Sandwell Community Services
Introduction
We would like to express our sympathy on the sad loss of your loved one. Whether their death happened suddenly or was expected, it will be a shock to you.
When someone dies there are a number of practical things that need to be done. The aim of this booklet is to give you important information and advice so that you know what needs to be done, and can make informed choices without feeling overwhelmed.
If your relative or friend has died at home
When a death occurs at home, the community nurse has a duty to inform the doctor who has been treating your relative or friend, as the doctor is the only person authorised to certify the death.
In the event of an expected death the doctor may pre-arrange for community nurses to confirm or verify the death on their behalf which will enable you to contact your preferred funeral director. The funeral director will advise accordingly before taking your relative or friend to the chapel of rest.
Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD)
When someone dies, a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death needs to be completed. It is usually completed by the doctor caring for your relative. Sometimes your relative’s GP will be asked to complete the MCCD; we will advise you if this is the case.
Following verification a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death will be available from the GP surgery. It may be advisable to ring first to ensure the certificate has been issued.
Please inform the doctor if you are aware of your relative or friend having a pacemaker, defibrillator, artificial joints or radioactive implants as the funeral director will also need to know this.
Registering the death
You will need the MCCD to register a death. All deaths at Sandwell must be registered at the Sandwell Register Office (details on page 5). You must register the death within 5 days.
Details of who is able to register a death and the information needed by the registrar are listed on the front of the envelope containing the MCCD.
The registrar will give you two forms which are free of charge:
• a green form for the funeral director
• another for the Department for Work and Pensions (if you need it)
There is no charge for registering a death. However there is a charge of £12.50 for each death certificate to be paid by debit or credit card only. Please consider how many you require before you go to the register office as banks, building societies, insurance and mortgage companies will not accept photocopies.
When registering a death please:
Take the following:
• A document with your relative’s name on it e.g. a medical card
• Proof of your identification e.g. passport
• Cash for the death certificates
Provide the following for your relative:
• Their full name and address
• Their occupation
• The date and place of death
• The name and address of the widow/widower
Sandwell Register Office
High Fields
High Street West Bromwich B70 8RJ
Tel: 0121 368 1188
Monday - Wednesday 9.30am - 4.30pm, Thursday 10.00am - 4.30pm, Friday 9.00am - 4.00pm.
Please note you must book an appointment by telephone before attending.
To contact the Register office their lines are open: 8.00am - 8.00pm Monday - Friday, 9.00am - 1.00pm Saturday
You can also book online: www.sandwell.gov.uk/registeroffice
Parking
There are ‘pay and display’ parking bays at Sandwell Register Office.
Tell Us Once
Sandwell Council Registration Service also provides the national ‘Tell Us Once’ service when you register a death within the borough. On your behalf they can notify all central and local government and council departments that need to be informed of the death.
Which organisations will be notified?
If you decide to use the ‘Tell Us Once’ service, the following departments and organisations will be notified.
Council services
• Council housing
• Housing and council tax benefit
• Council tax
• Libraries
• Blue badges
• Adult social care (including attendance allowance)
• Collection of payments for council services
• Electoral services
Government organisations
• Department for Work and Pensions
• HM Revenue and Customs
• HM Passport Office
• Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency
• Ministry of Defence, Service Personnel and Veterans Agency
When you make an appointment to register a death you will be asked if you wish to use the ‘Tell Us Once’ service. If you do, you will be informed of the extra information required to bring to the appointment and there is no charge to use this service.
The information that is given will be treated securely and confidentially. The organisations that are contacted will use the information to update records, to end services, benefits and credits provided, as appropriate, or to start up services. They may use the information in other ways, but only as the law allows.
Further details can be obtained by:
Telephone: 0121 368 1188 or visit www.sandwell.gov.uk
Stopping Junk Mail to the recently deceased
If someone you know has died, the amount of unwanted marketing post being sent to them can be greatly reduced which helps to stop painful daily reminders.
By registering with the free service www.stopmail.co.uk the names and addresses of the deceased are removed from mailing lists, stopping most advertising mail within as little as six weeks. If you cannot access the internet you can call 0808 168 9607, where you will be asked for very simple information that will take only a few minutes to complete. Alternatively, ask the bereavement team for a leaflet that can be returned in the post.
This free of charge service provided by the Bereavement Support Network will actively reduce the unwanted marketing mail but also can help reduce the likelihood of identity theft following the death of someone close. The information is not used for any other purpose and you only have to complete this once. Additionally to Stop Mail a comparable service can also be accessed from the Bereavement Register or Deceased Preference Service if you would prefer to use them.
Referral to the coroner
Sometimes neither the hospital doctor nor the GP can complete the certificate as the death may be referred to the coroner for further investigation. They may also arrange for a post mortem to be performed. If this happens, somebody from the coroner’s office will contact you and keep you informed. They will also inform you where the MCCD has been electronically sent to.
It can take 48 hours or more for the coroner to make a decision. You can still contact us with any questions and queries, and we will do our best to help.
Coroner’s office
Tel: 0121 569 7200
Email: sandwell_coroners@sandwell.gov.uk
Tissue donation
Tissue donation can dramatically improve the quality of life for some individuals who are desperately in need. Most people can donate some tissue for transplant. Tissues that could be donated included heart valves, eyes, skin and bone.
Age and medical condition is not necessarily a barrier to donation.
Tissue donation is possible if your relative or friend has died within 24-48 hours. Our aim is to support the individual’s wishes to be a tissue donor following death.
There are several ways that your loved one could have expressed a wish to donate in their lifetime. They could have joined the organ donor register which allows them to be very specific about what they would like to donate or they may carry a donor card or have stated a desire to help others following their death.
Unfortunately solid organs such as heart and kidneys cannot be donated after someone has died.
There is a national number available 24 hours a day for advice: 0800 432 0559.
If you would like to speak further with one of the nurses please do not hesitate to ask.
Contacting the funeral director
You can contact the funeral director as soon as you like. The funeral director will:
• Talk to you about your options and wishes for the funeral.
• Take responsibility for the funeral arrangements.
• Need the green form given to you at the register office.
• Collect your relative from the hospital mortuary, you can view them once they are at the funeral directors.
For a full list of funeral directors in your area, please visit the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management website: www.iccm-uk.com
If you receive certain benefits, you may be entitled to claim funeral expenses by completing form SF200 which is available from the funeral director or Jobcentre Plus.
Making your own arrangements
You can also arrange a funeral without the help of a funeral director; see the Natural Death Centre website for further information: www.naturaldeath.org.uk
Burials abroad
If the person is to be buried in a country other than England or Wales a funeral director will be able to assist you with this. When you register the death, you will need to obtain at least two certified copies of the death certificate (some consulates and embassies require more). You need to give the copies to your funeral director who will then obtain an ‘Out of England Certificate’. Information for weekends/bank holidays will also be given in order to hasten the normal process.
Settling the estate
You will need to apply for a ‘grant of probate’ or a ‘grant of letters of administration with Will’ to access your relative’s belongings, property or money. After this, you can contact their bank, post office or building society so that the accounts in the name of your relative can be dealt with. The post office can give you advice about pension and allowance books.
Grant of probate
If your relative has left a Will, it will name one or more ‘executors’ who can apply for the ‘grant of probate’ before their belongings; property or money can be managed.
Grant of letters of administration with Will
If the named executor does not want to act, someone else named in the Will can apply (depending on a strict order of priority). This person is called ‘the administrator’. They can apply for a ‘grant of letters of administration with Will’.
If your relative did not leave a Will, then a blood relative can also apply for a grant of ‘letters of administration’. The person who applies is also called the administrator and is based on a strict next-of-kin order:
1. Widow/widower
2. Child
3. Parent
4. Brother/sister
5. Any other relative
How to apply
You can apply for either grant at the nearest Probate Registry or Sub-Registry.
The person who goes to the Probate Registry will need a copy of the death certificate and any Will or written wishes of the deceased.
You will need full details of everything owned by or owed to your relative when they died. Please contact the Courts and Tribunals Service Centre for further advice:
Tel: 0300 303 0648
Monday to Friday 9am to 1pm
Email: contactprobate@justice.gov.uk
Exception
There is an exception to these regulations. It is sometimes possible for the nearest relative to get money out of the deceased’s funds from banks, building societies or national savings without a grant of probate or letters of administration. This amount varies from time to time, so it is worth checking with the Branch Manager where the money is held.
If you are employing a solicitor, they can help you with this. It is therefore worth asking them about Legal Aid to help cover costs if you feel that you cannot pay for their services.
Funeral Payment from the Social Fund
If you are arranging a funeral, you may qualify, under specific circumstances for help towards the costs from the Social Fund. You should contact your local Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) office for further information before making any financial commitments to the funeral director.
Web: www.gov.uk/bereavement-support-payment/eligibility
Further useful points
• Contact the insurance company or agent about any insurance policies.
• A widow may be entitled to a widow’s benefit or an increase in benefit. Your local DWP office can provide further information about this.
• All pensions and allowance books belonging to your relative should be returned to the issuing office. Any unpaid amount due before the date of death should be claimed.
• If your relative was in a ‘Pay As You Earn’ (PAYE) scheme, you may be entitled to a tax rebate. Please contact Inland Revenue (details at the end) and ask to speak to the local inspector of taxes for advice. You can also contact your relative’s employer as there may be an insurance scheme or help from union funds.
• If you shared a house or flat with your relative, it may be necessary to transfer it to another name. Please contact your solicitor or the Citizens Advice Bureau for further information and queries.
• If you are a relative and were living with the deceased, you may be entitled to housing benefit. Your local Council Office can provide further information.
• Any season tickets and club membership cards belonging to your relative should be returned and refunds claimed.
• Your relative’s driver’s licence should be sent to the DVLA. Full information on how to surrender (give up) a licence is available on their website: www.gov.uk/ giving-up-your-driving-licence.
• You can contact the Citizens Advice Bureau for practical help or general advice. There are a number of different offices in Birmingham; the details of the City Centre branch are listed in the contact details section of this booklet.
• Finding a solicitor – You can telephone the Birmingham Law Society on 0121 227 8700, they can recommend someone who can help with your circumstances.
Bereavement support information, Cruse
We would like to express our condolences on the sad loss of your loved one. Whether their death happened suddenly or was expected, you may feel the need for some support. To help during this very difficult time we would like to offer you some bereavement support.
Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust are working closely with Cruse Bereavement Care to offer you this support.
Cruse Bereavement Care is the leading national charity for bereaved people in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. They offer support, advice and information to those bereaved and work to enhance society’s care of bereaved people.
You will receive a phone call from the Connected Palliative Care HUB after your bereavement when you will be offered a referral to Cruse. You can expect a call from them within 4 weeks of you agreeing to the referral to Cruse.
Cruse Bereavement Care will speak with you on the phone and plan any further support with them or direct you to other suitable services. During this phone call you might decide that you no longer feel the need for bereavement support; this is OK, and you can self-refer to Cruse Sandwell in the future if you feel you need it. The contact details for Cruse are below.
Cruse Bereavement Care, Sandwell branch.
Referral line: 0121 558 1798
Email: sandwell@cruse.org.uk
National website: www.cruse.org.uk
National helpline: 0808 808 1677
Contact details
If you have any queries, please contact us on the following:
Connected Palliative Care Hub
Tel: 0121 507 3611
Email: swb_tr.SWBH-GM-connected-PC-hub@nhs.net
Useful addresses
The following useful contacts have been mentioned in this leaflet which you may find useful:
Sandwell Register Office
High Fields, High Street, West Bromwich B70 8RJ
Tel: 0121 368 1188
Courts and Tribunals Service Centre
Tel: 0300 303 0648
Monday to Friday 9am to 1pm
Email: contactprobate@justice.gov.uk
Website: www.justice.gov.uk/about/hmcts
Citizens Advice Bureau
22 Lombard Street, West Bromwich B70 8RT
Tel: 03444 111444
HM Coroner for Sandwell, Dudley, Walsall and Wolverhampton
Black Country Coroner’s Court, Jack Judge House, Halesowen Street, Oldbury, West Midlands B69 2AJ
Tel: 0121 569 7200
Monday - Wednesday, 8.00am - 4.00pm, Thursdays, 9.00am - 4.00pm, Friday, 8.00am - 3.30pm
Website: www.sandwell.gov.uk/coroner
Inland Revenue
Tel: 0300 200 3300
Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management
Website: www.iccm-uk.com
Legal Aid Agency
Unit B8, Berkley Way, Viking Business Park, Jarrow, South Tyneside NE31 1SF
Website: www.justice.gov.uk/legal-aid
The Natural Death Centre Website: www.naturaldeath.org.uk
Tel: 01962 712 690
To help stop unwanted mail continuing: Website: www.stopmail.co.uk
Other organisations which can help
Please remember there are specialist organisations to help if matters get too complicated for you. Never hesitate to ask. If you think you may need a specialist service that we have not listed, then contact us and we will try to help.
Age UK Birmingham and Age UK Sandwell, Stratford House, Stratford Place, Birmingham, B12 0HT
Tel: 0121 437 0033
Website: www.ageuk.org.uk/sandwell
The War Widow’s Association of Great Britain
199 Borough High Street, London SE1 1AA
Tel: 0845 2412 189
Cruse Bereavement Care, Sandwell branch
Referral line: 0121 558 1798
Email: sandwell@cruse.org.uk
National website: www.cruse.org.uk
National helpline: 0808 808 1677
The Compassionate Friends
Kilburn Grange, Priory Park Road, London NW6 7UJ
Tel: 0345 123 2304
Website: www.tcf.org.uk
The Samaritans
13 Bow Street, Birmingham B1 1DW
Tel: 0330 094 5717
Tel: 116 123 (National line)
Website: www.samaritans.org
Wills, probate and inheritance
Website: www.gov.uk/wills-probate-inheritance
Notes
Hope Again (Cruse Bereavement Care’s young persons services)
Tel: 0808 808 1677
Website: www.hopeagain.org.uk
You might find it useful to make a note of some other personal telephone numbers here and keep this booklet nearby for use over the next few weeks.
Edwards Trust (Local support for children and families who are facing loss and surviving bereavement)
Tel: 0121 454 1705
Website: www.edwardstrust.org.uk
Tipton Listeners service
Tel: 07866 925613
Email: listeners.service@googlemail.com
Sandwell Wellbeing Hub
c/o Spires Health Centre,
Victoria Street, Wednesbury, WS10 7EH
Tel: 0303 033 9903
Email: wellbeinghub@nhs.net
Publication date: September 2024
Review date: September 2026
The Trust would like to thank RNS Publications for publishing this information and the following pages contain some features from services o ering their help at this time.
Whilst the Trust is grateful of their support it does not endorse or recommend any of the services that they provide.
