Please accept our condolences at this time.
We hope that this booklet will help you in dealing with the necessary practical arrangements. Please ask any member of staff for guidance if any of the information you have been given is unclear.
What do I need to do next?
You can contact a funeral director immediately for help and guidance; however, no formal arrangements can be made until you register the death. (See heading, registering a death)
Funeral costs can be significant and you may want to ask several funeral directors for estimates before you make a decision. You can ask for a breakdown of costs which may help you decide what to have. Advice and guidance is available from the Bereavement Services Department or from local organisations such as the Citizens Advice Bureau.
Collecting the Death Certificate and Personal Property
Useful information
• Weekends and Bank Holidays will delay the writing and issuing of the Death Certificate. Phone the ward or general office on the next working day.
• Ring the Hospital first, before you come and check everything is ready.
• If you are unsure about anything ask a member of staff for help.
• Get a receipt for the personal property you are collecting.
• Check the receipt carefully before you leave the Hospital.
• If anything appears to be mislaid, please tell a member of staff and ask for help.
What will happen if the death of my relative involves the Coroner?
In some circumstances it is not possible for the Hospital Doctor to issue a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death. There are several reasons why this cannot be done but in general it is when a death is sudden, unexpected or due to an accident. The Doctor should tell you if the death is to be referred to the Coroner. Following consultation with the Coroner’s Office, the Doctor will either issue the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death or a post mortem examination will be required to establish the cause of death. If a post mortem is required then the Coroner’s Office will liaise with you and advise you on how to proceed with funeral arrangements and the subsequent registration of the death.
About post mortem examinations
The Doctor who has completed the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death may ask your permission for a post mortem examination to be conducted in order to assist with Medical Science. You can decline this request. If the Coroner orders a post mortem examination this is a legal requirement and you will not be able to decline. If you have any concerns about the Coroner’s involvement or post mortem examination, it is very important that you discuss these at the time, either with the Doctor or the Coroner’s Office.
Gwent Coroner’s Office Telephone: 01633 414600
Who can register a death?
• A relative of the deceased.
• Someone who was present at the death.
• A representative of the establishment where the death happened.
• The person instructing the funeral director.
Please note, a death should be registered in the local Registrars Office to where the person died e.g. if a person dies in the Grange University Hospital, the death should be registered in Torfaen Council’s locality even if the family home is in a different locality. If you cannot get to the Registrar’s Office in the district where your relative died you can go to your local office and they will help you, however it will take about a week longer to issue the Death Certificate.
How do I register the death?
Once the Death Certificate has been completed you can register the death. Please telephone the Registrar’s Office first. On page 13 there is a telephone number for the Registrar’s Office.
What should I take with me to register a death?
You will need to tell the Registrar the following information about the deceased:
• Full name (maiden name if applicable), address, date and place of birth.
• Occupation and occupation of the partner (if married or in a civil partnership).
• Any pensions the deceased claimed.
• The full name and date of birth of the surviving spouse or surviving civil partner.
You will need to take identification with you.
You will need extra copies of the Death Certificate to give various authorities (Department for Work and Pensions, Bank etc.) There is a small fee for these, so please make sure you take cash with you - DWP are notified by the Registrars who register the death. The Tell Us Once service also allows notification of other central and local government departments. Registrars prefer payment by card, particularly when death registration is undertaken by telephone.
When should I register a death?
A death should be registered within 5 calendar days of the date of death in the district in which it occurred unless a Coroner is investigating the circumstances leading to the death.
Where can a death be registered?
A death must be registered in the district in which the death occurred. If you would find it difficult to register in the district where the event occurred, the information for the registration may be given to any Registrar in England or Wales. You should contact the Registrar Office where the death occurred who can advise you about your options.
Who can register a death?
• A relative of the deceased.
• Someone who was present at the death.
• The occupier, e.g. the owner of a nursing home or the hospital administrator of the premises where the death occurred.
• The person arranging the funeral.
For information: Next of Kin would be the deceased’s closest relative through blood/marriage or civil partnership.
Documents required at the death Registration
It is advisable to have to hand some or all of the following documents when you register a death, your Registrar can discuss this with you in more detail:
• The deceased’s National Health Service Number (NHS), this can be obtained from a Medical Card.
• The deceased’s birth certificate and marriage certificate (if you have them).
• The deceased’s National insurance number(s) and their partner’s also (if applicable).
• The deceased’s passport, Driving Licence, Blue Badge or Bus Pass (if applicable).
• ID documents and proof of address for yourself (this helps the Registrar avoid mistakes in recording spellings of names and addresses).
• Details of any pensions or allowances paid from public funds to the deceased.
You will also need to provide:
• The date and place of death.
• The full name and surname of the deceased together with any other names they have ever used.
• The place of birth of the deceased and their age (or date of birth).
• The maiden name (if the person was a married woman).
• The occupation of the deceased.
• The name of the deceased’s spouse or civil partner.
• The occupation of the spouse/civil partner.
Tell Us Once
Once you have registered a death, you can use the Tell Us Once service to give relevant information to relevant government departments and council services on your behalf, for example the DWP, DVLA, HMRC, Passport Office and Council Tax Department. This service is voluntary and free to use and will be offered during your appointment with the Registrar.
How much does it cost to register the death?
• There is no charge to register a death.
How much does it cost for a copy of the Death Certificate?
• Death certificates are £11 each at the time of registration.
What forms will I receive following the Death Registration?
The following documents will be given/sent out to you after the death has been officially registered in the district where the event occurred.
• A form for the Undertaker (the 9W green form) which gives the authorisation to make the funeral arrangements.
• A form for Social Security (known as a BD8).
• Any death certificate(s) requested - £11 each.
Please note: Documents are sent out via First Class standard post and may take a few days to arrive.
Out of Hours Emergency for Death Registrations
With certain religious and cultural beliefs it is customary for a burial to take place on the same day or within 24 hours of the Death. If you need to contact us out of normal office hours to arrange a Death Registration for an emergency faith burial, please call the Torfaen Out of Hours team on 01495 762200 for assistance.
Please note: In certain circumstances the death may need to be reported to the Coroner. This may mean that we are unable to issue the necessary paperwork required to allow the burial to take place within the required timeframe.
What if I make a mistake when completing a Death Registration?
When completing a death registration, you must check information on the register page carefully. If you fail to notice an error on the entry, the fee to apply for a correction will be £75 or £90 depending on the type of amendment required. The Registrar can advise you further in the event of any problem.
Please note: This fee does not guarantee the correction can be made.
What will the Registrar give me?
You will be given:
• A Green Form - this authorises burial or lets you make an application for cremation. Give this form to the funeral director.
• A White Form - this is used by the Department for Work and Pensions.
Who needs to be told about the death?
There are several other people who may also need to know.
You can use this list as a check list:
Funeral Director
Priest, Minister, Faith Leader or Funeral Celebrant
The Benefits Agency (pensions, benefit)
The Bank, Credit Cards, Building Society
Social Services (home helps, home care)
Schools, College or University attended (if applicable)
Place of work (occupational pension)
Executors of the Estate (Will)
Solicitor Insurance Companies
Residential or Nursing Home
Landlord, Housing Association, Mortgage provider
Electricity, Gas, Telephone, Water Companies
Post Office (redirect mail)
Careline
Cancel any appointments - delivery of papers etc
Pets - make necessary arrangements for care
If the deceased was living alone you will need to ensure that their home is secure and remove all signs that indicate no-one is there. You may wish to collect spare keys from other relatives, friends and neighbours.
Stopping 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.
Help with funeral costs
Financial help with funeral costs may be available if you receive certain benefits. Contact the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) before making any arrangements. www.gov.uk
Wills and Probate
If you have any queries about the deceased person’s Will or regarding the absence of a Will you can contact your local Probate Registry.
What is Probate?
When a person dies somebody has to deal with their estate (the money, property and possessions left) by collecting in all the money, paying any debts and distributing what is left to those people entitled to it. In order to get authority to do this the designated person usually needs to obtain a legal document called a “Grant of Representation” from the Probate Registry. There are three types of Grant of Representation.
Probate - Issued to one or more executors named in the deceased’s Will. Note: Executors are people named in the Will to deal with the estate.
Letters of Administration (with Will) - Issued when there is a Will but there is no executor named or when the executors are unable or unwilling to apply for the grant.
Letters of Administration - Issued when the deceased has not made a Will, or any Will made is not valid.
If the deceased left a Will, Probate will generally need to be obtained. If there is no Will, Probate cannot be obtained and instead you will generally need to apply for Letters of Administration, before you can administer the Estate. In both cases, the processes involved are very similar and the Form PA1 can be used. This needs to be completed, and sent or taken to the Probate Registry. You can obtain this form from your local Probate Registry or download it from the website.
Information and contact details of
The Grange University Hospital
The Grange University Hospital Tel: 01633 493100
Due to the size of the Hospital, the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death and patient’s property may not always be on the ward where the patient died, please check with the ward where the patient died before coming to the Hospital.
Reference: The Grange Hospital Bereavement Book
Review Date: March 2026
Publication Date: March 2024
The Hospital 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 Hospital is grateful of their support it does not endorse or recommend any of the services that they provide.
It is distressing to deal with a bereavement and unsolicited mail can be insensitive and destructive during a grieving process.
By scanning the below QR code on your phone or visiting www.stopmail.co.uk, we are able to securely share this information with mailing organisations and under the Data Protection Act the information will not be used for any other purpose.
Other benefits reduce the possibility of identity fraud, such as assumed identity and you will only have to supply the information once.
