Bereavement support
What to do when someone has died
Supporting you each step
We get that taking care of your loved one's affairs can be stressful and overwhelming during serious illness and the event of a death. So, our dedicated team is here to help make it as easy as possible, supporting you each step of the way.
To talk to us about an account, call 13 22 00 and say 'critical illness', 'palliative care', or 'bereavement' when prompted.
If you wish to speak to us in your preferred language, get multilingual support.
Need more help?
If you're having trouble closing or changing a Telstra account on behalf of someone who has died, please contact our dedicated support team on 1800 775 932.
How to transfer or close an account
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Confirm your authority
To make changes to the account, make sure you're one of the following:
- Executor, Trustee or Administrator of the estate,
- Next of kin (spouse, de facto partner, adopted child, closest living blood relative),
- Lawyer or solicitor administering the Will, or
- An authorised representative listed on the account.
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Gather the right documents
- As the Next of kin, you'll need either: Birth certificate; Will or Grant of Representation (e.g. probate or letters of administration).
- As the Executor or Trustee, you'll need to show us the Will or Grant of Representation.
- As the Administrator, you'll need to show us the Letters of administration.
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Notify us
Now that you have confirmed your authority and the documents you need, you can:
- notify us and other organisations at the same time via the Government's Australian Death Notification Service (ADNS), or
- notify us directly.
Ways to notify us
Notify us and other organisations at the same time
If you want to notify us and other organisations at the same time you can do this via the Government's Australian Death Notification Service (ADNS). One of our specialist team members will get in touch within ten days.
Notify us directly
Choose one of the following ways to notify us and a specialist team member will contact you within 48 hours of receiving your notification.
Complete the online form
You can use the online Telstra Bereavement Support form to notify us and request the cancellation or transfer of services. A specialist from our specialised team will contact you.
Sorry Business
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples who are representing someone who has passed away, can complete the Telstra Bereavement Support form or speak to a specialist from our First Nations customer care team on 1800 444 403.
Complete the Bereavement Support form (PDF, 238KB) and send to us via:
Email:
Put ‘Bereavement Support’ in the subject line of an email and attach a scanned copy of the completed form. Send to: bereavement@support-team.telstra.com
Post:
Print the completed form and post to:
Telstra Bereavement Support, Locked Bag 20026, Melbourne, Victoria 3001
Call us
If you prefer to speak to someone, call us and say “Bereavement”
Specialised team
13 22 00
Monday to Friday: 8am to 8pm AEDT
Saturday & Sunday: 8am to 5pm AEDT
First Nations Connect team
1800 444 403
9am – 5pm Monday - Friday
Visit our store
Make an appointment to submit your completed Bereavement Support form at your local Telstra store.
Frequently asked questions
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If you're the account owner and someone who used a service on your account has died, you can use the online Bereavement Support form to update the details on your account.
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We're here to support you, call us on 13 22 00 and say 'critical illness' or 'palliative care' when prompted.
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If you require access to a Telstra email account, you'll need to transfer it to a new account. You can do this by letting us know on the online Bereavement Support form.
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Your Priority Assistance service can be transferred to your new account if you're eligible. We'll let you know if we need to validate your priority assistance status for your new account. You can learn more about Priority Assistance and your eligibility.
What happens next?
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We’ll be in touch with you within two days of receiving your completed Bereavement Form or ten days after you submit an ADNS form.
We’ll send you a unique reference number, the contact details of the team member looking after you and an update on the progress of your request.
If you need to speak to us urgently you can contact us anytime for an update.
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Our specialist from our specialised team will keep you updated throughout the process. We may need to reach out to ask for more information to help us process your request.
Cancelling a service
If we have all the information we need, cancelling services is usually completed within two days.
Transferring a service
Transferring a service and changing ownership on business accounts can take longer. Find out more on bereavement support for small business accounts.
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We’ll send a final statement in the name of ‘The Estate of the deceased’ to the mail or email address nominated by the notifier.
Other helpful resources
Grief Australia
Bereavement counselling, support group and information for bereaved adults, adolescents, children, and families.
Lifeline
This is a national charity providing all Australians experiencing emotional distress with access to 24 hour crisis support and suicide prevention services.
Beyond Blue
Beyond Blue is an independent, not-for-profit organisation working to reduce the impact of anxiety, depression and suicide in Australia.
We'd love to hear from you
Need an interpreter?
Multilingual support
Related links
Financial assistance
Helping you stay connected when you're finding it hard to pay.
Priority Assistance
If you depend on a working home phone due to a life-threatening medical condition, we prioritise the repair.