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Please click the file below for a summary of current restrictions due to the ongoing pandemic. You can also contact us by phone or email for any further advice about the current situation. 
We remain committed to take all necessary steps to comply with the government’s recommendations, keeping our clients and staff safe, while continuing as usual to provide all the help and support that we possibly can in planning, arranging and carrying out funerals.
Our reception and office is open Monday - Friday 10.00am - 4.30pm.. However, we are always available and can be contacted 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, as follows: By telephone on 01884 258881, email via our Contact page or see our Social Media channels on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. We are available to help you plan arrangements and carry out funerals throughout this difficult time. If you or other family members are isolating, and to minimise personal contact, we can make most arrangements by phone, email, Zoom and WhatsApp. We will be also be pleased to meet you, by appointment, at our Park Hill office where we have hand-washing/sanitising facilities and we can meet while maintaining appropriate safe-distancing. We love this new product created by 4 talented students from Tiverton's Petroc College. Off To The Stars is a unique & magical way of comforting a bereaved child, enabling parents to support them through grief and loss. The kits are priced at £11.99 and are available from our Gold Street office. Contact us for more information.
 We are so pleased to be the first funeral directors in the UK to have the recently-launched ‘GriefChat’ online bereavement support service available directly from our website. With access to real-time online chat provided by qualified, experienced bereavement counsellors, GriefChat is available free of charge from Monday to Friday, 9am to 9pm. It offers advice and support for grieving people, giving information about grief and how bereavement affects both individuals and families. The service will also be able to signpost users to other helpful bereavement care resources including online and in-print information as well as to local bereavement care services. Emotions after a bereavement can become overwhelming, especially at this time of year with the festive season fast-approaching. That’s why we’ve chosen to offer GriefChat; to give easy, on-demand access to reputable counsellors who can provide reassurance and understanding about grief and the impact of losing someone you love. Why use GriefChat?
In April 2017 the UK Government updated its criteria concerning the two main benefits that are available to help with paying for a funeral if you are on a low income. The two schemes are:
Clicking either of the headings above will link directly to the relevant Gov.uk website pages for both payment schemes with an overview of each, an explanation of eligibility, what you might receive, and how to claim. We will also be pleased to speak to you personally if you're worried about paying for a funeral. Do feel free to get in touch. We are delighted that our application to become a member of the National Society of Allied & Independent Funeral Directors (SAIF) has been approved. More than just giving clients confirmation that we adhere to a professional Code of Practice, we hope this also gives reassurance that we have robust policies in place to deal with critically important areas of our work, including the way that we handle charity donations, cremated remains, jewellery, complaints, and the Health & Safety of our staff & visitors. Updated versions of these policies will be available in the footer of our website in the next few days. We think that ALL funeral directors should offer this level of transparency with regard to policies, procedures and prices. 
The latest edition of the official magazine of The Natural Death Centre, featuring analysis of the concept of Direct Funerals (see page 88), as offered via our associated website ClearFunerals.com
The Somerset Registration Service is pleased to announce that there is now an online booking service for appointments to register a death at any registration office in Somerset.
The function is simple to use and gives you all the information you need before attending the appointment. You will receive a confirmation email detailing the appointment and what documents you need to bring, along with the address of the office you are attending. The online service is available by clicking the link below: http://www.somerset.gov.uk/births-marriages-deaths/deaths/register-a-death/ The Fair Funerals campaign is run by the anti-poverty charity Quaker Social Action (QSA), aiming to tackle the growing problem of funeral poverty, which has increased by 50% in the past five years. By signing the Fair Funerals pledge, Countryside Funerals hopes to help people on low incomes to arrange meaningful, affordable funerals.  Here are QSA's 10 ways to avoid financial problems when paying for a funeral:
When the person who has died has been seen by a doctor within 14 days prior to their death, this is the usual procedure for registering their death. The death will need to be registered within 5 days, and should be done at a registration office in the area (usually the county) where the death occurred. It is possible for deaths to be registered at offices in other parts of the country (a process known as registration by declaration), but experience has shown us that this can be a long and protracted procedure and is really only viable when travel is impossible. It will be essential to make an appointment to register, so here are some links to the county registration services for Devon, Somerset and Dorset: https://new.devon.gov.uk/registrationservice/registrationoffices Central booking phone number for Devon Registration Service: 0345 155 1002 http://www.somerset.gov.uk/births-marriages-deaths/registry-offices/ Central booking phone number for Somerset Registration Service: 01823 282251 https://www.dorsetforyou.com/article/416208/Register-Offices-in-Dorset Who can register a death?
What you will need to take with you:
The following documents are also helpful but not essential:
Information that the registrar will need to know: The deceased's full name (and maiden name if applicable) Date and place of birth Date and place of death Their usual address Their occupation Details of Husband,Wife or Civil Partner (full name, date of birth and occupation) If they were in receipt of a pension Details of the person registering the death (name and relationship) The Registrar will issue you with the following documents:
Through the ‘Tell Us Once’ scheme, the registrar can also deal with notifying the following agencies: State Pension Personal Taxation (HMRC) Council Tax UK Passport Driving Licence Child Benefit Children's Services IF THE CORONER IS INVOLVED If the death is referred to a Coroner , different procedures will often apply. We will help to liaise with the coroner's office and let you know what you will need to do in each individual case. |
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Countryside Funerals, 31 Park Hill, Tiverton, EX16 6RW - Call us on 01884 258881
Traditional Funerals | Affordable Simple Cremation | Natural & Woodland Burial
Tiverton, Cullompton, Dulverton and throughout Devon & Somerset
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