Bereavement

  • In times of bereavement

    In the unfortunate event that a person has passed away, there are three things that must be done in the first few days;
    – Get a medical certificate from your GP or hospital doctor (this is necessary to register the death)
    – Register the death within 5 days (8 days in Scotland). You will then receive the necessary documents for the funeral.
    – Make the necessary funeral arrangements.

  • Register the death

    If the death has been reported to the coroner  they must give permission before registering the death.
    You can register the death if you are a relative, a witness to the death, a hospital administrator or the person making the arrangements with the funeral directors.
    An appointment with the registrar needs to be booked via the BaNES Registrar website.

  • Arrange the funeral

    The funeral can usually only take place after the death is registered. Most people use a funeral director, though you can arrange a funeral yourself.

    Funeral directors
    Choose a funeral director who’s a member of one of the following:
    National Association of Funeral Directors
    National Federation of Funeral Directors
    Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors
    These organisations have codes of practice – they must give you a price list when asked.
    Some local councils run their own funeral services, for example for non-religious burials. The British Humanist Association can also help with non-religious funerals.

    Arranging the funeral yourself
    Contact the Cemeteries and Crematorium Department of your local council to arrange a funeral yourself.

  • Funeral costs

    Funeral costs can include:
    – Funeral director fees
    – Things the funeral director pays for on your behalf (called ‘disbursements’ or ‘third-party costs’), for example, crematorium or cemetery fees, or a newspaper announcement about the death
    – Local authority burial or cremation fees

    Funeral directors may list all these costs in their quotes.
    For free independent advice on bereavement issues, you can find more information at: lastingpost.com