In my previous blog in this series I wrote about the rules around certifying a death, because nothing else can happen until the cause of death has been certified and either a medical examiner or coroner have confirmed this. Once it has, the next step is registering a death.
Dealing with death is not something most of us have to do every day, so it is reasonable to not know what has to happen when someone dies.
There are actually only 3 things that have to happen :
- The death must be certified
- The death must be registered
- The deceased body must be disposed of
It’s the how that is the scary bit, but knowing a little about it will make it slightly less daunting.
Who can Register A Death?
- A relative of the deceased
- A person who was present at the time of death
- A person living at the same address as the deceased
- The person organising the funeral (but not an FD)
How to Register a Death
You will be notified that the Medical Examiner (or coroner) has certified the death (sent the MCCD to the registrar). You then have 5 days (8 in Scotland) including weekends and bank holidays, to register the death with the Registrar of Deaths and Marriages. Simply phone the registrar and book an appointment, allow a good 1/2 hour.
The registrar will give you a certificate for burial or cremation (often called ‘THE GREEN FORM’).
This form/certificate is for you to pass on to your funeral director, crematorium or burial authority before the funeral can take place.
You will also need to provide the registrar with the following information:
- Take the MCCD and, if possible, a birth cert/NHS number/ marriage or civil partnership cert of the deceased
- The full name of the person who died
- Their full home address
- Their date and place of birth
- Details of where and when the person died
- Their occupation, if applicable
- If they were receiving any benefits, including pensions or allowance from public funds
- The name, occupation, and date of birth of their spouse or civil partner, if applicable
I hope this has been useful. I run a private peer led group on facebook where anyone is welcome to talk about love, loss, legacy and anything to do with death, dying and remembrance , Its called My Life, My Death, My Wishes
I have already written lots of posts about the third “must do”, you can read about options on my website under Funerals and Memorials or have a read of this blog post
