Immediate concerns
What to do when someone dies
If you have not had to deal with the death of a loved one before, the necessary funeral arrangements can be quite overwhelming. Southern Co-op Funeral Directors are here to help you and guide you through this difficult time with information and advice about what to do when someone dies starting with immediate concerns you and your family will face.
Call the doctor
When someone dies at home, you should call the family doctor to confirm if they will issue a medical certificate of cause of death and where you will need to collect this. This certificate will be required to register the death.
You should advise the doctor if the funeral is to be a cremation. This allows time for other legal documentation to be completed.
Contact us
After the doctor has confirmed they will issue the medical certificate of cause of death, you should contact your local funeral home to arrange a suitable time to bring your loved one into our care. You can then make an appointment with your local Co-operative Funeralcare to discuss the funeral arrangements.
What information do I need to provide?
- Your name, address, telephone number and your relationship to the person who has died
- The name of the person who has died and the address where death has occurred
- The name of the family doctor and whether the doctor has agreed to issue a medical certificate of cause of death
- Whether the funeral will be a burial or cremation
- If a pre-paid funeral plan is in place and if possible, the plan number
When someone dies whilst staying at hospital or a nursing home, the staff there will arrange for a doctor to issue the medical certificate of cause of death and advise who you need to contact to collect this, along with any belongings. This certificate will be required to register the death.
You should advise the hospital or nursing home if the funeral is to be a cremation. This allows time for other legal documentation to be completed.
You will need to inform the nursing home that you have chosen The Co-operative Funeralcare to take care of the funeral and they will contact your local funeral home to arrange bringing your loved one into our care.
Contact us
You should contact your local funeral home as soon as possible to make an appointment to discuss the funeral arrangements.
What information do I need to provide?
- Your name, address, telephone number and your relationship to the person who has died
- The name of the person who has died and the address where death has occurred
- Whether the funeral will be a burial or cremation
- If a pre-paid funeral plan is in place and if possible, the plan number
When someone dies unexpectedly or if a medical certificate of cause of death will not be issued, the death must be referred to a coroner. This is a standard procedure and there are many reasons why this can happen. In some cases this is just a formality and in others a post-mortem examination may be required.
Contact us
You should contact your local Funeral Directors as soon as possible when a death is referred to a coroner as provisional funeral arrangements can still be progressed. We can liaise with the coroner’s office on your behalf.
What information do I need to provide?
- Your name, address, telephone number and your relationship to the person who has died
- The name of the person who has died and the address where death has occurred
- Whether the funeral will be a burial or cremation
- If a pre-paid funeral plan is in place and if possible, the plan number
When death takes place some distance away from home, either within the UK or anywhere abroad, contact The Co-operative Funeralcare straight away and we can make all the necessary arrangements.
What information do I need to provide?
- Your name, address, telephone number and your relationship to the person who has died
- The name of the person who has died and the address where death has occurred
- Whether the funeral will be a burial or cremation
- If a pre-paid funeral plan is in place and if possible, the plan number
Registering the death
By law, registering the death in England and Wales should take place within five days (unless by prior arrangement with the registrar). It is advisable to go to the registration office in the area in which the person died, as you will receive the documents you need on the day. If you use a different register office, it will take longer to get the documents you need which could delay the funeral arrangements.
Registering the death will involve some simple questions and the process normally takes about 30 minutes at the registration office. It is likely that you will need to make an appointment in advance.
A relative should register the death. If a relative cannot register the death, then a person who:
- Was there at the time of death
- Is an administrator from the hospital (if the person died in hospital)
- Is in charge of making funeral arrangements
The register office will tell you what you need to do when you contact them. The register office may also want to see the person’s:
- Birth certificate
- Council Tax bill
- Driving licence
- Marriage or civil partnership certificate
- NHS medical card
- Passport
- Proof of address (such as a utility bill)
Ask the register office what to do if you do not have them.
You’ll need to tell the registrar:
- The person’s full name at the time of death
- Any names previously used, eg maiden name
- The person’s date and place of birth
- Their last address
- Their occupation
- The full name, date of birth and occupation of a surviving or late spouse or civil partner
- Whether they were getting a State Pension or any other benefits
When you register a death, you’ll get a certificate for burial or cremation (the ‘green form’). This gives you permission for a burial or to apply for a cremation.
You’ll also be able to buy death certificates – these prove the death has been registered. These certificates will be needed for sorting out the person’s affairs.
- Buckinghamshire register office
- Bracknell register office
- Dorset register office
- East Sussex register office
- Hampshire register office
- Isle of Wight register office
- Portsmouth register office
- Somerset register office
- Surrey register office details
- West Sussex register office details
- Wiltshire register office details
The cost of the funeral
Every funeral is unique and personal and the final cost will depend on the options you choose, for example, the type of coffin and funeral vehicles, or if you require flowers, stationery or memorials. Third party fees, that are out of our control, may also vary by location, including minister, celebrant and crematorium / burial fees.
We are upfront, open and honest about our pricing and you will have the opportunity to review our Standard Funeral Charges and Additional Options Price List ahead of making any final decisions.
During the funeral consultation, you will have as much time as you need. We will guide you through the available options to ensure they align with both your wishes and your budget. We will give you total privacy to discuss or alter anything you wish before you make your final choices. A detailed written estimate of all the agreed costs will then be provided, followed by a fully itemised invoice after the funeral has taken place.
- Full payment 7 days before the funeral
- Third party fees, additional products and your chosen hearse and coffin paid upfront within 7 days before the funeral and the remaining balance, covering our professional service charges 7 days after the funeral.
- Payment from the deceased’s eligible completed funeral plan
- Part payment from an incomplete funeral plan and remaining balance to be paid by the funeral arranger
- Financial support from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP).
- The amount you may be eligible for is dependent on your circumstances and any other money available, for example from an insurance policy or the estate. The DWP will help guide you through the eligibility criteria and how to claim.
We understand that the cost of a funeral can cause additional stress at what is already a difficult time for you. If you are worried about cost, we can guide you through the different finance options and discuss what financial support you might be eligible for.
The first step when managing payment options for a funeral is to check whether your loved one had a pre-paid funeral plan or funeral insurance in place, or if they had put aside specific funding to be used for their funeral.
Funds held in your loved ones name alone will be frozen after their passing. You can get in touch with their bank or building society to see if they are able to release these funds to help you pay for the funeral.
None of us like to think about the end of life, but by planning ahead we can reduce the burden on the people we love, at a painful time. That’s peace of mind for you and your family, sparing loved ones from difficult decisions and any rise in funeral costs. With almost 60 local funeral homes across the South, our knowledge and experience enables us to support local families with all of their funeral planning and bereavement needs. Read more
Visiting your loved one
Deciding to visit a person who has died is a very personal choice. We understand that not everyone will wish to see their loved one once they have passed away. However many people often take great comfort from visiting the reflection room to say their last goodbyes.
Most of our funeral homes have a private reflection room, providing a calm and tranquil setting for all faiths and beliefs. You can spend as much time as you need and we are happy if you wish to display a photograph or a small selection of keepsakes in remembrance of favourite hobbies or pastimes. You may also wish to play personal music during your visit.
Once funeral arrangements are in place and essential preparations are completed, you can visit your loved one in the reflection room as often as you wish. Please note however we may advise that once nature has started to take its course, visits may not be recommended but ultimately it is always your choice.
Administering their affairs
When someone dies and leaves possessions or property, administering their affairs and estate will be required. This covers legal, tax and administrative matters and can be both complex and time-consuming. You may wish to complete the administration of the estate yourself or appoint a legal professional to carry out the work on your behalf.
The Will details who the appointed executors are to carry out the instructions on the Will and the tasks involved with estate administration. The executors may need to apply for a grant of representation to give them the legal right to deal with the estate. This right is known as ‘probate’.
It is important to access the Will before finalising the funeral arrangements as the person who has died may have left instructions about their funeral wishes.
Probate is required in England and Wales when:
- Property (houses, buildings or land) are owned by the person who has died.
- A Grant of Representation is required by a bank or other financial institution holding assets of the person who has died. This is normally if the amount in the account is over the specific threshold set by that institution.
Once the death is registered with the local Registrar, you will need to inform a number of organisations to cancel agreements, return items and update records. If you are using a professional for probate or the Government’s Tell Us Once service they will contact many of these on your behalf.
Additionally, Life Ledger provides a free easy-to-use service to close, freeze or transfer all of your loved one’s commercial accounts. They can help with banks, building societies, pension providers, gas, water, electricity, telephone, television, mobile phones, internet & broadband, car, home & pet insurance and many more. To find out more visit www.lifeledger.com
Informing others about the funeral
Letting others know about the funeral can be overwhelming, especially if you have a lot of people to tell and you want to tell them quickly.
You may have to make a decision about whether to tell people face-to-face, by phone or via social media. If you have a large family or wide circle of friends, you could delegate some of the responsibility for passing on the news to those close to you.
We offer every client a free online tribute service, a secure online place for family and friends to communicate the details of the funeral and celebrate the life of a loved one. An online tribute page is the perfect way to bring your most treasured photographs, videos and stories together, enabling you to remember and celebrate a special life with family and friends across the world. The page can be online indefinitely and often is frequently visited, years after the funeral. The online tribute service also allows donations to be made quickly and securely to your chosen charity. Find out more.