What to do when someone dies?

You will need to contact the deceased’s own G.P (or the Doctors on duty) who will certify that death has taken place and check if they are able to issue a death certificate. It is most likely that this certificate will need to be collected from the Doctor’s surgery when completed. (If the Doctor has referred the death to the Coroner then please read further on).

Once the Doctor has given permission to proceed, please contact us where someone will be available to respond sensitively and efficiently to your call. Our staff will then attend promptly and arrange for the deceased to be transferred to our Chapel of Rest. Our staff are fully trained in order to handle this difficult event with care and respect. Do not feel that this has to take place immediately; some families wish to wait until other family members have had an opportunity to say their goodbyes at home. You are always welcome to visit our Chapels of Rest at a later date once an appointment has been arranged with the Funeral Director to pay your respects.

Contact the Hospital if death occurs there. The procedure of obtaining a death certificate is likely to have been carried out, with your permission, by the Matron or Warden who will advise you of where to collect the Certificate.

When someone dies, the doctor who was treating the deceased will issue a medical certificate of cause of death to the relatives. The person who will be registering the death must take this certificate to the Registrar’s of Births and Deaths Office.

Every death in England or Wales must be registered in the district in which it takes place within 5 days of the date of death. The person registering the death gives information for the registration to the registrar. Due to space restrictions, only one other person will be able to accompany the informant into the Registrar’s Office, unless medically required.

If there is none one able to register the death at the district where the death took place, the information for the registration may be given to the Registrar in another district by declaration. Please contact the appropriate Register Office if you need to

You can find out more on how to register a death in the UK or abroad on the GOV.UK website.

The Registrar would normally allow one of the other listed persons to register the death only if there were no relatives available. The people who can register a death are as follows;

• A relative of the deceased, related by blood, marriage or civil partnership.

• Someone present at the death.

• The occupier of the house or hospital if he or she knew of the death.

• The person arranging the funeral.

Useful Numbers:

Telephone number to book an appointment.

Chester Register Office: 0300 123 7037

Address: Goldsmith House, Goss St. Chester CH12BG

For Ellesmere Port, Northwich and Winsford residents ring the Chester office to make an appointment to attend your local office.

Countess of Chester Hospital bereavement Office: 01244 365 110

Countess of Chester Hospice 01244 365000

Ellesmere Port Hospital 01244 362 986

Hospice of the Good Shepherd 01244 851 091.

Cheshire Coroner 01925 444 216

Information required for the Registration of a Death

• Date and place of death.

• Name and surname of the deceased.

• Maiden surname, if the deceased was a woman who had married.

• Date and place of birth.

• Occupation.

• Name and occupation of spouse where the deceased was married.

• Usual address.

• Whether the deceased was in receipt of a pension or allowance from public funds.

• If the deceased was either married or a civil partner, the date of birth of the surviving partner will be required.

The deceased’s medical card, if available, should also be given to the Registrar. It is important that the information entered into the register is correct. Mistakes discovered after leaving the office, can be very time-consuming for you to have altered. You should check the details VERY CAREFULLY in the death register before you sign.

A certificate of Burial or Cremation to give to your Funeral Director.

A certificate of Registration of Death Form BD8 to hand to Social Security Office.

The Death Certificate.

The Registrar will also help you to notify other government agencies needing to be informed of the recent death by using their ‘tell us once’ facility. Government agencies will then work out final payments of benefits for the person who’s died (including the State Pension) and tax credits; amend Income Tax; National Insurance and Council Tax; Cancel the passport and/or driving licence; make arrangements about council housing and Blue Badge schemes; make sure the person’s name is removed from the electoral register (also known as the electoral roll).

Anyone who is unhappy about the cause of a death can inform a coroner about it, but in most cases a death will be reported to a coroner by a doctor or the police.

A coroner is a doctor or lawyer appointed by a local authority to investigate certain deaths. They’re completely independent of the authority and have a separate office and staff. A coroner can investigate a death if the body is in their district, even though the death took place somewhere else, for example, abroad.

A death must always be reported to a coroner in the following situations:

• The person’s doctor had not seen them in the 28 days before they died or immediately afterwards
• A doctor had not looked after, seen or treated the person during their last illness (in other words, death was sudden)
• The cause of death is unknown or uncertain
• The death was violent or unnatural (for example, suicide, accident or drug or alcohol overdose)
• The death was in any way suspicious
• The death took place during surgery or recovery from an anaesthetic
• The death took place in prison or police custody
• The death was caused by an industrial disease.

In some cases the coroner will need to order a post-mortem, in which case the body will be taken to hospital for this to be carried out. You do not have the right to object to a post-mortem ordered by the coroner, but should tell the coroner if you have religious or other strong objections. In cases where a death is reported to a coroner because the person had not seen a doctor in the previous 28 days the coroner will consult with the person’s GP and will usually not need to order a post-mortem.

A death reported to a coroner cannot be registered until the coroner’s investigations are complete and a certificate has been issued allowing registration to take place. This means that the funeral will usually also be delayed. Where a post-mortem has taken place the coroner must give permission for cremation.

• Car Insurance: Documentation will have to be changed as you are not legally insured to drive if the policy is in the deceased name.
• Social Services/District Nurses: If there is equipment belonging to either of these, it must be returned.
• Hospital and/or Family Doctor: Any outstanding appointments should be cancelled.
• Employer or Professional Association
• Inland Revenue
• Social Security :Form 344/BD8 needs to be completed to cancel any direct payments into a bank account. This white certificate is provided by the Registrar of Deaths.
• Local Council: Cancel any housing/rate benefits and council tax.
• Utilities: Gas, electric, water, telephone and cable companies.
• Post Office: Arrange redirection of mail, a small charge may be made.
• Credit Card Companies: Cancel cards and pay up accounts.
• Banks and Building Societies: Accounts need to be closed and any joint accounts need to be amended.
• Investments and Insurance Policies: Premium Bonds are not transferable. The Post Office will issue you with a form that needs to be sent to the Bonds and Stocks Office. For further advice suggest that you consult a Financial Advisor or Accountant.
• Store Cards

List of items to return:

• Passport: You should return to:

The Passport Office, U.K. Passport Agency, 5th Floor India Building, Water Street, Liverpool

• Driving License
• You should return to:

D.V.L.A., Swansea, SA99 lAB

• Vehicle Registration Documents
• Car Insurance

To change Policy Holder’s name or a refund may be issued.

• Television License

To change name or a refund may be issued.

• Season Tickets and Club Memberships Cards
• Library Books and Card
• National Insurance Papers

Will Queries and Probate

Liverpool District Probate Registry 0151 236 8264.

Probate Forms

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/inheritancetax/iht-probate-forms/find-right-forms.htm

The Independent Order of Oddfellows publishes an annual survey of funeral costs to get an average price for your area: 08000281810

Citizens Advice Bureau Chester 0844 826 9690

Citizens Advice Bureau Ellesmere Port 0844 111 444

Age Concern Chester 01244 401500

Macmillan Support 01244 364948

Reflect Children’s and young People’s Counselling Service 01244 851 104

The Bereavement Project Hospice of the good shepherd 01244 853 193

Mollington Drop-In for the Bereaved 01244 853 193

National Organisations that may be able to help.

The Samaritans 01244 377999

Cruse Bereavement Care Young people bereavement help 0208 9399 530/ 0844 4779 400

Lesbian and Gay Bereavement Project 0208 455 8894

National Association of Widows 0845 8382 261

Roadpeace bereavement through road traffic accidents 0845 4500 355

Support after Murder and Manslaughter SAMM 0845 872 3440

Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide SOBS 0844 561 6855

The Compassionate Friends support after the death of a child 0845 123 2304

Terence Higgins Trust help for deaths caused by AIDS/HIV 02078 121 600

The Way Foundation Bereavement support for young men and women 0300 0124 929

Winston’s Wish childhood bereavement support 0845 203 0405