What to do first?
The first thing you need to do when someone has passed away is to arrange for the medical certificate certifying death, which details the cause of death, to be issued. If a death occurs in a hospital the bereavement department there will arrange this for you. If a death occurs out of a hospital you will need to call the doctor who saw that person last to arrange for the certificate to be sent to the registrar electronically.
Here are some links with further information:
NHS Death Certification Processes
Gov.UK - Find a register office
Staffordshire County Council - Register a death
City of Wolverhampton Council - Register a death
Local Hospitals
North Staffordshire Hospital - Stoke
The next step is to register the death and obtain a death certificate normally within five working days. Delays might be caused if the coroner is involved.
Registering a death
The registration of a death needs to be done within five working days but this can be delayed for another nine days if the registrar is told that a medical certificate has been issued.
You need to contact a register office to make an appointment to register the death.
Here are some links, numbers and addresses to help you contact the local register office.
All register offices in Staffordshire can be called on: 0300 111 8001
Cannock Chase Council
28 Beecroft Road
Cannock
WS11 1DG
Stafford
4 St Martins Place
Stafford
ST16 2LA
Walsall
The Civic Centre
Hatherton Road
Walsall
WS1 1TN
Wolverhampton
City of Wolverhampton Council, Civic Centre
St. Peter's Square
Wolverhampton
WV1 1SH
01902 695091
Who can register a death?
The following people can register a death:
Any relative of the person who has died
Any person present at the death
A person who lives in the house where the person died
The person arranging the funeral, but not a funeral director
A relative of the deceased would usually register the death. Other people can only do this if relatives are not available.
What needs to be taken to the registrar?
To register a death you will need to give the registrar some information. This must be accurate to avoid mistakes which can be difficult to correct. The following information about the person who has died:
Full name
Date and place of their death
Date and place of birth
Their full address
Occupation details, if any
Certification
If the deceased was married, their maiden name
If the deceased was receiving a pension or allowance from public funds
The date or birth of the surviving widow or widower if relevant
A medical card, birth certificate and marriage certificate if available, should also be taken to the registrar.
Registration
The registrar will give you a certificate, referred to as a green form, for burial or cremation - this is not the death certificate and needs to be passed onto ourselves. The funeral cannot proceed unless we have this.
Registration is free. Copies of the death certificate can be obtained for £11 each and will be needed for pension and financial matters. It is worth checking which institutions need an original copy to ascertain how many will be required.
If you are making a claim from the Department for Work and Pensions a certificate will be issued by the registrar for you to send to the relevant department.