Once you have received the medical certificate stating the cause of death, an appointment needs to be made within five days at the registry office covering the district where the death occurred. The local registrar is listed below, and an appointment is necessary.
Registering the death
Registering the death is usually done by a relative, someone present at the death, or the person making the funeral arrangements. When the death is registered, the informant will be asked to give the Registrar the following particulars relating to the deceased. The Registrar, however, will understand if some of the facts are not known.
The full name of the deceased
If the deceased was a married woman, her maiden name
The deceased’s last address
The date and place of death
The deceased’s place and date of birth
The deceased’s occupation
If the deceased was married, the name and occupation of the deceased’s spouse and their date of birth if still living
Details of any pension or payment from public funds being received by the deceased.
A Tell Us At Once system is in place where the Registrar will pass on your details to all relevant government departments regarding your change of circumstances.
The informant should take the following with them when attending the Registrar’s office.
The Medical Certificate showing the cause of death (this will be obtained from the deceased’s family doctor if the deceased was treated and died at home or the hospital if the deceased died there.
The deceased’s NHS medical card (if it can be found)
The deceased’s War pension order book (if applicable)
The Certificate from the Coroner (if applicable) is usually sent directly to the Registrar.
The Registrar will make an entry in the register of deaths and supply you with three documents.
Certificate of burial or cremation (green in colour): you will need to give this to the funeral director
Certificate of registration: if the deceased received a state pension or other benefits, the appropriate section(s) would need to be completed and returned to the local security office.
Death certificate: this is a copy of the entry in the register and usually costs £4.00 per copy. Banks and insurance companies will ask to see the original death certificate before releasing the deceased’s funds. It may be advisable to get several copies.