What happens when a person dies? 

This can be a stressful and difficult time, but there are some requirements that you will have to fulfil and there is support available.

Registration

Deaths must be registered with the registrar of Births and Deaths.  For a list of local addresses look under ‘Registration of Births, Deaths and Marriages’ in the telephone directory.

The next of kin should attend the Registry Office in order to complete the registration, taking with them the Death Certificate issued by the doctor or by the hospital.

The registrar will also need the medical card of the deceased.

If the circumstances of the death involves the Coroner, the Coroner will register the death but only if an inquest is to be held. If an inquest is not needed the nearest surviving relative can register the death only when the Coroner has confirmed the cause of death to the registrar

Funerals

Funeral costs for the same services may vary considerably from one funeral director to another. It is advisable to get more than one quote to compare costs and services. Funeral directors should provide detailed price lists for you to take away.

Disbursements are fees paid to others, for example, for doctor's certificates, a minister, newspaper announcements, flowers, crematorium. Ask the funeral director for a written quotation detailing all these fees.

In addition, it should be remembered:-

• when you arrange a funeral, you are responsible for paying the bill;
• funeral payments are normally recoverable from the dead person's estate;
• the cheapest service is not necessarily the best value.

Financial help

If you are finding it difficult to pay for a funeral that you have to arrange, you may be able to get a social fund funeral payment from the Benefits Agency, so long as you or your partner receive one of the following:-

• Income Support
• Housing Benefit
• Council Tax Benefit
• Job Seeker's Allowance
• Disabled Person's Tax Credit
• Working Family's Tax Credit

Contact your local Social Security office for more information.

If no one is able or willing to arrange and pay for the funeral, the local council, or in some cases the health authority, may do so, but only where the funeral has not already been arranged.

Your rights and choices

The main legal requirements in England and Wales are:-

• the death has to be certified by a doctor or coroner
• the death is registered with a Registrar of Births, Marriages and Deaths
• the body should either be cremated or buried

There are many different types of funeral and it is useful to remember that:-

• you do not have to have a funeral ceremony
• you do not have to have a religious minister
• you do not have to use a funeral director
• a ceremony does not have to take place in a crematorium or place of worship

The majority of consumers make their arrangements through a funeral director, but some people prefer to make their own arrangements as they consider this to be more personal and less expensive. You are likely to have more control over the content and length of these types of funeral.

The cemeteries and crematorium department of your local authority will give advice on other options, while the Natural Death Centre provides information on woodland and green options.

Some funeral directors may have an alternative option available.

Can I get help towards the cost?

If the deceased person had a building society account, this will be frozen (unless it's a joint account). However, up to £5000 of funds may be released on production of a Death Certificate.

Check with the DSS to see if the deceased person is owed arrears on a Social Security benefit. If you or your partner are claiming Social Security benefits such as Income Support, Council Tax benefit, Jobseeker’s Allowance, Working Family’s tax credits or Disabled Person's tax credits - then you may be entitled to help towards the cost of the funeral by way of a Funeral Payment from the Social Fund. You should ask your Social Security Benefit office about these payments.  Any Funeral Payment will be paid back from the estate of the deceased but this doesn't include a house or personal possessions that are left to a widow or widower.

Pre-purchased funerals
A great number of people purchase their funeral in advance through a pre-purchase funeral plan. As well as taking some of the weight of organising your funeral off the shoulders of your relatives, this can be a way of making your wishes known in advance.

Depending on the plan, you may be putting money away to be used flexibly or tying yourself to a particular funeral director and package of services. If you're thinking of buying a plan, it's worth shopping around and finding out what will happen to your plan if, for example, you move house - or if you die before payments are complete. It's also good to find out what services won't be included in the purchase price. These may include the cost of a grave plot and disbursements to ministers, for example.

ORGANISING A FUNERAL – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

The role of a funeral director is to take care of practical arrangements for you at a time when you may be feeling distressed. This means advising you of the options and choices for the funeral and seeing that arrangements are made in accordance with your wishes and those of the person who has died.
You will need to make early decisions about:-

• whether it will be a burial or cremation
• when the service will happen (day, date and time)

Where it will happen (Church, Cremation Chapel, Cemetery Chapel, Graveside or elsewhere).

Then you can decide the other arrangements, such as whether to have flowers or how to make the funeral more personal, in your own time.

HOW MUCH WILL IT COST?

The cost of a funeral falls into three main categories:-

• Cost of materials, such as the Coffin or Casket, Clothing and Memorials.

• The funeral director's fee (if you are using a Funeral Director) including making arrangements, hire of vehicles, liaison with third parties on documentation and general management of the funeral.

• All of the disbursements paid to other organisations on your behalf, such as the Church or Crematorium fees and obituary notices.

The ultimate cost of the funeral will depend on your choices, but you can expect final costs to fall in the region of £1,000 to £2,000.

A Funeral Pre Payment Plan

Rather than pay for the funeral from their estate, or leave the cost to a family member, some people prefer to pay in advance.

ASHES

You can choose for your loved ones ashes to be scattered, buried or kept in a casket. Because scattering and burial are final, we strongly recommend you allow time to consider all the options and discuss it with your family.

You can scatter ashes-
• In the grounds of the crematorium
• On a family grave
• In a woodland or moorland
• At a place with fond memories
• At sea
• Abroad

Keeping the Ashes

Some people prefer to keep the ashes at home in a casket designed for that purpose. In some cases this is so that when a spouse or partner dies, the remains of both can be scattered or buried together.  

Other options for keeping ashes are to divide amongst family members or to place in a piece of jewellery, for example, in a specially designed locket.

Burial or Cremation?

If your choice is burial, there is normally a fee charged for digging the grave. There may be a further charge if you wish to purchase the exclusive right of burial. This means that no further burials can take place in that grave without your permission. In many areas, you need to purchase the exclusive right of burial if you want to put up a memorial.

Alternative burials

There are alternatives to burial in a churchyard or cemetery, such as burial in a vault, burial at sea and woodland burials.

Making it special

Many bereaved people take comfort from placing belongings such as photographs and letters in the coffin with the person they have lost. It may also be your wish that they are dressed in their own clothing, or that the coffin is decorated to reflect an interest or hobby they may have enjoyed. In a burial, there are fewer restrictions about the placing of possessions, choice of clothing and decoration than in a cremation.

Cremation

Crematoria are different in their procedures, but the following is a general guide. Most crematoria incorporate a service chapel. You may wish to use this if you don't want to hold the service in a church or other location. However, if you do decide to hold the service in a Church or other location, you may choose to use the crematorium for the commital only. You may wish to play music at the service.

Many Crematoria will provide:-

• an organist
• pre-recorded music from which you can choose
• a cassette or CD player on which you can play music of your choice

Possessions, Clothing and Decoration of the Coffin

There are some restrictions on what is permitted to be included in a committal, for example metal objects and certain materials.

The committal

The end of the funeral ceremony is usually called the Committal. There may be a closing of curtains as the committal takes place, or the coffin may move gently from sight. Some people prefer for the coffin to be left on view until everyone has left.

ON THE DAY OF THE FUNERAL

There are many ways you can make the day a unique tribute to a unique person. This is a brief guide on what to expect on the day of the funeral.

Transport

The hearse and the cars following it are called the Cortege. There are some things you may wish to consider when making arrangements for transport for the day:-

• Will it be a standard, motorbike or horse-drawn hearse?
• How many cars will be needed?
• Where will you return to afterwards?
• Will it take a special route?
• Where will the cortege leave from?
• Will you require wheelchairs for elderly or disabled mourners?

Bearing the Coffin

Some families decide that they would like to bear the coffin themselves at the ceremony, instead of the funeral directors staff.  Bearers may be friends, family members or colleagues of the person who has died.

Music

Many people now ask for specific pieces of music to be played at the service.

Eulogies

An Eulogy is when someone pays tribute to a person's life by saying a few words that will help remember that person at the service. You can prepare a speech yourself for this, or you may prefer to read a favourite poem or passage.

Catering

You may wish to offer guests refreshments after the funeral. You will need to decide who will provide the catering and where it will be provided. Your local Funeral Director can help make these arrangements for you, alternatively you can make these arrangements yourself. You may prefer to offer refreshments at your home or at a location close to where the service has been held.
Then you can decide the other arrangements, such as whether to have flowers or how to make the funeral more personal, in your own time.

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