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Please feel free to contact us on 0208 050 6052 following a bereavement for information and guidance. Losing someone close to you can be a very difficult time in your life, therefore this page has been designed to support you through the next steps you will need to take. You will need to do different things dependent on where your loved one passes away so here at Eternal Page’s we are able to take care of the process for you to make this time as stress free as possible.
If your loved one was expected to pass away and it is throughout the day, their GP or NHS 111 should be notified. If it is throughout the night please contact NHS 111 and your loved ones GP will be notified in the morning.
If you are not their next of kin, they will have to be contacted as soon as possible. After the phone call to the GP or NHS 111, a Doctor will come to the home to confirm that the person has passed away and declare end of life. If the cause of death is known at this point, a formal notice will be issued. This will allow you to register the death.
You may contact us at any point to take care of your loved one and begin any arrangements for their funeral when you are ready.
If your loved one has passed away in a hospital or hospice, as their next of kin you should have already been notified. A doctor would have already declared end of life and completed a formal notice and the establishment will let you know when you are able to collect this. The formal notice will allow you to register the death.
If the death was unexpected or the doctor is uncertain of the cause of death, her Majesty’s Coroners will most likely have to investigate to determine the cause of death. A post mortem will usually be required. You will have to wait to hear from the Coroner to let you know when you are able to register your loved ones death and set a date for their funeral.
You may contact us at any point to begin making any arrangements for their funeral such as which crematorium or cemetery you may want when you are ready.
If your loved one has passed away in a care home, as their next of kin you should have already been notified. A doctor would have already declared end of life and completed a formal notice and the establishment will let you know when you are able to collect this. The formal notice will allow you to register the death.
If the death was unexpected or the doctor is uncertain of the cause of death, her Majesty’s Coroners will most likely have to investigate to determine the cause of death. A post mortem will usually be required. You will have to wait to hear from the Coroner to let you know when you are able to register your loved ones death and set a date for their funeral.
You may contact us at any point to begin making any arrangements for their funeral such as which crematorium or cemetery you may want when you are ready.
If your loved one passing away is unexpected or accidental, call 999 immediately. Once on the phone to the emergency services they will be able to talk you through what to do next. An ambulance crew will then come to where you are to either try to save your loved one or declare end of life.
If the ambulance crew declare end of life, at this point it will be highly likely that Her Majesty’s Coroners will have to investigate to find out why your loved one has passed away and a post mortem will usually be required. You will have to wait to hear from the Coroner when you are able to register your loved ones death.
You may contact us at any point to begin making any arrangements for their funeral such as which crematorium or cemetery you may want when you are ready.
If a person has died whilst abroad and you are not with them, you should have been notified via the British Embassy. They will keep you updated and discuss next steps with you.
If a person passed away with you whilst abroad, follow similar steps as you would at home and contact the local emergency services. Once they have been out and declared end of life, you should then contact the British Embassy who will send someone to support you at this time.
Once the death has been registered in the country where the person has died, you are able to decide whether you want to hold the funeral in that country or bring them home. If you choose to do the funeral in that country, a local funeral director will be able to help you make arrangements. If you choose to bring them home, we are able to support you through this process.
Once your loved one has passed away you will have to register their death at a Registrars Office within five days from when you have been given the Confirmatory Medical Certificate stating the cause of death. If there is no post mortem being held, the register office will give you:
• A Death Certificate
• Certificate for burial or cremation (this is for your funeral director)
• Social Security Certificate (This is for the local department of work and pensions)
• Advice Leaflets
Once you receive the above documentation, the death certificate will enable you to inform all the necessary organisations. The ‘tell us once service’ can be found online and will be able to notify all the government organisations at one time for you. A fee will be charged for the death certificate however financial organisations such as the bank, building societies and insurance companies will require official copies of the death certificate. Copies can be received at the time of registering for a small fee. In order to register a person’s death you will need:
• Confirmatory Medical Certificate of Cause of Death
• Birth Certificate
• Marriage Certificate (if applicable)
• NHS medical card
• The deceased’s full name and any previous names used.
• Last known address
• Occupation
• Details of surviving spouse or civil partner
• Whether they were receiving any government benefits
If you or your family member were in receipt of benefits, the Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) may be able to support you with the funeral payments and you may be entitled to a Funeral Expenses Payment which can help pay towards some of the costs of the funeral. The money can go towards:
• Burial fees for a particular plot
• Cremation fees
• Doctors certificate fees
• Travel to arrange or go to the funeral
• The cost of moving the body within the United Kingdom, if your loved one has to be moved more than 50 miles.
• Death Certificate or other relevant documents
• Up to £1000 for funeral expenses, including funeral directors fees, flowers and coffin transportation.
The amount you receive is dependent on how much other money is available for the funeral (eg from insurance companies or anything the person owns). Please note, if your loved one has a pre-paid funeral, you will only receive £120 for items not covered by the plan.
The money will be paid straight to the funeral director if you haven’t already paid for the funeral or to your own bank account if the funeral has already been paid for.
