A Guide to Registering a Death

An interactive flipbook to help in a confusing and difficult time this guide provides simple, clear advice on what is required by the council in order to make the process as smooth as possible after a bereavement. There are also useful details of local venues for wakes and post funeral gatherings, house clearance services, florists, burial sites, funeral directors and other relevant services in the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea.

A Guide to Registering a Death

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2 A Guide to Registering a Death

We understand that the death of a loved one is a very difficult time and immediately following the death there are a number of arrangements you will have to make. The information contained in this brochure will help to guide you through the different things that you will need to do.

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4 A Guide to Registering a Death

How to register a death in Kensington and Chelsea A death should be registered within

• You can book an appointment online by visiting our website: www.rbkc.gov.uk/registrars . • If you live in another district, you can attend your local register office to make a legal declaration. This is a slower process and you will have to wait a few days for the paperwork to be issued. Who can register? You can register if you are: • a close relative • someone present at the death • making the arrangements with the funeral directors

five calender days from when it occurred. The registration should take place in the district where the death occurred. How do I register? • Deaths occurring in Kensington and Chelsea are usually registered at the Kensington and Chelsea Register Office by appointment only. • You will need to register the death in person at the Register Office. • Visit www.rbkc.gov.uk/registrars

to see the most up to date guidance on how to register.

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What documents do I need? The medical certificate signed by a doctor is an essential document. Legislation allows doctors to scan the medical certificate directly to the registrar.

Any MCCDs received without being scrutinised (after full implementation in April 2024) by an ME cannot be registered until scrutiny is completed. If the Coroner is involved, they may send the paperwork directly to the register office. In this case, the Coroner will tell you when to register. The following documents are useful, but you can register without them: • the person’s passport • their birth certificate • any deed polls they had • their NHS medical card • their marriage or civil partnership certificate

If you are handed the signed copy of the medical certificate, please inform the register office and bring the original with you to your appointment. Medical Examiner Scheme From April 2024, all deaths must be reviewed by a Medical Examiner (ME) before a medical certificate of cause of death (MCCD) can be issued. Medical examiners are senior medical doctors who provide independent scrutiny of the causes of death. They are trained in the legal and clinical elements of death certification processes. The certifying Doctor will liaise with a Medical Examiner to establish the cause of death and to allow for independent scrutiny to take place. After scrutiny, the MCCD will be sent to the Register Office, and you can book your appointment.

Information you need to register

• the person’s full name at the time of death and any names previously used, eg maiden name • the person’s date and place of birth

• their last address • their occupation

• the full name, date of birth and occupation of a surviving or late spouse or civil partner • whether they were getting a State Pension or any other benefits

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8 A Guide to Registering a Death

What documents will I receive? When you register a death, you will receive the following: • A certificate for Burial or Cremation (the green form) – gives permission for burial or application for cremation. This form will be sent directly to the funeral director by the registrar. In some cases, the Coroner will issue this document directly to the funeral director. • Death Certificates are purchased when you book your appointment. You can purchase further copies at any time through our website www.rbkc.gov.uk/registrars . • A reference number to use the Tell Us Once Service – a free and highly recommended service which will inform government agencies and local authorities of the deceased’s death, all in one go. Included within the service: Local Authority • Housing Benefit Office • Council Tax Benefit Office • Electoral Services • Blue Badge

• Council Housing • Council Tax • Libraries Department for Work and Pensions • Pension, Disability and Carers Service • Jobcentre Plus HM Revenue and Customs • Child Benefit • Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit • Personal Taxation Identity and Passport Service

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA )

Public Sector Pension Schemes Ministry of Defence, Service Personnel and Veterans Agency • War Pensions Scheme

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Who else do you need to contact? When someone dies you may have to contact a variety of organisations to inform them of the death. You may have to send some of them a death certificate.

q Clubs and social groups q Council tax office * q Credit card companies q Creditors (anyone owed money by the deceased) q Debtors (anyone owing money to the deceased) q Dentist q Disabled parking permit *

You can use the following as a checklist to see if you have contacted everyone you need: q Accountant q Bank/building society q Benefits agency * q Child benefit office * q Child’s school, or childcare provider q Church or other place of worship

q Doctors q DVLA * q Employers q Home help agency

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q NHS equipment wheelchairs, hearing aids etc.) q Passport Office * q Public Pension Schemes * q Pension plans (private pensions) q Premium bond office q Private healthcare provider q Relatives and friends q Solicitor q TV licence q Telephone provider- landline and mobile q Utilities (gas, electricity, water) * These providers will be included in the Tell Us Once Service

q Hospital clinics q Household insurance q Income tax office * q Insurance providers q Internet provider

q Landlord q Library * q Life assurance

q Mail for redirection q Mortgage provider q Motoring insurance and breakdown policy q National savings and Investments

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Deaths referred to the coroner

midwife to scan the medical certificate of stillbirth directly to the registrar. If you are handed the signed copy of the medical certificate of stillbirth, please inform the register office and bring the original with you to your appointment. Who can register a Stillbirth? If the parents of the child were married to each other at the time of the stillbirth, either the mother or the father may register. If the parents were not married to each other they will need to register together in order for the father’s details to be recorded. A certificate of Registration will be issued and a certificate for burial or cremation. An appointment is booked by visiting our website www.rbkc.gov.uk/registrars .

• Deaths referred to the coroner must also be registered within five calender days, or within seven days if there has been a post- mortem. • If the coroner decides the death was due to natural causes, you will need to follow the normal procedure by booking an appointment at www.rbkc.gov.uk/registrars . • If a post-mortem is carried out and the coroner decides that the death was due to natural causes, the coroner will send the essential documentation for registration to the Register Office. A person who can register the death, listed on page 5, will need to book an appointment to register. • If an inquest is held, the coroner will send the information from the court to the register office so you do not have to come to register the death. What do you need to do to register a Stillbirth When a child is stillborn, a doctor or midwife will issue a medical certificate of stillbirth. Legislation allows the certifying doctor or

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Other Information Inheritance Tax and probate Phone Call HMRC for advice on probate and Inheritance Tax following a death, including: • understanding your Inheritance Tax responsibilities • confirming the forms you need • getting paper copies of forms • completing Inheritance Tax forms Telephone: 0300 123 1072 Outside UK: +44 300 123 1072 Opening times: 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. Closed weekends and bank holidays. Post Write to HMRC with queries and correspondence about Inheritance Tax. You don’t need to include a street name, city name or PO box when writing to this address. Probate forms should be sent to your local Probate Registry. Inheritance Tax

Cruse Bereavement Care Grief is a natural process, but it can be devastating. For those who need help, Cruse offers free confidential support for adults and children, and this can be by telephone, email or face-to-face. Helpline Cruse Bereavement Care is here to support you after the death of someone close. If someone you know has died and you need to talk, call us freephone on 0808 808 1677. The helpline is open Monday-Friday 9.30-5pm (excluding bank holidays), with extended hours on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings, when we’re open until 8pm. helpline@cruse.org.uk Face-to-face and group support is delivered by trained bereavement volunteers across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Kensington and Chelsea Register Office Chelsea Old Town Hall, Kings Road, London SW3 5EE Tel: 0207 361 4100 Email: registrars@rbkc.gov.uk Web: www.rbkc.gov.uk/registrars

HM Revenue and Customs BX9 1HT United Kingdom

Please give the HMRC reference number, or tell HMRC the full name and date of death of the person who has died.

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