How is a death registered

The death must be registered by the Registrar of Births and Deaths for the area in which it occurred. We will advise you on where and when to go. If the death has been referred to the Coroner, it cannot be registered until the Registrar has received authority from the Coroner to do so.

The death must be registered within five days (unless the Registrar says this period may be extended).

When you go to the registrar you should take all the following:

• The Medical Certificate of cause of death
• The deceased Medical Card, if possible
• The deceased Birth Certificate, if available

You should tell the registrar:

• The date and place of death
• The deceased's last (usual) address
• The deceased's first names and surname (and maiden name where appropriate)
• The deceased's date and place of birth (town and county, and country if born abroad)
• The deceased's occupation and the name and occupation of her husband (where applicable)
• Whether the deceased was getting a pension or allowance from public funds
• If the deceased was married, the date of birth of the surviving widow or widower.

The Registrar will give you:

• A Certificate for Burial or Cremation (known as the Green Form) unless the Coroner has given you an Order for Burial (Form 101) or a Certificate for Cremation (Form E). This gives permission for the body to be buried or for an application for cremation to be made. We will require this form as soon as possible.
• A Certificate of Registration of Death (Form BD8 {rev}). This is for Social Security
  purposes only. Read the information on the back of the certificate. If any of it applies, fill in the certificate and send it to your Social Security office.

For more information about our funerals, please contact us 01782 782842 (24hrs).

The death certificate

The death certificate is a certified copy of the entry in the death register. The Registrar will produce the Death Certificate for you and additional copies can be requested at that time, subject to their relevant fee.

You will need a Death Certificate for the Will, and for any pension claims, bank accounts, building society accounts, shares, insurance policies, savings bank certificates and premium bonds.

For more information about our funerals, please contact us 01782 782842 (24hrs).

How to obtain probate

What is Probate?

When someone dies, somebody has to deal with their estate (the money, property and possessions left) by collecting in all the money, 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:

• Probate issued to one or more of the executors named in the will.
• Letters of Administration (with will) issued when there is a will, but no executor named or unable to deal with the estate.
• Letters of Administration issued when the deceased has not made a will or it is not valid.

Why is a grant necessary?

Organisations holding 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 needed?

A grant is sometimes not needed if the deceased money will be released without the holder seeing a grant, when
the amount held is small and there are no complications.

Consult a solicitor

In most circumstances, it is advisable for you to consult a solicitor both to relieve you of many worries and to take control of wills, problems of intestacy, outstanding debts, grants, grants and letters of administration. A
solicitor could save you a great deal of unnecessary trouble and eventually save you money.

If known that a will was made, it is important that the contents be ascertained as soon as possible after death as it may contain instructions regarding the funeral arrangements. A will may be among personal papers, with the bank or solicitor for safekeeping. If the deceased has consulted a solicitor in the recent past, it is important that you contact them without delay.

For more information about our funerals, please contact us 01782 782842 (24hrs).

What you need to know in times of bereavement

If a death occurs at home

When a death takes place at home, it is helpful if you have a close friend or neighbour to call upon for support and help. You can call us when you are ready and we will guide you through what will happen next.

Inform the doctor

As soon as possible, inform the doctor that the death has occurred. He/she may write out the Medical Certificate of Death when he/she visits the house, or may request you attend the surgery for this purpose.

When the death occurs in the hospital
When death happens in hospital, the procedure is very similar. Apply to the hospital for the Medical Certificate of Death and not your family doctor.

For more information about our funerals, please contact us 01782 782842 (24hrs).

Sudden death and the coroner

• The Coroner is a doctor or a lawyer responsible for investigating deaths in the following situations.
• The deceased was not attended by a doctor during the last illness or if the doctor who treated the deceased had not seen the deceased either after death or within 14 days before death.
• The death was violent or unnatural or occurred while the patient was undergoing an operation or was under effect of anaesthetic.
• The death occurred in prison or in police custody.

The Coroner may arrange for a post-mortem examination of the body. The consent of the relative is not needed for this, but they can choose a doctor to be present. It may be important to know the precise cause of death.

If you want advice or information about a death reported to the Coroner, contact the Coroner's Officer. We will advise you where he can be contacted.

For more information about our funerals, please contact us 01782 782842 (24hrs).

Inquest

An inquest is an enquiry into the medical cause and circumstances of a death. It is held in public, sometimes with a jury. It is up to the Coroner how to organise the enquiry in a way to best serve the public interest and the interest of the relatives.

The Coroner will hold an inquest if the death was any of the following: violent or unnatural or caused by an industrial disease or the death occurred in prison or if the cause of death remains uncertain after a post-mortem examination.

It may be important to have a lawyer to represent you if the death was caused by a road accident, or an accident at work, or in circumstances which could lead to a claim for compensation.

Other things may have to be done such as those listed below. It is not a complete list covering everyone's individual circumstances.

For more information about our funerals, please contact us 01782 782842 (24hrs).

Things you need to send back

You should return the following, with a note of explanation and the date of death with each of the documents:

• Order books, payable orders, or giro cheques to the Social Security office or other DSS office which issued the payment. This applies also to a Child Benefit book which includes payment for a child who has died. Orders should not be cashed after the death of a person. It may be useful to keep a record of pension book numbers or other Social Security numbers before you send anything back.
• The deceased's passport to the Passport Office. The Passport Office for this area is at India Buildings, Pier Head, Liverpool.
• The deceased's driving licence to DVLC, Swansea, SA6 7GL.
• The registration documents of a car, for the change of ownership to be recorded.
• Any season tickets. Claim any refund due.
• Membership cards of clubs and associations. Claim any refund due.
• Library books and tickets.
• Any National Insurance papers to the relevant office.
• Any NHS equipment such as wheelchairs, hearing aids, artificial limbs.

For more information about our funerals, please contact us 01782 782842 (24hrs).

People you need to tell

• The local Social Services department of the council if the person was getting meals-on-wheels, home help, or day-centre care or had any appliance or piece of equipment issued by the department.
• Any hospital the person was attending
• The family doctor to cancel any home nursing
• The Inland Revenue
• The Social Security office if any money was being paid directly into a bank or building society account.
• Any employer and trade union
• Car insurance company (if you are insured to drive the car under the deceased's name, you will cease to be legally insured)
• Gas, Electricity and Telephone companies
• The local council housing department if the person who has died was living in a council house
• The Post Office so that they can re-direct the deceased person's mail

For more information about our funerals, please contact us 01782 782842 (24hrs).

Costs and charges

In all aspects of the funeral arrangements, our staff will point out the procedures and legal requirements. Whilst arranging the funeral, we will advise on the costs and charges to be incurred, culminating in a full written estimate that should be agreed and signed so that you feel confident with the funeral commitment you have arranged.

The funeral account itself is divided into two separate parts, the Funeral Directors Charges and the disbursements. These contain our professional fees and overhead costs, which include the provision of a 24 hour a day on call rota, our professional services in making the funeral arrangements and arranging documentation and necessary personal attendances, the conveyance of the deceased to our Private chapel rest rooms and the use of the same until the day of the funeral.

Relatives and friends often wish to visit the deceased and pay their last respects before the day of the funeral, on the specific request of the family. Hygienic treatment and attendances to the deceased are also considered to be very important by our company. The last time you saw a loved one may have been a distressing memory, perhaps in hospital or for the purposes of identification. In any event, we believe that, in asking us to look after a member of your family, you would like to be certain that the best that could be done whether you wish to visit the deceased before the funeral or not.

Hearse and limousines

The hearse for the funeral with chauffeur and sufficient bearers are also an essential part of our service to you, especially when your family's request is to go into church or place of worship.

Limousines are charged for separately. This ensures that the family is not charged for something they may not need or want. The charge for the limousines is fully inclusive to cover transport from the address at which your family requires to be picked up, through to your return to the final destination, within a limited distance. Each Limousine is chauffeur driven and will be normally carry up to six mourners.

Disbursements

Disbursements are essentially fees that we pay out on behalf of the family, i.e. Doctor's Fees where appropriate Crematorium/Cemetery Fees where the appropriate Crematorium/Cemetery Fees and Parochial Fees etc. Our written estimate will detail the approximate cost of any disbursements. However, you will appreciate that we will have no direct control over these charges, and they could therefore be subject at slight variations.

These costs can be settled by one single payment, rather than many different bills to be settled by the estate.

Doctors fee or cremation forms

No one can be cremated until the cause of death is definitely known. There are two cremation certificates (forms B & C). Each form must be signed by a different doctor. These certificates must be paid for and listed under disbursements on our estimate and account. The cremation certificates are not required when the death is referred to the coroner.

For more information about our funerals, please contact us 01782 782842 (24hrs).

Help with the cost of a funeral

The following information should be treated as general guidance. We are not able to guarantee the availability of a loan, but we do understand how the Department of Social Services makes a final decision.

Who is entitled to help?

You may receive help if there is not enough money to pay for the funeral and you are responsible for making the funeral arrangements and you and your partner are receiving any of the following benefits:-

• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
• Housing Benefit
• Council Tax Benefit
• Working Families Tax Credit – must include the severe disability element or disability element
• Child Tax Credit – must be at a higher level than family element
• Pension Credit

Check what amount of money is available from:-

• The estate of the person who has died, such as money from the bank and building society accounts.
• Insurance policies or charities, lump sum payments made by a pension scheme or relatives, (either yours or the person who has died.)
• Any savings you have in the bank or building society, National Savings (including certificates or premium bonds) or in cash at home.

Savings may be in your name or the name of your partner. The widow payment does not count as savings. The social fund may make a contribution towards the cost of a simple funeral within the United Kingdom.

This includes:

• Bringing the body home if the person has died away from home but within the United Kingdom.
• The Death Certificate.
• A standard coffin.
• The Hearse for the coffin and bearers.
• Flowers from the person who is arranging the funeral.
• Contribution towards fees of the Funeral Director.
• Chaplain and organist fee for a simple funeral.
• Cemetery Fee or Crematorium Fee.
• Doctors' Fees.

If you think you may be able to claim, then we will help you with the completion of the appropriate forms and deal with the necessary paperwork on your behalf.

For more information about our funerals, please contact us 01782 782842 (24hrs).