Registering.

Before attending the Registrar's Office, you will need to obtain a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death, also know as the MCCD. This is obtained from the G.P. who attended the deceased during their last illness, or from the Bereavement Services within the hospital where a death has occurred.

If the death occurred in Hospital or Hospice, you may also be given a release certificate that is required by ourselves.

If the death is required to be reported to the Coroner, then in most cases it is the Coroner's duty to issue the MCCD documentation.
The Coroner's office will make the necessary arrangements for the certificate to be delivered directly to the Registry Office, in order for registration of the death to be carried out.

The death must normally be registered in the area where it occurred, although what's call "Registration by Declaration" may be carried out at your local Registry Office. Registering in this way will usually cause some delays as to the timings of the funeral.

Appointments are required in order for you to register the death. Once the death has been registered, the Registrar will issue you with:

• A certificate for Burial or Cremation (also known as the Green Form, which will need to be handed to ourselves). This form will not be issued if the death was reported to the Coroner and Cremation is your preferred option.
  
  
• A Certificate for Registration of Death DB8 - which is for use when the deceased was in receipt of benefits from the Department of Work and Pensions (D.W.P.) or where adjustments are required to benefits claimed by the next of kin. There is now the service called, Tell Us Once. This will notify all local, and central government departments of the death. Please check with your Registrar if this service will be available to you, as not all authorities offer this service. 
  
  
• A certified copy of the Death Certificate, which will be required, to attain probate or for any other financial purposes. A fee is payable for all copies obtained, which is currently £11.00 per copy.

Who Can Register.

It is normally the duty of the next of kin to make the arrangements for the registration of death, but the person responsible for registering, will have to fall into one of the following certain criteria:

• Someone who was present at the death.
• The occupier of the building where the death occurred (e.g. the matron of a nursing home).
• Anyone living in the building where the death occurred, if they have knowledge of the required particulars.
• The person accepting responsibility for making the funeral arrangements.

Additionally, if the person has been found dead out of doors, the death may also be registered by:

• A person present at death.
• The person who found the deceased.
• The person in charge of the deceased.
  

  Information Required by the Registrar

• The date and place of death.
• The usual address of the person that has died.
• Their full name, sex, and where appropriate the maiden name.
• The deceased date and place of birth.
• The last full-time occupation and whether they were retired at the time of death (in the case of a married woman the name and occupation of her husband or late husband).
• Marital status (if the deceased was married the date of birth of the surviving spouse).
• If the deceased was in receipt of a civil service pension or allowance.
• NHS number.