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 website (link below) which 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

• National Associaton of Funeral Directors
• National Federation of Funeral Directors
• Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors

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. http://humanism.org.uk/ceremonies/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.

Suffered a bereavement? Need to talk? If you live in Shropshire and you're struggling with the loss of a friend or a loved one, help is just a phone call away. Just call the Shropshire First Point of Contact team on 0345 678 9028 to speak to a trained advisor who can connect you to a local community offer. This includes support for all ages.

Bereavement support | Shropshire Council

Impact on Life is a division of Impact Marketing and Publicity Ltd., providing free independing advice and information through Health Care Media range of literature which contain useful local contacts and further sources of specific information. Their website can be accessed HERE

A selection of their leaflets are available below:

1. Bereavement
2. Private Healthcare
3. Making a Will and Funeral Planning
4. Regaining your Independence
5. Mobility Advice