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:

1. Talk about it now. Discussing your wishes in advance can provide clear plans and save unnecessary costs.
2. Slow down, take a breath. Don't feel rushed into making funeral arrangements when someone dies. Take time to make the right decisions.
3. Shop around. Costs vary hugely between funeral directors. Getting 2 or 3 itemised quotes could save you a lot of money.
4. Ask about a 'simple funeral'. Ask for details of an affordable funeral package.
5. Are you eligible for financial help? Call the DWP bereavement line on 0845 606 0265 or the Citizens Advice Bureau to see if you're eligible for financial support.
6. It's your choice. There is no legal requirement to hire a funeral director, hold a ceremony, or pay for flowers, a coffin, or special vehicles.
7. Cremation or Burial? It's a personal choice, but costs can vary widely between these options in different parts of the country.
8. Make it meaningful. People will remember thought and goodwill rather than lavish expense.
9. Need help now? For free help and advice on arranging a meaningful funeral, call QSA's Down to Earth project on 020 8983 5055
10. If no-one can pay? Ask about a simple, dignified funeral paid for by the hospital or council.

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?

• A relative of the deceased

• Any person present at the death    

• An adminstrator from the hospital / nursing home where the death occurred

• The person making the arrangements with the funeral director

What you will need to take with you:

1. Medical Certificate of Cause of Death; issued by the family doctor or hospital doctor. 
2. Identification of the person registering the death.

The following documents are also helpful but not essential:

• National Insurance Number, passport, driving licence and medical card of the deceased.

• Birth & Marriage certificates of the deceased

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:

• A GREEN FORM which is the certificate for Burial or Cremation. This will be required by the Funeral Director.

• A WHITE FORM which is a Certificate of Registration of Death (BD8). This should be completed and posted to Job Centre Plus.

• COPIES OF THE DEATH CERTIFICATE on payment of the statutory fee (currently £4.00). These will be required by financial institutions, insurance companies etc.

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.

We hope that the posts in our brand new blog will provide clear, straightforward advice and guidance on topics that are directly related to arranging funerals, and which often seem to prompt the most questions from families that we work with, as well as from the public at large.


These subjects are included as blog-posts because this platform gives us the opportunity to elaborate, and to cover a little more detail than basic website pages, which tend to favour a more 'bullet-point' approach. There are lots of websites that do currently provide excellent information, and we will try to include links to some of these where appropriate.


Please feel free to leave comments and feedback. I would be interested to read your responses, to answer any questions you may have or take on any suggestions for subjects that you may like to see covered in future.