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When someone dies: a practical guide
When someone dies there are many practical issues that need to be sorted out. If you were the one who was closest to the deceased person, a lot of the responsibility may fall to you. This can be very overwhelming, especially when you will probably be dealing with many strong emotions at the same time.
Some people appreciate having lots of practical tasks to do when they're bereaved, while others find that they just can't cope in the immediate period after losing a loved one. Ask family and friends for help and don’t try to cope with everything on your own. This section explains the steps to take following a bereavement.
What happens first?
If the death occured in hospital
If the death occurs in hospital, the hospital staff will contact the person named by the deceased as the next of kin. They will also arrange for the nearest relative to collect the dead person's belongings. The hospital mortuary will keep the body until the executor (a personal representative of the deceased) makes arrangements for it to be taken away. You may also want to inform the deceased's minister of religion, or see the hospital chaplain.
Before a death can be formally registered, a doctor will need to issue a medical certificate giving the cause of death. In hospital, this is usually done by a hospital doctor, who will hand the certificate to you in a sealed envelope addressed to the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages. You will also be given a notice, explaining how to register the death. There is no charge for either of these. If the person has not been seen by a hospital doctor, their GP may be able to issue a certificate instead. Where cremation is to take place, a second doctor will be needed to sign a certificate to say that the body has been examined. There will be a charge for this.
If the death occured at home
When someone dies at home, their GP should be called as soon as possible. The GP will normally visit the house and, if the death was expected, should be able to issue a certificate giving the cause of death. If the person did not have a GP or you do not know the name of the GP, an ambulance should be called instead. A doctor is not allowed to issue a certificate if they are unsure about the cause of death. When this happens, the death must be reported to a coroner and the body will be taken to a hospital mortuary, where a post mortem may need to take place.
If the death occured abroad
If a death takes place abroad it must be registered according to the law of that country. The death should also be reported to the British Consul, who may be able to arrange for the death to be registered in the UK as well. Returning a body to the UK is expensive but the cost may be covered by any travel insurance taken out by the person. If the death was on a package holiday the tour operator should be able to help with arrangements. When a body is returned to the UK, the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages for the district where the funeral is to take place must be told and will need to issue a certificate before burial can take place. If cremation is to take place, the Home Office also needs to give permission.
Registering the death
The registration of the death is the formal record of the death. It is done by the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages. The contact details for The Register Office in Newcastle are at the bottom of this page. You will need to contact them first to make an appointment.
When someone dies at home, the death should be registered at the register office for the district where they lived. If the death took place in hospital or in a care home it must be registered at the register office for the district in which the hospital or care home is situated. The hospital administrator can do this if there are no relatives. A death should be registered within five days, but registration can be delayed for another nine days if the registrar is told that a medical certificate has been issued. If the death has been reported to the coroner you can't register it until the coroner's investigations are finished. It is a criminal offence not to register a death.
The death should be registered by one of the following (in order of priority):
- a relative who was present at the death
- a relative present during the person's last illness
- a relative living in the district where the death took place
- anyone else present at the death
- an owner or occupier of the building where the death took place and who was aware of the death
- the person arranging the funeral (but not the funeral director)
If none of the above options are possible, contact the Register Office for advice about who else can register the death.
You can't delegate responsibility for registering the death to anyone else. You must take the medical certificate of death with you, as the death can't be registered until the registrar has seen this. If possible, you should also take the person's NHS medical card and birth and marriage certificates.
The registrar will ask you for the following information:
- the date and place of death
- the full name of the person and their last address
- the person's date and place of birth
- the person's occupation and, in the case of a woman who was married or widowed, the full name and occupation of her husband
- if the person was still married, the date of birth of their husband or wife
- whether the person was receiving a pension or other social security benefits
When you have registered the death, the registrar will give you a green certificate (for which there is no charge) to give to the funeral director or whoever is arranging the funeral. This allows either burial or cremation to go ahead. The registrar will also give you a form to send to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). This allows them to deal with the person's pension and other benefits.
The death certificate is a copy of the entry made by the registrar in the death register. This certificate is needed to deal with money or property left by the person who has died, including dealing with the will. You may need several copies of the certificate, for which there will be a charge.
Who to inform
Following a bereavement it is important that the affairs of the deceased are all settled. If left unchecked, outstanding bills, benefits and credit cards can add unwelcome pressure and stress at a time when you're at your most vulnerable.
In the past, a grieving relative may have had to spend hours on the phone, often having to repeat the same information to different parts of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The new Bereavement Service at the DWP will help bereaved relatives with pensions and benefits advice at a time they need it most. The service collects all the information the DWP needs to know about the deceased, carries out a quick eligibility check to find out which benefits the surviving relative may be entitled to, and takes claims for Bereavement Benefit and Social Fund Funeral Payments over the telephone. You can contact the Bereavement Service on telephone number 0845 606 0265.
You should ensure that the following people and agencies are informed of the death, if relevant:
- Relatives and friends
- Employer
- School
- Solicitor/accountant
- The deceased's Tax Office
- National Insurance Contributions Office if they were self-employed (to cancel payments)
- Child Benefit Office
- Landlord or Local Authority if the deceased rented their property
- Local Authority if the deceased paid Council Tax, had a parking permit, was issued with a Blue Badge for disabled parking, received social services help, or attended day care
- Any private organisation/agency providing home help
- General insurance companies - contents, car, travel, medical etc
- Pension providers/life insurance companies
- Bank/building society
- Mortgage provider
- Hire purchase or loan companies
- Credit card providers/store cards
- Utility companies, if accounts were in the deceased's name
- TV/Internet companies with which the deceased had subscriptions
- Any other company with which the deceased may have had rental, hire purchase or loan agreements
- Royal Mail, if mail needs re-directing
- The Bereavement Register and Deceased Preference Service to remove the deceased's name from mailing lists and databases
- UK Passport Agency, to return and cancel a passport
- DVLA, to return a driving licence, cancel car tax, return car registration documents and/or change ownership
- Clubs, trade unions and associations with seasonal membership for cancellation and refunds
- Church or regular place of worship
- Social groups to which the deceased belonged
- Dentist
- Creditors - anyone to whom the deceased owed money
- Debtors - anyone that owed the deceased money
The contact details of some of the above agencies are listed at the bottom of this page.
The following documents should be returned, with a note explaining the date of death:
- Order books/benefits
- Passport
- Driving licence
- Registration documents for the deceased's car (if necessary)
- Season ticket and membership cards of any clubs or associations, as a refund may be due
- Benefit/pension books and any unused cheques/vouchers should be returned to the benefits office
- Library books and tickets
- National Insurance papers
Placing a notice
The placing of press notices is one of the tasks that a funeral director can do for you. If you can provide all of the relevant information about the deceased, many funeral directors will be more than happy to do this for you. Alternatively, if you wish to take care of the notices yourself, a call to the classified department of your local newspaper should be enough to give you an idea of the tone and size of tribute you require.
You should include details of where the service and burial or cremation is to take place (if you are happy for this information to be made public), and any special instructions regarding flowers or donations.
Of course, you do not have to place a notice at all, and many people choose not to, for various reasons.
Arranging the funeral
There are many different types of funerals to choose from and financial help may be available. You should always respect the wishes of the deceased person if they have specified the type of funeral they wanted, or you should consider what their preferences may have been. See our section on Arranging a funeral for detailed information on arranging a funeral, costs and memorials.
Writing an obituary
If you're called upon to write an obituary, then it's very likely to be for someone you knew well and, therefore, you will be well placed to write it. Nevertheless, there is a responsibility to friends and family of the deceased to create a tribute they can feel happy with; something that encompasses the spirit and personality of the friend or family member that they loved and respected. Discuss the content with other people who knew the deceased and ask if they have some short but interesting anecdotes that might be included. These can be preceded by some information about the person, for example, their name, date and place of birth; something about the important people in their life and the relationships they had with them; any outstanding qualities or achievements; endearing personality traits; and how they spent their working life.
Take your time, and above all don't get too worried about it because your efforts will be appreciated.
Other useful information
Age UK's guide When someone dies: A step-by-step guide to what to do
You may also find the following sections on this website helpful:
Bereavement
Bereavement benefits
Arranging a funeral
How to give blood or register as an organ donor
Wills
Contact Information
Child Benefit Office
PO Box 1, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE88 1AA.
Telephone : 0845 302 1444, Minicom : 0845 302 1474.
Council Tax Enquiries
Benefits Department, Newcastle City Council, PO Box 1UP, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE99 1UP.
Telephone : 0845 111 4101, Fax : 0191 277 4823.
Email : benefits@newcastle.gov.uk
DVLA (local office)
Eagle Star House, Regent Farm Road, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 3QF.
Telephone : 0870 850 0007.
Identity & Passport Service
Durham Passport Office, Milburngate House, Durham, DH97 1PA.
Telephone Helpline : 0300 222 0000.
Register Office
Civic Centre, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8PS.
Telephone : 0191 211 5091, Fax : 0191 211 4970.
Email : registrars@newcastle.gov.uk
Article last updated January 8, 2012 8:21 pm
