FAQ's

When a death which has been expected occurs at home or at a nursing home, the doctor who has been treating the person should be contacted. Provided a doctor has seen the person during their final illness (within the previous 28 days) they, or a colleague will either attend to confirm that death has occurred, or will give permission for the person to be transferred to a funeral firm’s premises, if it is your wish for this to happen. You can then contact the funeral firm of your choice who will be able to help you.  If a death occurs unexpectedly at home, the HM Coroner will be notified and they will normally arrange for the the body to be taken to a hospital instead of to the funeral directors’ premises.  This does not stop you making contact with a funeral director and commencing arrangements, in fact it can make the process easier if you have the support of a good funeral director through the process.

If a relative dies in hospital, one of the doctors who have been treating them there will issue the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) which is needed by the Registrar to issue the death certificate.  Since the Coronavirus Act in 2020, the Bereavement services of Hospitals have been sending the MCCD to the Registrar directly and then the Registrar contacts the families by telephone.  

Most hospitals will give family members the opportunity to sit with the person who has died before transfer from the ward or private room. There may even be a chapel of rest at the hospital specifically for this purpose.

If the doctor will not issue a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death it is usually because the circumstances surrounding the death mean it should be referred to HM Coroner for further investigation.

The doctor can only complete the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death if they know the cause of death having seen the person who has died for this illness in the 28 days prior to death occurring.

The doctor cannot issue the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death if the person who has died:-
– Has died a violent or an unnatural death;
– Has died a sudden death of which the cause is unknown;
– Has died in prison or in such a place or in such circumstances as to require an inquest under any other Act.
– If the death does not fall into these criteria but the person who has died underwent an operation shortly before death or there is a suggestion of a possible industrial disease, then it is probable that the doctor will not complete the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death but refer the death to HM Coroner in whose sub-district the death occurred.
– If the death is referred to HM Coroner their office will arrange for the person who has died to be taken to their mortuary in order that the death can be investigated and, if necessary, an inquest opened.

The main duties of the Coroner today are:-
– To investigate all sudden and unexpected deaths,
– To investigate all deaths that happen abroad where the body is repatriated to the United Kingdom;
– To give permission to remove bodies out of England and Wales;
– To act for the Crown in respect of treasure trove.

The holder of the post of HM Coroner usually has a legal background and is not infrequently a solicitor. He/she can also be a doctor with a legal background, and is occasionally both. Although the Local Authority supplies the Coroner Service, paying all costs – including the costs of removals by funeral firms acting on behalf of the Coroner – the Coroner is not employed by the Authority, being only answerable to the Crown in the person of one of Her Majesty’s Secretaries of State, namely the Home Secretary.

We are familiar with HM Coroner’s procedures in this area and will be able to advise you how to proceed.

A person cannot be cremated until the cause of death has been ascertained and properly recorded. The cause of death must then be verified by a second doctor, entirely independent of the first (the need for a second doctor has currently been suspended as a result of the Coronavirus Act 2020).

The British Medical Association (BMA) sets out that a fee can be charged for the completion of cremation forms as this does not form part of a doctor’s NHS duties. Doctors charge these fees to the funeral firm, which then passes on the cost to the family. Doctors are also entitled to charge a mileage allowance, where appropriate. 

The doctors’ fees are set by the BMA at £82 currently, and are reviewed annually.

You can change your mind at any time. If you have signed an agreement for services to be provided in the offices of a funeral firm this may not be straightforward. If you signed the agreement at a location other than the funeral firm’s premises then your agreement is subject to the consumer protection legislation and you have the right to a 14 day cooling-off period.

Code of Practice requires that members should always withdraw in favour of another funeral firm under these circumstances. You should be aware, however, that there may be costs incurred with the first company and you will be responsible for paying that bill.

You will need to make an appointment at a registry office in the same county as the death occurred , ideally within five days. The GP or hospital bereavement office will send a certificate to the Registrar showing the cause of death, signed by a doctor. For appointments in Kent, you can phone 03000 41 51 51, or book on-line at www.kent.gov.uk.

If you have the birth certificate, NHS medical card or number, or other documents of the person who has died, take these along as well. You may want to get several copies of the death certificate, as various authorities will need one. For example banks and life insurance companies.

The certificate for burial or cremation (the green form) will be emailed to your chosen Funeral Director. If the death has been referred to the coroner and the funeral is a cremation, the equivalent form will be sent by the coroner to your funeral director. If you have any issues, you can contact the Registrar by phone on 03000 41 51 51, or we can help you.

The people who can register a death are:

• • a relative of the person who has died
  • a person who was present at the death
  • an administrator from the hospital where the person died
  • a person arranging the funeral with the funeral director

Deaths can also be registered outside of Kent if needed by making an appointment at a register office of your choice. They will then communicate with the office in the district where the death occurred and a death certificate will be issued. This does take longer however, which will need to be taken into account when booking the date of the funeral.

When the Coroner is involved, the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death is replaced by one from HM Coroner.

We can or, if necessary, the Coroner’s Office, will be able to advise you when you will be able to attend the Registrar’s Office to register the death.

 In the majority of cases the registrar will then issue:

• Copies of the entry in the register – on payment of the prescribed fee. NB: copies of the entry, which are usually required for legal purposes, may be obtained from the registrar up to six months from the date of registration. After six months copies can be obtained from The Registrar General, PO Box 2, Southport PR8 2JD;
• A Certificate of Registration or Notification of Death. This certificate is needed in order to claim benefits from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP);
• Leaflets on State benefits and Form 48 (procedure for dealing with Wills).
• Information on how to use the Tell us Once service that allows you report a death to most government organisations in one go.  You will need the reference number given to you by the Registrar at the time of registration to activate this service. What to do after someone dies: Tell Us Once – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
• The ‘Green Form’ will then be sent to the funeral director of your choice, or you can request a printed copy.

It is possible that the DWP Form SF200 will be available for those that may need to make a claim for a Funeral Payment from the Social Fund. Once completed, this form should be taken or sent to your local JobCentre Plus with any pension or benefit books in the deceased’s name, or in joint names. Find out more about funeral and death related benefits here – https://www.gov.uk/browse/benefits/bereavement

You do not need to have registered the death to begin making arrangements with your chosen funeral firm. However, in order for the funeral to take place, it is necessary to have registered the death. The funeral itself cannot proceed without the death being registered. It is for this reason that some funeral firms may be reluctant to make arrangements for a funeral before they have received the registrar’s Certificate for Burial or Cremation (the “Green Form”).

No, there is no requirement to hold a religious funeral service and there are a number of alternatives. Perhaps a relative or friend could take the service if they feel able to do so. Other members of the congregation could speak or read verses or poems. The British Humanist Association, Institute of Civil Funerals and Fellowship of Professional Celebrants have networks of officiants who will provide a very personal non religious ceremony. Ask your funeral firm for more information or, to organise a humanist ceremony, visit humanist.org.uk or iocf.org.uk It is important to remember that a humanist ceremony is not the same as a non religious ceremony.

Any loss is tragic but especially that of a child. We are often asked what support is out there for families in the event of the death of their child.

Although at the discretion of each individual company, some funeral directors do not charge their normal fees when entrusted with funeral arrangements for a child and will actively encourage the other organisations involved to minimise or waive their costs also – although these remain outside the funeral directors’ direct control.

The Child Funeral Charity also exists to support families who may need help in meeting the costs of a funeral. You can find out more here: http://www.childfuneralcharity.org.uk/. There are a number of charities who support familes following the loss of a child such as Child Bereavement UK.

“Green funeral” is a term often used to describe funeral services that take a less traditional form and seek to minimise impact upon the world’s natural resources. This may mean choosing a woodland burial ground, deciding not to have overseas-grown flowers at the funeral or selecting a coffin made of materials such as bamboo or wicker. An environmentally responsible funeral need not differ significantly to any other. By checking that the wood used to make a wooden coffin is obtained from sustainably managed resources, using a local cemetery or crematorium and arranging to share vehicles when travelling to and from the funeral would be significant strides to achieving an environmentally responsible funeral.

Woodland burial grounds are cemeteries, often privately run, where strict rules govern what can and cannot be buried. More often than not they are places of beauty and calm and offer a real alternative to more traditional burials in built up cemeteries. If you are considering buying a grave in a woodland burial ground, you should visit to see whether it is what you expect and ask to see their terms and conditions. Of particular interest should be the length of the exclusive right of burial and what the long term plans for the site are. Your funeral firm will be able to provide you with information about woodland burial grounds local to you should you require it.

Every funeral firm should be able to give you an accurate indication of what the cost of their services are will be, and all funeral directors are now obliged to display prices clearly at their premises and on websites by the Government. It is essential to ensure that, when various firms provide you with an indicative cost, they do so on a like-for-like basis. This should separate their fees from those of third parties such as cemeteries, crematoria, churches, doctors and so forth (known to funeral directors as disbursements). Most funeral directors are members of either the Society of Allied Independent Funeral Directors (SAIF) or the National Association of Funeral directors (NAFD) and are bound to abide by Codes of Practice which ensure that they have price lists available showing the cost of the services they provide. The Code also requires them to provide a transparent breakdown of all their costs. Members of these Associations are required to provide you with a written estimate and confirmation of arrangements before the funeral takes place. This ensures that you are aware of the costs of the funeral you have arranged.

Price is not the only consideration when choosing a funeral firm and, to ensure you obtain the service you want and that you achieve best value, it is advisable to contact at least two funeral firms in your area for an estimate of their funeral costs. Do not assume that all funeral firms charge the same prices or offer exactly the same services.

Assistance is available from the Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) Social Fund which can provide assistance to individuals who meet the required criteria. To qualify you must demonstrate that you are the most suitable person to take responsibility for paying the funeral account – additionally you must be receiving at least one of several qualifying benefits and have insufficient savings to pay for the funeral.

The DWP Funeral Payment will provide a limited amount, which may cover a very basic funeral, or provide a contribution towards a more traditional funeral. Your chosen funeral firm will be able to advise you about the qualifying criteria and the likely contribution available. Form SF200 can be downloaded here –
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/363675/sf200_print.pdf