The UK Government requires that all deaths are registered within the sub-district where the death occurred. Depending upon the circumstances of the death you may not have to attend the Registrar.
The Government website is a useful source of information for the entire process and can be found HERE.
If the Coroner is not involved, the death must be registered within 5 days (8 days in Scotland). Please be aware that this includes weekends and bank holidays. To book an appointment at your local Registrar, click HERE.
If the Coroner is involved it could be due to a number of reasons, namely: the cause of death is unknown, the death was violent or unnatural or the death was sudden and unexplained. For a full list of reasons the Coroner might be involved, please see the Government website HERE.
The Coroner may then take a number of courses of action:
Before phoning the Registrar, you will need to ensure that the Doctor’s Cause of Death Certificate (sometimes referred to as the Medical Certificate) has been forwarded by the surgery or hospital to the Registrar’s Office. Once you have ensured this has happened, you can then book an appointment to attend your local Registrar’s Office.
Once you have made an appointment at the Registrar, you will need to take with you the following documents / information:
The items in bold above are essential to the Registrar, the other items are non-essential, but as part of the Tell Us Once service, the Government will be able to cancel them for you.
The Registrar will issue you with:
The Tell Us Once service is a Government initiative that allows people to report a death a number of Government details in one go. The facility means that the administration burden following the death of a loved one is somewhat reduced and streamlined. The service covers the following departments: Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC), Department for Work and Pensions, Public Sector / Armed Forces Pension Schemes, Passport Office, Local Council and Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).
When you attend the Registrar, they will give you the contact details and provide you with a reference number to use ONLINE.
To use the service you will need the details of the person that has died including their date of birth, National Insurance number, driving licence number and passport number. You will also need specific information on benefits / pensions or local authority services like blue badges that you wish to cancel. You will also need contact details for the next of kin and the name and address of any surviving spouse or civil partner.
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