Where can I get help after my husband dies?

Grief can be physical and exhausting, and it doesn't follow a timetable. You don't need to wait until you are struggling badly to ask for help.

• Cruse Bereavement Support has a helpline on 0808 808 1677, staffed by trained volunteers, and offers one-to-one support through local services in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, look for Cruse Scotland.
• WAY (Widowed and Young) is a peer support charity for anyone who was 50 or under when their partner died. Membership costs £30 a year, and its memorial fund can help with the fee. WAY Up is an online community for people bereaved at 51 or over.
• Your GP can talk to you about how you are coping and refer you to NHS talking therapies.

Some people find that grief arrives late, months after the funeral, once the practical tasks have stopped. That is common, and support is still there then. Anniversaries, birthdays and the first Christmas can be especially hard, and it can help to plan for them with someone you trust.

Children grieve differently from adults, often in short bursts. Cruse and WAY both have guidance on supporting children, and your child's school can help if it knows what has happened.

If you ever feel you can't go on, call Samaritans, who answer at any hour, or speak to your GP urgently.

Several free services can help you understand your options without selling you anything.

• Citizens Advice helps with benefits, debts and dealing with an estate, by phone, online or at local offices.
• MoneyHelper is the government-backed money guidance service. It covers pensions, budgeting and what to do when someone dies.
• Pension Wise, part of MoneyHelper, offers a free guidance appointment if you are 50 or over and have a pension pot, or have inherited one.
• Turn2us helps you check which benefits and charitable grants you might be able to get.

Guidance explains your options. It doesn't tell you which one to choose, which is what regulated financial advice does.

Don't ignore letters, and don't pay your partner's sole debts from your own money. His own debts are paid from his estate. You are only liable for debts in joint names and, if you lived together, some household bills such as Council Tax.

Free debt charities such as StepChange and Citizens Advice can contact creditors for you and help you set up affordable payments. Most banks and energy suppliers have bereavement or vulnerable customer teams. Tell them what has happened and ask what help they offer.

If you can't afford the funeral and get certain benefits, you may be able to claim a Funeral Expenses Payment within 6 months of the funeral.

Some services take a lot of work off your hands.

• Tell Us Once reports the death to most government departments and your local council in one go. The registrar will explain it.
• The Death Notification Service is free and tells many banks and building societies at once.
• Bank bereavement teams handle everything for their own accounts, often in one call.
• The Probate Service has a helpline if you are applying yourself, and a solicitor can handle probate for you if the estate is complicated.

If a friend or relative offers to help, let them make calls or sort papers with you. You can give the bank or council permission to speak to them.

You don't need a financial adviser to register a death, claim benefits or apply for probate. Advice is most useful once the first months have passed and real decisions arrive, such as:

• what to do with an inherited pension pot
• how to invest a lump sum from life insurance or the estate
• whether your savings and pensions will give you enough income for life

A financial adviser regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority looks at your whole situation and recommends what to do, and is accountable for that recommendation. Ask about fees before you start.

Helena.finance lists FCA-regulated financial advisers who specialise in advice for women. You can search by postcode on our find an adviser page. Helena, our AI assistant, gives general information to help you prepare. It doesn't give financial advice.