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When you suffer a bereavement, it can be a very emotional time and often hard to consider practical things.
We hope this simple guide will help to guide you through the next steps.

What do I need to do straight away?

If someone dies at home unexpectedly

An unexpected death may need to be reported to a coroner. A coroner is a person responsible for investigating unexpected deaths. They may call for a post-mortem or inquest to find out the cause of death. This may take some time, so the funeral may need to be delayed.

If someone dies at home
and their death was expected

Call the family doctor and nearest relative.

If the death was expected, for example due to a terminal illness, in most instances the doctor will issue a medical certificate of the cause of death to allow the death to be registered at the Register Office. A Death Certificate will then be provided.

If someone dies in hospital

The hospital will usually issue a medical certificate and formal notice. They will support you with the next steps you need to take.

The body will usually be kept in the hospital mortuary until the funeral directors or relatives arrange a chapel of rest.

If someone dies abroad

If someone dies abroad, register the death according to the regulations of the country. Register it with the British Consul in the country too, so you can get a consulate death certificate and a record can be kept in the UK.

 
 

How do I register a death?

1. Registrar contact

You need to register the death within 5 days.

The Doctor will email the Death Certificate directly to the Registrar responsible for the County in which the death occurred.

The Registrar will then contact you directly to arrange a suitable appointment for a telephone registration. There is now no need for you to travel to the Registration Office. Once registration has been completed, the Registrar will email the necessary paperwork to us to allow us to proceed with the funeral arrangements.

At the end of the registration process the Registrar will ask if you require copies of the Death Certificate. Copies are usually around £11 each and will need to be paid by yourself by card payment.

2. Gather the information required

When you register the death over the phone, you’ll need details of:

  • birth certificate

  • NHS medical card or number

  • marriage or civil partnership certificate

  • driving licence

  • proof of their address.

You will have to tell the registrar:

  • the person’s full name (and any other names they had, such as a maiden name)

  • the person’s date and place of birth

  • their date and place of death

  • their usual address

  • their most recent occupation

  • whether or not they were receiving any benefits, including State Pension, and the name, occupation, and date of birth of their spouse or civil partner.

 

Updating records

The Government’s Tell Us Once service can be used to report a death to several government departments in one go. The service is offered by most local authorities. You can arrange for an appointment to take place when you register the death, or you can access the service online or over the phone. The government departments that can be contacted in one go include:

  • local services such as libraries, electoral services and council tax services

  • the tax office

  • the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)

  • the UK Passport Agency

  • HMRC for tax purposes.

You will need to get a Tell Us Once reference number from the registrar.

You may need to contact other organisations as well, such as:

  • pension scheme provider

  • insurance company

  • bank and building society

  • employer

  • mortgage provider, housing association or council housing office

  • social services

  • utility companies

  • GP, dentist, optician and anyone else providing medical care

  • any charities, organisations or magazine subscriptions the deceased person made regular payments to

  • the Bereavement Register, which removes their details from mailing lists and stops most advertising mail.

What you’ll get

When you have provided the required information, the registrar will give you:

  • a certificate for burial or cremation (known as the Green Form)

  • a certificate of registration of death (form BD8). You should fill this out and return it in the pre-paid envelope if the person was receiving State Pension or any benefits (this won't be necessary if you are using the Government's Tell Us Once service).

  • leaflets about bereavement benefits

  • a death certificate, for which there will be a charge.

Getting extra certificates

If you need to you can buy extra death certificates – these will be needed for the will and any claims to pensions, savings, etc.

It’s best to pay for several copies, because copies requested at a later date may be more expensive.

Ordinary photocopies aren’t accepted by some organisations, such as banks or life insurance companies.

 
 

What about wills and probate?

What is probate?

When someone dies, somebody has to deal with their estate (the money, property and possessions left) by collecting in all their monies, paying any debts and distributing the estate to those entitled.

The Probate Registry issues the document, which is called a Grant of Representation.

There are three types of grant:

  1. Probate issued to one or more of the executors named in the will.

  2. Letters of Administration (with will) issued when there is a will, but no executor named or unable to deal with the estate.

  3. Letters of Administration issued when the deceased has not made a will or it is not valid.

Why is a grant necessary?
Organisations holding the money in the deceased’s name need to know to whom the money is to be paid. The distribution of the estate is the responsibility of the person named on the deed.

Is a grant always necessary?
A grant is sometimes not needed - if the deceased’s money will be released without the holder seeing the grant, when the amount is small and there are no complications.

The Will

The person who died may have left funeral instructions in their will or a letter about their wishes.

If there aren’t any clear wishes, the executor or nearest relative will usually decide if the body will be cremated or buried and what type of funeral will take place.

Consult a solicitor

In most cases it is advisable for you to consult a solicitor both to relieve you of many worries, and to take control of wills, issues around intestacy, outstanding debts and letters of administration. If it is known that a will is made, it is important that the contents be ascertained as soon as possible after death. A will may be among personal papers, or with the bank or solicitor for safe keeping. If a solicitor has been consulted recently by the deceased in the recent past it is important that you contact them without delay.

 
 

Arranging the funeral

Our services start when you contact us, and often extend way beyond the day of the funeral. We will help and guide you as much as you need.

Please feel free to get in touch and we can discuss your requirements and wishes, at a time to suit you.