5 Stars - 252 Reviews
At Joanne Hume & Son Limited, we know dealing with the loss of a loved one can be an incredibly emotional and overwhelming experience. Our compassionate team in Caldicot is here to provide you with practical advice that helps you navigate this difficult journey. We aim to support you with the information you need, ensuring that you feel confident as you make decisions during this time. Please feel free to reach out to us today for support and practical advice.
When someone dies, the doctor liaises with the medical examiners and often they will speak to the next of kin to discuss what has happened and check that they agree with what they believe to be the cause of death.
The medical examiners will often ask the next of kin about the care their loved one has received, for example if the person was in hospital, or maybe in a care home. It is your opportunity to say what you feel about this.
The medical examiner might also ask about the relevant G.P. if a local surgery or health centre was involved.
When the registrar receives this medical certificate they will contact the next of kin to arrange a mutually convenient appointment.
If it is difficult or impossible to attend the registrar’s office in the county or borough where your loved one died, this process can be done by telephone and then posting the death certificates. This is called Registration by Declaration.
Please see our list below which outlines who to inform following a death.
Medical Certificate Of Cause Of Death
This document is issued by a doctor to the registrar after someone has died.
The medical certificate is emailed to the registrar in the county or borough where the death has occurred.
Years ago the medical certificate was given to the next of kin but this is not what is done now.
The medical certificate details the cause of death and is required to register the death.
PLEASE NOTE:-The registrar will not allow you to make an appointment to register until the registrar has received this medical certificate from the medical examiners.
Do not worry about anything you might read that says you have to register the death within 5 days – it is often impossible. Just call us if you are concerned about this and we can explain more.
Grief and bereavement support are available from:
Grief counsellors or therapists
Bereavement support groups (in-person or online)
Charities and hospices (e.g., Cruse Bereavement Support, Marie Curie, Sue Ryder, or local hospice programs)
We will always offer to visit you in your own home if you prefer.
If, when meeting us for the first time you have been able to already register the death, (don’t worry if this has not been possible), do bring the green form if the registrar has given it to you. This green form is the permission to proceed with either a burial or cremation.
We will ask you about your loved one’s date of birth, date of passing & home address. If you know which doctor’s surgery or health centre the person was registered with that is useful.
If the person who has died, had a funeral plan with a different funeral director, if you can bring that document pack with you that is ideal. We can assist with transferring the plan to ourselves.
If things are worrying you before we meet, don’t be afraid to bring a list of questions.
People often say ‘I have a stupid question,’ but no question is stupid. Ask us anything.
This is a statutory certificate issued by the registrar, at the time that the person taking responsibility for the funeral arrangements registers the death.
This is official notification that the death has occurred and is required for managing an estate.
The registrar will always ask you how many death certificates you would like them to issue to you. Currently these are charged at a cost of £12.50 each. You can pay for these with a debit card at the appointment or over the telephone if registering by declaration.
Funeral directors do not need a death certificate – instead the registrar will issue a green form which is what a funeral director needs to be able to apply for either a cremation or burial (interment) to take place.
When you buy the death certificates you will notice that these are what are referred to as originals and each one has a unique reference number.
Often people ask how many death certificates they should purchase. This really depends on how quickly you want to take one to any bank/building society where your loved one might have had any accounts.
Death certificates are required too when cancelling any occupational or works pensions. Some utility companies may want to see one but remember these death certificates should always be returned to you. If there are life insurance policies to cancel you are likely to need to show a death certificate.
If a coroner is involved, depending on the circumstances, they may issue an interim death certificate. Other times, the registrar still may issue the death certificate. We will explain more depending on your situation.
The Tell Us Once is a free service that will cancel for you any state pension and state benefits such as guaranteed pension credit, attendance allowance, personal independence payment or PIP, disability living allowance, employment & support allowance (ESA) or job seekers allowance (JSA) and more.
Also driving licences, passports and mobility badges for vehicle parking can also be cancelled via the free Tell Us Once Service.
Some registrars will do all this for you, others will provide you with a reference number to access the Tell Us Once service online.
It could be several weeks before you can register the death and obviously access the free Tell Us Once service.
However, don’t worry, the Department of Works and Pensions (DWP) will calculate their overpayment of any benefits back to the date of death and request the amount to be returned.
If you are very worried however and want to call the DWP to notify them yourself, you can do this by calling them on:-
DWP 0345 603 6967.
We will always help you to claim a funeral expenses payment if you are eligible,
if all of the following apply for example:-
Please note even if you don’t meet the criteria above we may be able to help you with other payments and grants.
The benefits you must be in receipt of to obtain a funeral expenses payment are one or more of the following: –
You might also be eligible if you are receiving a support for a mortgage interest loan.
You can still claim a funeral expenses payment if you have applied for one of these benefits and you are waiting for the outcome.
Often, when we lose a spouse or partner it can take some weeks or possibly months for our state pension/benefits to be calculated. We have 6 months from the date of the funeral to help you apply.
Call us on tel: 01291 420972 so we can assist you more.
You may be able to claim a bereavement support payment if your partner has died. The bereavement support payment replaced the following benefits:-
Bereavement Support Payment is not means-tested. This means what you earn or how much you have in savings will not affect what you will receive.
To qualify for the Bereavement Support Payment you must meet the following criteria:-
Your partner must have either:-
We can still help you claim this payment even if you are not sure whether your partner paid enough national insurance contributions. The Bereavement Support will notify you.
To claim the bereavement support payment we usually need to help you to do this within 21 months of your partner’s death. If more time has elapsed, we may still be able to help you if the cause of death was only recently confirmed.
If you were living with your partner as if you were married, one of the following must have applied when your partner died:
For more information about the rates you might receive please call us on on tel: 01291 420972.
If you have any questions regarding our practical advice please get in touch by calling or emailing our helpful team.
Thank you for your enquiry, we will get back to you shortly.
