Steps To Take When Someone Dies

The following sections explain the Steps to take when someone passes away, including contacting funeral homes for assistance :

If a death of a loved one has occurred at home or you are expecting it, please do the following:

  1. Phone your loved one’s doctor or the NHS Helpline 111 to arrange for a medical professional to certify the death. The professionals qualified to do this are: Out of hours, an on-call doctor or senior nurse.
  2. Once the death is certified please contact us immediately. We then arrange the conveyance to our Chapel of Rest.
  3. Collect the Medical Certificate from the doctor.
  4. Contact the Registrar’s Office to arrange an appointment to register the death. The death must be registered within 5 days in England and Wales. In Scotland, it is 8 days. Contact the Registrar’s Office in the local area for the deceased. 
  5. Please telephone our office to start the process for planning for the funeral. One of our friendly team will invite you to our office to explain the stages.

If expecting a death or  if you have had a death in a hospital, you should:


  1. Call the Bereavement Office to collect the Medical Certificate Of Cause Of Death to register the death. The Bereavement Office will advise you about the time you can collect the Medical Certificate for registration. 
  2. Next you should contact the Registrar’s Office to arrange an appointment to register the death. The death must be registered within 5 days in England and Wales. In Scotland, it is 8 days. Contact the Registrar’s Office in the locality of the deceased.
  3. Contact the funeral director to begin the funeral arrangements. Also, for the conveyance of your loved one from the hospital to our Chapel of Rest.
  4. Call our office to make arrangements for the funeral.

If expecting a death or have had a death in a care home, you should:

  1. Contact the deceased’s doctor to verify the death. 
  2. The doctor will issue a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death which you need to register the death. The doctors’ surgery will let you know when to collect the certificate. 
  3. Once the death is verified, please contact us at White Rose. We will then collect your loved one in the day or night. Our team of funeral specialists will care for them until the funeral.
  4. Next, contact the Registrar’s office to arrange an appointment to register the death. The death needs to be registered within 5 days in England and Wales. In Scotland, it is 8 days. Contact the Registrar’s Office in the locality of the deceased.
  5. Finally, call the White Rose team to start planning for the funeral.

Registering a Death in the UK

A death must be registered in person, and the registration must take place in the district where the death occurred.


The Medical Examiner will independently scrutinise all deaths that do not involve a post mortem or inquest. They will receive the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death from the Doctor for scrutiny. Their role is to liaise with the doctor and family about the cause of death and, where necessary, engage with the coroner.


Once scrutinised, the Medical Examiner Officers will email a copy of the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death to the Registration Office. Upon receipt of the paperwork, they will contact the next of kin to arrange an appointment.


A death must be registered within five days from the date the Registration Office receives the paperwork from the medical examiner. This period can be extended if the coroner is involved and in some other exceptional circumstances.

  • If the death occurred in the Wakefield district ...

    If the death occurred in the Wakefield district, you will be able to register in person at one of

    the offices shown below;


    - Wakefield Register Office

    Wakefield Town Hall, Wood Street

    Wakefield, WF1 2HQ


    - Pontefract Registration Office

    Town Hall, Bridge Street

    Pontefract, WF8 1PG


    If it is difficult for you to get to the Registration Office, you may visit your local Register Office and declare the necessary information. Please be mindful that registration by declaration will usually delay the issue of the document needed for the funeral arrangements.

  • Speaking to the Registrar

    When speaking to the Registrar, you will need to have the following information to hand:

    • Medical Certificate of Cause of Death
    • Deceased’s Date of Birth and place of Birth
    • Marriage Certificate (if relevant)
    • Deceased’s National Health Medical Card (if possible)
    • First name/s, surname and any other names used officially (and maiden name where relevant)
    • Usual home address
    • The Address and Date where the person died
    • The Registrar will ask for the Occupation of the Deceased
    • Date of birth of surviving partner
    • If the deceased was in receipt of pensions/other benefits/private pension

  • Information about yourself

    The Registrar will ask you, to provide information about yourself – as you are the person registering the death:

    • First name/s and surname
    • Relationship to the person who has passed away
    • Usual home address

  • The Registrar will issue the following Documents

    Once you have Registered the Death – The Registrar will issue the following Documents so you can make a Telephone appointment – please ask our staff:

    • A Certified Copy of an Entry of Death (usually known as the Death Certificate)
    •  The Registrar will charge a Fee of £11 each copy required
    • You will usually require this document to provide for purposes of Probate, Banking, (including pensions and insurance, bonds and shares)
    • A Certificate of Registration of Death (form BD8) Registrars' Certificate for Burial or Cremation  (commonly known as The Green Form)
    • This form will be sent directly to the bereavement office during this current time of Covid Ruling – although this may change in the future and if this form is given to you please hand it to your Funeral Director.

What to do if a Death is referred to the Coroner

In some cases, a death will be referred to the Coroner for investigation. Once the Coroner's investigations are completed, he/she will contact you and will provide written notification to the registrar for the registration to proceed.


Inquests: If an inquest is held, the Coroner will inform the registrar once the inquest is over and the death will be registered. You do not need an appointment to register. If you wish to purchase death certificates, you can order these online at Ordering a certificate – Wakefield Council.


Who can register a death? The primary responsibility for registering a death rests with the closest relative by blood or marriage. If no relative is available to register, please contact the Registration Office for advice.


The Appointment: When the Registration Office contacts you, it will be by telephone and from a withheld number. They will arrange an appointment for you to attend either the Wakefield or Pontefract office.


The appointment will be confirmed by email. It is important that you arrive on time for your appointment. The appointment will last approximately 30 minutes.

The registrar will require certain information from you to register the death; this can be found HERE.


Documents relating to the deceased that may be helpful but are not essential at the point of

registration are;

  • Passport and/or Birth Certificate
  • Proof of Address, i.e., utility bill
  • Deed Poll (if applicable)
  • NHS Medical Card
  • Marriage and/or Civil Partnership Certificates – including any from previous relationships which are available

What documents you will receive from the registrar

After the information has been recorded, the registrar will issue the necessary forms and

certificates. Death certificates can be purchased at a statutory fee of £12.50 each. The Form 9 (green form) – the forms required to proceed with the funeral arrangements will

be given to you at the end of the appointment to pass on to the funeral director.

Tell us Once Service

Many authorities have a ‘Tell us Once’ service which allows you to inform a number of government departments about a death in one go. Tell Us Once is a free, optional service available after you have registered a death with the registrar. It allows you to notify multiple government and local council departments at once, saving you time and reducing the need to repeat difficult conversations. The service will contact organisations such as HMRC, the Department for Work and Pensions, and local council services on your behalf.



To learn more about how it works, you can watch this short information video.


You will be given a unique reference number to use, either online or by telephone (on 0800 0857308).


If you choose to use the ‘Tell us Once’ service, you will need the following information for the person who has died:


  • date of birth
  • national insurance number
  • driving licence number (if they had one)
  • passport number (if they had one)
  • Details of any benefits and pensions
  • Details of any Local Authority Services – i.e.: did they have a blue badge
  • Contact details for the next of kin
  • Contact details for the person dealing with the deceased’s estate – names of any Executors


With this information, ‘Tell us Once’ will then inform:


  • HMRC – to organise tax and benefit cancellation
  • DWP – to stop pension payments and benefits or recalculate benefits where necessary
  • DVLA – to cancel a driving licence
  • Passport office – stop a Passport
  • Local Authorities – Contacting the local council to cancel council tax, housing benefit, remove from the electoral register and cancellation of a Blue Badge if required
  •  Private & Armed Forces – to contact the relevant authorities in regard to any relevant pensions


At the end of your appointment the registrar will issue you with a unique reference number, so you can use the service online or by phone.


For more information visit the GOV.UK advice page HERE.

When a person passes away, there will be a number of important things that will require immediate attention from. Funeral homes can often provide valuable support and resources during this difficult time.

  • Contact Organisations Institutions

    You will need to contact the following organisations institutions:


    • Banks and Financial Institutions - cancel cards banks and building societies.   Accounts need to be closed and any joint accounts amended
    • Car Insurance - documentation will have to be changed as you are not legally insured to drive if the policy is in the deceased’s name
    • Department for Work and Pensions DWP - Form 344/BD8 is a white certificate provided by the Registrar of Deaths and needs to be completed to cancel any direct payments into a bank account
    • Employer, Professional Association and Trade Unions
    • GP, Medical Centre and/or Hospital - any outstanding appointments should be cancelled
    • Inland Revenue and Social Security
    • Investments and Insurance Policies - Premium Bonds are not transferable. The post office will issue you with a form that needs to be sent to the Bonds and Stocks Office. For further advice we suggest that you consult a Financial Advisor or Accountant
    • Local Council - cancel any housing/rate benefits and council tax
    • Post Office - arrange redirection of mail, a small charge may be applied
    • Social Services - ie. district nurse, home care, meals on wheels etc. If there is equipment belonging to either of these, it must be returned
    • Solicitor or formal legal representative
    • Store Cards - loyalty, charge and credit need to be cancelled
    • Utility Companies - gas, electric, water, telephone and satellite/cable companies – cancel accounts
    • National Insurance Details
    • Hospital or medical equipment - crutches, hospital bed, wheelchair, walking stick or walking frame

  • Items to Cancel

    Items you may need to cancel:


    • Appointments
    • Chiropodist
    • Dentist
    • Eye specialist
    • Hairdresser or barber
    • Home care
    • Home help
    • Lottery ticket
    • Meals on wheels
    • Mobility bus
    • Milk
    • Newspapers

  • Items to return

    Items to be returned:


    • Passport – you should return the passport to: The Passport Office, UK Passport Agency, 5th Floor, India Building, Water Street, Liverpool
    • Driving License – you should return the driving licence to: DVLA, Swansea
    • SA99 1 AB vehicle registration documents – to change name of ownership
    • Car insurance – to change the policy holder’s name or a refund may be issued
    • Television license – to change name or a refund may be issued
    • Season tickets and club memberships cards – a refund may be issued
    • Library books and card
    • Social media accounts such as Facebook and Instagram