Registering a Death
In most cases, a death should be registered within 5 days in the locality in which the person has died. However, there will be some occasions where this is not possible, for example if it takes some time for the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death to be obtained. In this case the registrar will likely give permission for a 14 days extension.
We can provide you with detailed information regarding local registry offices or you can contact them directly by telephone. You must make an appointment to register a death at all of these offices.
Leeds – 0113 222 4408
Bradford (for Bradford or Keighley Town Hall) – 01274 432151
Bradford Royal Infirmary – 01274 364477 (Bereavement Officers)
Airedale Hospital – 01535 652511 (Bereavement Officers)
Usually, it would be a family member who would register the death but it could also be the person organising the funeral (not the funeral director), such as a care home manager or hospital administrator. You must have the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death in order to complete registration process and you also need to know the individual’s full name, main address and date of birth of the person who has died. You should also have the details of the date and place of death to give to the registrar.
Ideally, the registrar would also like to know the individual’s occupation, whether the individual was receiving any state benefits and if they were married, the name and date of the surviving widow or widower.
Once the death has been registered, you will be given:
Death certificate – green form to be handed to the funeral director
DWP form and contact details – which provides information relating to benefits
Tell us Once information and unique reference number – see below
The Registrar will provide you with the death certificate and extra copies can be purchased at a cost of £4 each. Copies are likely to be required if you are dealing with the financial affairs of the person who has died.
‘Tell us Once’
Many authorities have a ‘Tell us Once’ service which allows you to inform a number of government departments about a death in one go. It is a free and optional service which is available once you have registered the death with the registrar. 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 person who has died’s date of birth, national insurance number, driving licence number and passport number (if they had one)
Details of any benefits and pensions
Details of any local council services, for example the blue badge scheme
Contact details for the next of kin
Contact details for the person dealing with the deceased’s estate
With this information, ‘Tell us Once’ will then inform:
HMRC – to organise tax and benefit cancellation
DWP – to cancel benefits
Passport office
DVLA
Local council – to cancel housing benefit, council tax information, blue badge and to remove from the electoral register
Public sector or Armed Forces – to manage relevant pensions
GET IN TOUCH
We are a small independent funeral service who believe that a funeral director should be completely flexible to enable people to choose a funeral that truly reflects the individual that has died.
Get in touch
Leeds: 0113 320 0049
Guiseley: 01943 262626
Bradford: 01274 271100
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