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 (this is necessary to register the death)
- Register the death within 5 days (8 days in Scotland). 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 (or Procurator Fiscal in Scotland) 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.
You can use the ‘Register a Death’ page on the gov.uk website that will guide you through the process. This will also explain the registration process for Scotland and Northern Ireland.
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
Funeral directors may list all these costs in their quotes.
Barnsley Bereavement support groups include:
Bereavement support service offers free confidential support to the people of Barnsley who are finding it difficult to come to terms with bereavement. Due to the COVID-19, although the service will continue to accept self referrals by contacting them on 01226 200565, the service can only offer telephone support to clients at present.
BBSS Website - Home (barnsleybereavementsupportservice.org)
Listening Ear is a new support service for people that live in, or are registered with a GP in Barnsley who have been bereaved during the COVID-19 period. Please visit their website for more information.
Refer - Listening Ear Merseyside (listening-ear.co.uk)
Listening Ear Bereavement Support
Barnsley Hospice Bereavement group offers psychological support to families whose relative was or is spending time at the hospice as a patient.
Barnsley Hospice - Providing specialist compassionate care for our patients and families
Marie Curie offers a range of online resources to help people cope emotionally during bereavement. Their free bereavement support line is 0800 090 2309
Marie Curie Bereavement support
Child bereavement UK support services offer a range of services including telephone sessions, webinars, live chats to help bereaved families. National Helpline 0800 02 888 40
Child Bereavement UK