What to do when someone dies

Death at home

If someone dies at home, you should call the family doctor and nearest relative immediately. If the death was expected the doctor will give you a medical certificate showing the cause of death. The doctor will also give you a formal notice stating that they have signed the medical certificate and telling you how to get the death registered. If the person is to be cremated you must get two certificates signed by different doctors, but this can be done at some point before the cremation.

Death in hospital

If the person dies in hospital, the body will usually be kept in the hospital mortuary until the funeral directors or relatives arrange a chapel of rest or for the body to be taken home. A medical certificate and formal notice will be issued, as described above.

How to register a death

You must register the death with the Registrar of Births, Marriages and Deaths for the district where the death occurred. You need to do this within five days of the death (eight days in Scotland) unless it has been referred to the coroner. You can find the address in the phone book or from a doctor, local council, post office or police station. If you cannot contact the registrar for the district where the death occurred, you can make a formal declaration in any district and this will be forwarded to the correct one. If this happens there may be some delay in certificates being issued.

Arranging a funeral

Do not make funeral arrangements until you are sure that the death does not have to be reported to the coroner as this could affect when the funeral can take place. The deceased person may have left instructions in their will or a letter about their wishes.

Who to tell about the death

When someone dies you need to tell the tax office as soon as possible. You can download a guide from the HM Revenue and Customs website (see Useful websites) that explains what to do, called ‘A Guide to Understanding Tax When Someone Dies’.

If the person who died had a driver’s licence, return it to the DVLA; if they had a passport, return it to the UK Passport Agency. If they had a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) or Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA) and you were the attorney, send the original LPA or EPA and a death certificate to the Office of the Public Guardian (see Useful websites). You may need to contact other organisations as well, including: 

• Personal or occupational pension scheme providers
• insurance company
• bank and building society
• employer or trade union
• mortgage provider, housing association or council housing office
• social services (if the person was getting any community care services or equipment)
• utility companies
• GP, dentist, optician and anyone else providing medical care.

Further information

Further information is available in the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) booklet DWP1027 ‘What to Do After a Death in England and Wales’. You can get a copy when you register a death, from Jobcentre Plus offices, many funeral homes or from some advice agencies such as Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) (see 'Useful websites'). You can also download the booklet from the DirectGov website (see 'Useful websites') along with a useful checklist which includes:

• what to do in the first five days
• dealing with the estate
• benefits checklist
• things to send back or cancel.