diff --git a/app/celery/letters_pdf_tasks.py b/app/celery/letters_pdf_tasks.py
index 8a65ba333..2df7d680e 100644
--- a/app/celery/letters_pdf_tasks.py
+++ b/app/celery/letters_pdf_tasks.py
@@ -288,7 +288,7 @@ def update_letter_pdf_status(reference, status):
         update_dict={
             'status': status,
             'updated_at': datetime.utcnow()
-        })
+        })[0]
 
 
 def replay_letters_in_error(filename=None):
diff --git a/app/celery/tasks.py b/app/celery/tasks.py
index 3c2089942..bab249eea 100644
--- a/app/celery/tasks.py
+++ b/app/celery/tasks.py
@@ -339,7 +339,7 @@ def update_letter_notifications_to_sent_to_dvla(self, notification_references):
     # This task will be called by the FTP app to update notifications as sent to DVLA
     provider = get_current_provider(LETTER_TYPE)
 
-    updated_count = dao_update_notifications_by_reference(
+    updated_count, _ = dao_update_notifications_by_reference(
         notification_references,
         {
             'status': NOTIFICATION_SENDING,
@@ -357,7 +357,7 @@ def update_letter_notifications_to_sent_to_dvla(self, notification_references):
 def update_letter_notifications_to_error(self, notification_references):
     # This task will be called by the FTP app to update notifications as sent to DVLA
 
-    updated_count = dao_update_notifications_by_reference(
+    updated_count, _ = dao_update_notifications_by_reference(
         notification_references,
         {
             'status': NOTIFICATION_TECHNICAL_FAILURE,
@@ -465,7 +465,7 @@ def update_letter_notification(filename, temporary_failures, update):
         status = NOTIFICATION_TEMPORARY_FAILURE
         temporary_failures.append(update.reference)
 
-    updated_count = dao_update_notifications_by_reference(
+    updated_count, _ = dao_update_notifications_by_reference(
         references=[update.reference],
         update_dict={"status": status,
                      "billable_units": update.page_count,
diff --git a/app/dao/notifications_dao.py b/app/dao/notifications_dao.py
index 27d609562..1bc683813 100644
--- a/app/dao/notifications_dao.py
+++ b/app/dao/notifications_dao.py
@@ -465,14 +465,14 @@ def dao_update_notifications_by_reference(references, update_dict):
         synchronize_session=False
     )
 
-    NotificationHistory.query.filter(
+    updated_history_count = NotificationHistory.query.filter(
         NotificationHistory.reference.in_(references)
     ).update(
         update_dict,
         synchronize_session=False
     )
 
-    return updated_count
+    return updated_count, updated_history_count
 
 
 @statsd(namespace="dao")
diff --git a/tests/app/dao/notification_dao/test_notification_dao.py b/tests/app/dao/notification_dao/test_notification_dao.py
index 5aa53b87a..00333179c 100644
--- a/tests/app/dao/notification_dao/test_notification_dao.py
+++ b/tests/app/dao/notification_dao/test_notification_dao.py
@@ -1653,10 +1653,13 @@ def test_dao_update_notifications_by_reference_updated_notificaitons_and_history
     notification_1 = create_notification(template=sample_template, reference='ref')
     notification_2 = create_notification(template=sample_template, reference='ref')
 
-    updated_count = dao_update_notifications_by_reference(references=['ref'],
-                                                          update_dict={"status": "delivered",
-                                                                       "billable_units": 2}
-                                                          )
+    updated_count, updated_history_count = dao_update_notifications_by_reference(
+        references=['ref'],
+        update_dict={
+            "status": "delivered",
+            "billable_units": 2
+        }
+    )
     assert updated_count == 2
     updated_1 = Notification.query.get(notification_1.id)
     assert updated_1.billable_units == 2
@@ -1665,6 +1668,7 @@ def test_dao_update_notifications_by_reference_updated_notificaitons_and_history
     assert updated_2.billable_units == 2
     assert updated_2.status == 'delivered'
 
+    assert updated_history_count == 2
     updated_history_1 = NotificationHistory.query.get(notification_1.id)
     assert updated_history_1.billable_units == 2
     assert updated_history_1.status == 'delivered'
@@ -1676,22 +1680,28 @@ def test_dao_update_notifications_by_reference_updated_notificaitons_and_history
 
 
 def test_dao_update_notifications_by_reference_returns_zero_when_no_notifications_to_update(notify_db):
-    updated_count = dao_update_notifications_by_reference(references=['ref'],
-                                                          update_dict={"status": "delivered",
-                                                                       "billable_units": 2}
-                                                          )
+    updated_count, updated_history_count = dao_update_notifications_by_reference(
+        references=['ref'],
+        update_dict={
+            "status": "delivered",
+            "billable_units": 2
+        }
+    )
+
     assert updated_count == 0
+    assert updated_history_count == 0
 
 
 def test_dao_update_notifications_by_reference_set_returned_letter_status(sample_letter_template):
     notification = create_notification(template=sample_letter_template, reference='ref')
 
-    updated_count = dao_update_notifications_by_reference(
+    updated_count, updated_history_count = dao_update_notifications_by_reference(
         references=['ref'],
         update_dict={"status": "returned-letter"}
     )
 
     assert updated_count == 1
+    assert updated_history_count == 1
     assert Notification.query.get(notification.id).status == 'returned-letter'