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 (if our GP completes the medical certificate, we will send it electronically to the registry office)
- Register the death within 5 days. 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.
In England and Wales, the death must be registered at the register office in the area where the death occurred.
If the person died in North Yorkshire you can book an appointment to register the death online or phone 0300 131 2131.
The ‘Register a Death’ page on the gov.uk website will also guide you through the process.
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:
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
For information about help with funeral costs, visit the gov.uk website
Help and Support following a bereavement