Bereavement
What to do when someone dies
When someone close to you dies, there are three important things to do in the first few days:
- Get a medical certificate from the GP or hospital doctor. (You need this to register the death.)
- Register the death within 5 days. You’ll then get the papers you need for the funeral.
- Arrange the funeral.
Registering the death
You must register the death within 5 days, unless a coroner is looking into how the person died.
Register at the registry office in the area where the person died.
Find out more on the
Oxfordshire County Council website.
Death certificates
Most people need about 6 copies of the death certificate. These cost £12.50 each (including postage) for the standard service.
Banks can make a photocopy, and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) only needs the death reference number.
Arranging the funeral
The funeral can only happen after the death is registered. Most families use a funeral director,
but you can arrange a funeral yourself if you wish.
Choosing a funeral director
It’s best to choose a funeral director who is a member of one of these groups:
- National Association of Funeral Directors
- National Federation of Funeral Directors
- Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors
These groups have rules about good practice, and funeral directors must give you a price list if you ask.
Some councils run their own funeral services, including for non-religious funerals.
The British Humanist Association can also help with non-religious funerals.
Find a local undertaker: NAFD – Funeral Directory
Arranging a funeral yourself
Contact the Cemeteries and Crematorium Department of your local council if you want to arrange everything yourself.
Funeral costs
Funeral costs usually include:
- The funeral director’s fees
- Extra costs they pay for you (called “disbursements” or “third-party costs”), such as crematorium or cemetery fees, or a notice in the newspaper
- Local council burial or cremation fees
Funeral directors normally give you a breakdown of these costs in their quotes.
Getting support
Losing someone is very hard. You can find help and support for grief and bereavement on the
NHS website.
