How is a death registered?

How is a death registered?

The death must be registered by the Registrar of Births and Deaths for the area in which it occurred.

We will advise you on where and when to go.

If the death has been referred to the Coroner, it cannot be registered until the Registrar has received authority from the Coroner to do so.

The death must be registered within five days (unless the Registrar says this period may be extended).

When you go to the Registrar you should take all the following:

  • The Medical Certificate of cause of death
  • The deceased Medical Card, if possible
  • The deceased Birth Certificate, if available

You should tell the Registrar:

  • The date and place of death
  • The deceased’s last (usual) address
  • The deceased’s first names and surname (and maiden name where appropriate)
  • The deceased’s date and place of birth (town and county, and country if born abroad)
  • The deceased’s occupation and the name and occupation of her husband (where applicable)
  • Whether the deceased was getting a pension or allowance from public funds
  • If the deceased was married, the date of birth of the surviving widow or widower.

The Registrar will give you:

  • A Certificate for Burial or Cremation (known as the Green Form) unless the Coroner has given you an Order for Burial (Form 101) or a Certificate for Cremation (Form E). This gives permission for the body to be buried or for an application for cremation to be made. We will require this form as soon as possible.
  • A Certificate of Registration of Death (Form BD8 {rev}). This is for Social Security
    purposes only. Read the information on the back of the certificate. If any of it applies, fill in the certificate and send it to your Social Security office.

Inquest

An inquest is an enquiry into the medical cause and circumstances of a death. It is held in public, sometimes with a jury. It is up to the Coroner how to organise the enquiry in a way to best serve the public interest and the interest of the relatives. The Coroner will hold an inquest if the death was any of the following: violent or unnatural or caused by an industrial disease or the death occurred in prison or if the cause of death remains uncertain after a post-mortem examination.

It may be important to have a lawyer to represent you if the death was caused by a road accident, or an accident at work, or in circumstances which could lead to a claim for compensation.

Other things may have to be done such as those listed below. It is not a complete list covering everyone’s individual circumstances.

People to tell

  • The local Social Services department of the council if the person was getting meals-on-wheels, home help, or day-centre care or had any appliance or piece of equipment issued by the department.
  • Any hospital the person was attending
  • The family doctor to cancel any home nursing
  • The Inland Revenue
  • The Social Security office if any money was being paid directly into a bank or building society account.
  • Any employer and trade union
  • Car insurance company (if you are insured to drive the car under the deceased’s name, you will cease to be legally insured)
  • Gas, Electricity and Telephone companies
  • The local council housing department if the person who has died was living in a council house
  • The Post Office so that they can re-direct the deceased person’s mail

Stillborn Babies

If a baby is stillborn (born dead after the 24th week of pregnancy) you will be given a Medical Certificate of Stillbirth signed by the midwife or doctor, which you should give to the Registrar.

If no doctor or midwife has examined the body, you must sign Form 35 which the Registrar will give you.

Things to send back

You should return the following, with a note of explanation and the date of death with each of the documents:

  • Order books, payable orders, or giro cheques to the Social Security office or other DSS office which issued the payment. This applies also to a Child Benefit book which includes payment for a child who has died. Orders should not be cashed after the death of a person. It may be useful to keep a record of pension book numbers or other Social Security numbers before you send anything back.
  • The deceased’s passport to the Passport Office. The Passport Office for this area is at India Buildings, Pier Head, Liverpool.
  • The deceased’s driving licence to DVLC, Swansea, SA6 7GL.
  • The registration documents of a car, for the change of ownership to be recorded.
  • Any season tickets. Claim any refund due.
  • Membership cards of clubs and associations. Claim any refund due.
  • Library books and tickets.
  • Any National Insurance papers to the relevant office.
  • Any NHS equipment such as wheelchairs, hearing aids, artificial limbs.
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Blurton
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