WHAT TO DO WHEN SOMEONE DIES
In the unfortunate event that a person has passed away, there are three things that must be done in the first few days;
- Get a medical certificate from your GP or hospital doctor (this is necessary to register the death).
- Register the death within 5 days (8 days in Scotland). You will then receive the necessary documents for the funeral. You will get a 'certificate for a burial' to give to the funeral director, or an application for cremation, which you need to complete and give to the crematorium. You must do one of these before the funeral can take place.
- Make the necessary funeral arrangements.
Registering the death
If the death has been reported to the coroner (or Procurator Fiscal in Scotland) they must give permission before registering the death. A death may go to the Coroner if it is sudden and/or unexpected.
You can register the death if you are a relative, a witness to the death, a hospital administrator or the person making the arrangements with the funeral directors.
You can use the ‘Register a Death’ page on the gov.uk website that will guide you through the process. This will also explain the registration process for Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Arrange the funeral
The funeral can usually only take place after the death is registered. Most people use a funeral director, though you can arrange a funeral yourself.
Funeral directors
Choose a funeral director who’s a member of one of the following:
These organisations have codes of practice - they must give you a price list when asked.
Some local councils run their own funeral services, for example for non-religious burials. The British Humanist Association can also help with non-religious funerals.
Arranging the funeral yourself
Contact the Cemeteries and Crematorium Department of your local council to arrange a funeral yourself.
Funeral costs
Funeral costs can include:
- funeral director fees
- things the funeral director pays for on your behalf (called ‘disbursements’ or ‘third-party costs’), for example, crematorium or cemetery fees, or a newspaper announcement about the death
- local authority burial or cremation fees
Funeral directors may list all these costs in their quotes.
SUPPORT INFORMATION
Further information and support can be found at CRUSE by calling 0808 808 1677.
Website: https://www.cruse.org.uk/get-support/
To download this information please click Bereavement
BUDE BEREAVEMENT CAFE
Meets at Neetside Community Centre 6-7.30pm every 2nd Thursday of each month. The community-led group is supported by a qualified counsellor and is open to anyone experiencing loss, either recent or in the past.
Donations are welcomed to help with running costs, but not obligatory.
Tel: 01288 353403