When a loved one passes away it can be hard to know what you are supposed to do first. We can guide you through this difficult time with our expert help and advice. Call us on 01354 651499 or visit our website www.kerolfefuneraldirectors.co.uk
If The Death Occurs At Home
When your loved one has passed away at home, you will need to contact your Doctor (or the Doctor on call) who will come to certify the death. On some occasions, if the death was expected and a nurse is present, the Doctor will give authority to the Nurse to confirm the death. Once the Doctor or Nurse has certified, you can telephone us any time of the day or night so we can convey your loved one into our care.
A medical certificate will then be issued by the Doctors surgery and emailed to the Registrar.
If The Death Occurs Away From Home
Nursing or Residential Home
Most homes will have asked in advance who your selected Funeral Director is and in the event of the death, they will ring us day or night so we can then convey your loved one into our care.
A medical certificate will then be issued by the Doctors surgery and emailed to the Registrar.
Hospital
Please contact us during the day so we can guide you and start the funeral arrangements. You will need to contact the Bereavement Office in the hospital on the first working day following the death, after 10.00 a.m.
A medical certificate will then be issued by the Bereavement office, who will email it to the Registrar and notify you once this has been done.
If the death was unexpected the death may be referred to the Coroner.
Registering A Death
Cambridgeshire registration office www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk
The Following People Can Register The Death:
· A relative
· A person present at the death
· The person arranging the funeral
The Registrar Will Require The Medical Certificate Before You Can Make An Appointment:
· The medical certificate will be emailed to the Registrar from the Doctors Surgery or Hospital. If the Coroner is involved, they will issue paperwork in place of the Doctor’s medical certificate.
The Registrar Will Require The Following Information Regarding The Deceased:
· Full name (including any previous or maiden name where appropriate)
· Address
· Date and place of birth
· Date and place of death
· Last occupation
· If the deceased was receiving any pension or allowance from public funds, other than a state pension, please tell the Registrar
· National insurance number
· Full name of spouse or partner
· Date of birth of spouse or partner
· Last occupation of spouse or partner
· Your name and address
Upon Registration The Registrar Will Issue The Following Certificates:
A Certificate for Burial or Cremation (also known as the green certificate)
This will be emailed to us immediately after the registration. If the Coroner is involved, there may not be a green certificate from the Registrar.
This form is free of charge.
A Certificate of Registration of Death (also known as Form BD8)
This form is for social security purposes. The Registrar will go through this with you.
This form is free of charge.
Death Certificate
Certified copies will be needed for any of the following purposes, among others:
· Bank and Building Society accounts*
· Life Insurance policies covered by the deceased
· Dealing with shares owned by the deceased
· Applying for a tax rebate
· Private Pensions
· Solicitor
Death certificates are £ 11.00 each. You can pay for a death certificate by credit or debit card.
The death certificates will then be posted to you from the Registrar’s office the same day as you have registered the death.
*Note: In most cases, upon visiting a Bank or Building Society, they will need a certified death certificate to photocopy for their records, but will then hand you the original certificate back. Please note, you can use the Death Notification service instead. For further information see below.
The Death Notification Service:
This service allows you to notify a person’s death to a number of banks and building societies (financial institutions) at the same time. The aim is to make the process quick and easy for you, informing them at a time that suits you.
What We Would Like To Know
The following is a list of most of the questions we will ask you when arranging the funeral:
· Is the service to be a cremation or burial?
· Where would you like the service to be held?
· Is the service to be religious, civil or humanist?
· If the service is to be a burial, which churchyard or cemetery?
· What sort of music and/or hymns would you like?
· Would you like an order of service printed?
· Would you like us to give out name cards at the funeral? This is for people to write their names and a personal message on if they wish. We would then collect the cards after the service and give to yourselves.
· If you have chosen a cremation, at the committal you have the choice of the coffin being lowered from view, curtains to close around the coffin or for the coffin to stay on view until you have left the chapel?
· If cremation, what intentions do you have regarding the cremated remains? There are a number of options that we can discuss with you.
· Funeral cortege to leave: From the deceased or family home, from our Chapels of Rest or Meet at the place of service?
· Do you require any limousine(s)? In each limousine there is room for six passengers. Limousine(s) can be used to follow the hearse from a private address or collect the family from a private address and meet the hearse at our Chapels of Rest or at the service.
· Will you be having family flowers only and asking for donations in lieu to a chosen charity, flowers and donations or flowers only?
· Do you require a death notice to be placed in either a local or national newspaper? We can give assistance in compiling wording and place this in the newspaper for you.
· Type of coffin? Would you like your loved one to wear their own clothing or for us to provide a satin robe?
· If your loved one is wearing jewellery, is it to remain on or to remove for a keepsake?
After The Arrangements Are Made
Once the initial funeral arrangements have been made, we then liaise with all the third parties involved – Minister/Civil Celebrant, Cemetery/Crematorium, Newspapers etc. We will make all the necessary arrangements.