What To Do Next
Who can Register a Death
Most deaths are registered by a relative – the registrar would normally only allow other people (listed below) if there are no relatives available.
If the person died at home or in hospital, the death can be registered by:
- A relative
- A person present at the death
- The occupier of the premises where the death occurred if he/she knew of it happening
- The person arranging the funeral (this does NOT mean the funeral director, it means the relative, friend or legal representative who is instructing the funeral director)
- An official from the hospital
What you need to bring to your appointment
Take the medical certificate showing the cause of death (signed by a doctor) with you.
If available (but don’t worry if not), also take the person’s:
- Birth Certificate
- Council Tax Bill
- Driving Licence
- Marriage or Civil Partnership Certificate
- NHS Medical Card
- Passport
- Proof of Address (eg utility bill)
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What the Registrar Will Ask
The Registrar will interview you in private and will need to know the following information for recording in the Register.
You will need to tell the registrar:
- The date and place of death
- The person’s full name at time of death
- Any names previously used, including maiden surname
- The person’s date and place of birth (town and county if born in the UK and country only if born abroad)
- Their last address
- Their occupation
- The full name, date of birth and occupation of a deceased or surviving spouse or civil partner
- Whether they were receiving a state pension or any other state benefit
The appointment will last about 30 minutes. You will need to sign the completed register entry to confirm that all the information is correct. Any errors can only be changed in accordance with the legal procedures and may cause delays. From 01/11/2017 there will be a statutory fee of £75 or £90 for the consideration of a correction. You should therefore check the register very carefully before you sign.
What You Will Receive
On completion of the registration, you will be issued with:
- Certificate for Burial or Cremation (called the ‘green form’). This gives permission for the body to be buried, or for an application for cremation to be made.
- You will also receive a Certificate of Registration of Death (Form BD8). This is issued for social security purposes if the person received a State pension or benefits (please read the information on the back, complete and return it, if it applies).
- Certified copies of the entry (“death certificates”) may also be purchased at the time of registration at a cost of £11 each. These will be needed by the executor or next of kin.