The Family File
Useful UK services
Official and free. This is the current version of the list printed at the back of The Family File — if a number or a name changes, it changes here first.
In an emergency
| Emergency services | Police, fire, ambulance, coastguard | 999 or 112 |
|---|---|---|
| Can’t speak or hear? | Text 999 — register first by texting “register” to 999. Relay UK: dial 18000. BSL: 999bsl.co.uk | Register today |
| NHS 111 | Urgent medical help that isn’t life-threatening. Not in NI — see nidirect.gov.uk | 111 · 111.nhs.uk (England) |
| Police non-emergency | Report a crime that doesn’t need an emergency response | 101 |
| Power cut | Your local electricity network | 105 · NI: 03457 643643 |
| Gas emergency | Smell gas, or suspect carbon monoxide | 0800 111 999 · NI: 0800 002 001 |
| Floodline | Flood warnings in England, Wales and Scotland. NI: report flooding on 0300 2000 100 | 0345 988 1188 |
| Report Fraud | Formerly Action Fraud. In Scotland ring 101 | 0300 123 2040 |
| Samaritans | Someone to talk to, any time | 116 123 |
| Missing People | If someone is missing, or you are. Not a 24-hour line | 116 000 |
| Childline | For anyone under 19 | 0800 1111 |
When someone has died
| After a death: step by step | The government’s checklist, in order | gov.uk/after-a-death |
|---|---|---|
| Tell Us Once | Tells government departments in one go (not in NI) | Via the registrar |
| Death Notification Service | Tells many banks and building societies at once | deathnotificationservice.co.uk |
| Bereavement Support Payment | For a bereaved spouse, civil partner or co-parent under State Pension age | gov.uk/bereavement-support-payment |
| Help with funeral costs | If you receive certain benefits. Scotland: Funeral Support Payment | gov.uk/funeral-payments |
| Stop post to someone who has died | The Bereavement Register | thebereavementregister.org.uk |
Money, home and planning ahead
| Power of attorney | Make and register one | gov.uk/power-of-attorney |
|---|---|---|
| Make a will | What a will does, and how to make one | gov.uk/make-will |
| Find a lost pension | Free government tracing service | gov.uk/find-pension-contact-details |
| Find a lost account | Banks, building societies and NS&I | mylostaccount.org.uk |
| MoneyHelper | Free, impartial money and pensions guidance | moneyhelper.org.uk |
| Citizens Advice | Benefits, debt, housing, consumer rights. Northern Ireland: Advice NI | citizensadvice.org.uk |
| Priority Services Register | Extra help in power and water cuts | Ask each supplier |
| Check a gas engineer | Gas Safe Register | gassaferegister.co.uk |
| Get ready for emergencies | The government’s Prepare campaign | prepare.campaign.gov.uk |
Weather and flood warnings.
Met Office warnings: metoffice.gov.uk. Sign up for free flood warnings at gov.uk/sign-up-for-flood-warnings (England), naturalresources.wales (Wales) or myfloodline.sepa.org.uk (Scotland). In Northern Ireland, check nidirect.gov.uk.
PreparedBritain is independent and not affiliated with HM Government or any service listed. Numbers are the national ones; some services differ in Scotland and Northern Ireland, as noted.