Arranging a funeral

Death at home
It is best to inform the local doctor as soon as possible. A death certificate may be issued at the surgery for you to collect or they may issue one when they attend to you.

Death in hospital
The hospital staff will have arranged for the completion of the Death Certificate by one of the attending doctors. If you want a cremation to take place, then either inform the hospital, or us, so that an additional form (the cremation form B, C and F) can be completed.

The coroner
If the deceased has not been seen by his/her doctor within 14 days prior to death or the death is sudden then it is required to be reported to the coroner. The doctor may inform the coroner on your behalf. The coroner’s role is to establish the cause of death by post-mortem. Once the cause of death has been ascertained, the deceased will be released, allowing the funeral to proceed. After this, we’ll be able to tell you when the death can be registered.

Please note that if a coroner’s inquest is needed (death thought to occur due to unnatural causes), this can take some additional time. We will also be able to advise you on this.

Some things you may need to consider:

• Accounts with banks, building societies, post office and premium bonds
• Payments being made to insurance policies, rental or H.P. agreements, standing orders, credit cards
• Change of name of responsibility for electricity, gas, telephone, car, car insurance, house insurance and TV licence
• Notification of death will need to be sent to the employer, tax office, passport office, pensions departments, professional associations, local clubs and organisations, DVLA, family GP, DSS (for the return of any appliances and the cancellation of any services), and hospitals (for the cancellation of any appointments)
• Change of Circumstances: The financial circumstances of the remaining family have now altered and various grants and allowances may be available from the state: for example, help towards funeral expenses, rent/council tax rebates and widow’s pension
• Please contact your local Department for Work and Pensions.

Registering a death

In the event of a death, it must be registered in the area where it occurred, although it is possible to register the death in another area. The process of registering a death involves a short interview with a registrar in a registrar’s office. The registrars’ offices in Leeds and Bradford are as follows:

Leeds
Leeds Town Hall
The Headrow
Leeds, LS1 3AD

Tel: 0113 222 4408

Bradford
The Register Office
22 Manor Row
Bradford, BD1 4QR

Tel: 01274 432149

The process

• Consultations with registrars are by appointment only and you must produce the relevant information and documents to register a death. Personal information about the deceased includes their full name and address, date of birth, details of location and time of death, and their occupation if applicable.
• If the deceased is a married woman, her maiden name is also required as well as her husband’s full name and occupation. You will also need to produce the death certificate. The death certificate is given to you by a GP or hospital doctor.
• In the event that a coroner is involved, the issuing of a death certificate can be delayed. A coroner is involved when a post-mortem examination or inquest into the death is involved.
• A death certificate will not be issued until the coroner has conducted the examination or inquest. This can take some time and can have an effect on the funeral plans.
• Only certain people can register the death. These include any relative of the deceased, any person present at the time, any person who lives in the house where the person died or any person arranging the funeral, other than the funeral director.
• On completion of registering a death, the registrar will issue you with two certificates. One of these is a white certificate, to be filled out and given to the social security office in the area where the person has died. The other certificate is green and should be given to us as soon as possible.