Death at home
If the death occurs at home, you should contact the doctor first. If the cause of death is clear and has been expected, the doctor will give you a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death.
The coroner
In some cases, the doctor will need to report the death to a coroner; for example if the cause of death is uncertain.
A coroner is an independent judicial official who has the right to order a post mortem examination. The consent of family or next of kin is not required. The deceased will be removed by a funeral director to a public mortuary or the nearest hospital and the post mortem will be carried out to establish the cause of death. The doctor and coroner's officer will explain what will happen and why.
If the coroner has ordered a post mortem examination, you will be told by a member of the coroner's staff when you can make an appointment to register the death. You will not be given a Medical Certificate. The necessary documentation will be issued by the coroner.
Registering the death
The Medical Certificate must be taken to the Register Office to register the death by someone who has known the deceased person. This must be done within five days of the death. The death must be registered in the area in which the person died.
The name and address of the registrar will be on the envelope containing the Medical Certificate. It can also be found under 'Registrars of Births, Deaths and Marriages' in the Yellow Pages. Check the times the registrar is available before going to the Register Office.
The registrar will need the following information about the person who has died:
- date and place of birth
- date and place of death
- maiden name, if a married woman
- former occupation
- if married, the name, date of birth and occupation of the surviving widow or widower
- whether they were getting a pension or allowance from public funds
- last address, if known.
The registrar will ask for the Medical Certificate. They will also ask for the person's NHS medical card, if you have it.
What you should get from the registrar
The registrar will issue you with three types of document:
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Green Form, which gives permission for the funeral to take place and should be given to the funeral director
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BD8 certificate, which should be sent to the Department for Work and Pensions and cancels the National Insurance number and any state pensions or benefits received by the deceased person
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certified copies of the Death certificate.
We recommend that you ask for a death certificate for every bank, building society and insurance company with whom the deceased had accounts or shares, as these organisations will not accept photocopies for any formal dealings. There is a charge for each certificate you obtain.
Probate and letters of administration
The registrar may be able to give you a leaflet explaining how to obtain 'Grant of Probate' if there is a Will or a 'Grant of Letters of Administration' if there is not.
Further information
You can get more advice from:
You may also find the free booklet 'What to do after death in England and Wales' (reference DWP1027) useful, which you can get from the Department of Work and Pensions.
