If someone dies at home

1. Telephone the doctor who will visit to confirm that death has taken place. If the death has been sudden the doctor will have to talk to the police who will report it to the coroner. A post mortem examination may be arranged.
2. Contact a funeral director.
3. Arrange to collect the doctor’s Medical Certificate of Death (usually from the surgery).
4. Take this to the Registrars Office within 5 days, (together with the deceased’s Medical Card and Birth Certificate, if available) for the area in which the death took place.
5. The Registrar will normally issue a death certificate and notification of disposal, which should be given to your funeral director who will look after necessary arrangements for the funeral. The Registrar will also issue a white notification certificate for the DSS. They will also enquire as to the number of Certified Copies you require for dealing with the deceased finances (a fee is payable for each copy).

If someone dies in hospital

1. Contact a funeral director to inform him his services are required.
2. Collect the certificate from the hospital then follow 4 – 5 as above

Cremation

Your funeral director will usually liaise directly with the surgery regarding the additional certification required.

Further Advice

Tell Us Once is a service that lets you report a death to most government organisations in one go.

Your local registrar will have given you a unique reference number to access the Tell us Once service online or by phone. You’ll need the deceased’s:

• date of birth
• National Insurance number
• driving licence number
• passport number
• details of any benefits or entitlements they were getting, eg State Pension
• details of any local council services they were getting, eg Blue Badge
• name and address of their next of kin
• name, address and contact details of the person or company dealing with their estate (property, belongings and money), known as their ‘executor’ or ‘administrator’

You need permission from the next of kin, the executor, the administrator or anyone who was claiming joint benefits or entitlements with the deceased, before you give their details.

Tell Us Once will notify:

• HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) – to deal with tax and cancel benefits
• Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) – to cancel benefits, eg income support
• Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) – to cancel a driving licence
• Passport Office – to cancel a passport
• the local council – to cancel housing benefit, council tax benefit, a Blue Badge, inform council housing services and remove the person from the electoral register

You’ll have to let the relevant organisations know about the death yourself if your local register office doesn’t offer the Tell Us Once service or you choose not to use it.

Contact your local benefits agency to arrange pension (if eligible) and other entitlements. You may be eligible for funeral payments or widow’s payment.

If there is a will the executors will make sure it is carried out. Contact the solicitor. If there is no will contact the Probate Registry for an application to administer the ‘estate’

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