First Steps
What must you do when someone dies ?
2
Documents you will need in the first few days
You ’ ll need to gather together the following documents as soon as possible - to enable registration of the death and to start funeral arrangements .
Useful Documents
• birth certificate
• marriage / civil partnership certificates .
It is not necessary to have these documents to hand , but you will need to provide information contained within them e . g . date and place of deceased ’ s birth , spouse / civil partner ’ s full name etc .
Useful documents if you plan to use the ' Tell Us Once ' service after the death has been registered
• National Insurance number
• driving licence
• bus pass
• passport
• blue badge .
When someone dies you will need to inform a number of people and organisations and complete certain legal documents . If you are a relative , partner or friend you can do some of these things yourself . Others will need to be done by the executor or administrator of the estate . There is plenty of support available to help you through this difficult time .
What to do in the first few days
You won ’ t be able to do everything right away , but in the first few days it is important , if you can , to do the following ;
• If the death occurred at home , tell the deceased ’ s General Practitioner . If the death occurred in a hospital or other communal setting , such as a care home , a doctor will be made aware by the staff there . The doctor will then complete and sign a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death ( MCCD ). From 9 September 2024 , all deaths in England and Wales which have not been referred to the Coroner will be reviewed by a Medical Examiner . A death should be registered within 5 calendar days of the Medical Examiner sending the MCCD to the Registration Service
• If the Coroner is involved , the Coroner ’ s office will advise you regarding the registration of the death . They will explain the process you will need to follow . Please see page 10 of this guide for further details
• Death registrations must take place in the district where they occurred . You can search for the relevant registration district via the website www . gov . uk / register-offices or by telephoning us on 0345 241 2489
• If it is difficult for you to go to the registration district where the death took place , it is possible for you to attend your local registration office and make a death declaration . You will give the registration office the information about the death and sign a declaration form , which they will send via email to the district where the death took place . The district where the death took place will register the death and they will issue the paperwork . Please note that registering the death in this way means that you will not receive death certificates at the time of your appointment , because they can only be issued by the district where the death happened
• Go to the website www . oxfordshire . gov . uk / registration for up-todate information on the process of registering a death , or call us on 0345 241 2489
ADVICE AND HELPLINE :
0345 241 2489