There are various ways that property can be dealt with, depending on whether it was owned jointly or separately and if there is a will or not. Check out what applies in your case.

If your partner or other family member has died and had life insurance, you could be entitled to receive the benefits. Check with their insurers.

If your partner has died, check your insurance policies to see whether you’re still covered, and where necessary, take out your own insurance. This is especially important for motor insurance. If you are no longer covered by your spouse or partner’s policy, you are legally required to make sure you have your own cover to drive in the UK. Check also whether the amount of cover through your existing policies is still appropriate.

If your partner has died, you may be entitled to inherit some of their State Pension, depending on your partner’s age when they died and whether or not they were receiving their State Pension.

If your partner was a member of a work pension scheme or had their own personal pension arrangements, you may be entitled to benefits such as dependants’ pensions and lump-sum life assurance.

This varies from scheme to scheme and depends on whether the person died before or after retirement. You’ll need to check with their employer or pension provider to find out what the pension scheme rules say you may be entitled to.

You may have been relying on your partner’s pension and not have a pension of your own. If you are working, think about joining your employer’s scheme if they have one, or starting your own if they don’t. If you’re not working but can afford to save regularly, then you may wish to start a stakeholder pension.

When someone dies, it’s important to sort out their tax and National Insurance as soon as possible. There may be tax to pay or a rebate due. The executor or administrator sorts out the deceased person’s tax affairs as well as the rest of the estate.

Inheritance Tax only applies if the taxable value of the deceased’s estate when they die is above a certain amount (£325,000 in the 2009/10 tax year). It is only payable on anything above this amount. The executor or administrator arranges to pay any Inheritance Tax that is due.

If your partner dies, you may need to let HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) know, as it may affect how much tax you pay. By contacting them early you can avoid paying too much tax or owing tax at the end of the year.

If this is the first time you’re dealing with the family finances, there is help available. You’ll need to think about:

• checking everything essential is being paid, if it was previously paid by your partner;
• unravelling joint arrangements, for example bank accounts and insurance; and
• making sure your name is on relevant accounts, for example utilities, and stopping accounts you no longer need.

It’s useful to work out your budget. Using a budget calculator will help you work out your weekly or monthly income and expenditure, and you can see how much you’ve got left over.

Think about what your financial goals are, for example paying off debts or saving for something, and think about what you need to do to meet them.

There are lots of organisations to help you during this difficult time, whether it’s money matters, debt or emotional help and support. Contact them – they’re here to help.