Transcription

1 Tees

2

3

4 When someone dies at home the family doctor and nearest relative should be informed. If the person dies outside normal surgery hours, the out of hours GP or district nurse should be contacted, who will visit to confirm that the person has died. The contact number is available in the persons care plan. You will then need to inform the person s GP when the surgery is open, as the family doctor who normally attends the person must complete a certificate giving the cause of death. This is issued free of charge. If the person is to be cremated, two doctors must sign a certificate. The first doctor will instruct the second doctor who can go to see the body in the chapel of rest or at the mortuary. The second doctor may also ring the family, do not be alarmed by this, it is usual practice for this to happen. The certificate should be taken to the Registrar of Births and Deaths in the registration sub-district where the death occurred, normally within five days. The doctor may be able to give advice about how and where to register the death. Sometimes a doctor will send the certificate directly to the Registrar, however the person who is arranging the funeral must attend at the Registrar s office to collect the death certificate. They will need to make an appointment, there will be a charge for this service (ask at time of making the appointment).

5 When someone dies in hospital, the ward staff or bereavement support officers will inform you when the death certificate can be collected. The person registering the death will need to go to the district (registry) office covering the hospital. This may not be the same office as the deceased person s place of residence. If the person is to be cremated, two doctors must sign the certificate and the ward staff will discuss this with you. If someone dies in hospital, they may be taken to the Mortuary or Chapel of Rest. The ward staff or bereavement support officers will also make arrangements for you to collect any personal items or valuables belonging to the person who has died.

6 If there is a doubt about the cause of death the registrar will inform the Coroner who will decide whether it is necessary to hold a post mortem. For example, the death was sudden and the doctor had not seen the person within fourteen days of death, or if they had no general practitioner. Do not worry, this is a normal legal requirement and the Coroner s Office should be able to answer any questions you may have. The police act as Coroner s Officers, and may arrive in uniform. A visit by the police should not make people think there is anything suspicious about the death. The reason for the visit is to get the information that the Coroner needs to conduct their enquiries and to provide the correct personal information to the Registrar. You can always speak to your GP or hospital doctor about the process. If the death is then considered to be from natural causes, the Coroner will issue a notification that she / he does not consider it necessary to hold an inquest, and this may be given to the relative to take to the Registrar or sent to the Registrar direct. Someone will still need to go to the Registrar s office collect the death certificate. If the Coroner orders an inquest, the relative does not have to register the death. When the Coroner has issued the inquest certificate, relatives can obtain death certificates from the Registrar. The Coroner will also issue an order for burial, or a certificate for cremation, free of charge.

7 Before registering the death you will need to ring the Register Office to make an appointment. Only certain people may register the death and they are: A close relative of the deceased A relative of the deceased in attendance during the last illness A relative of the deceased living in the same local district A person present at the time of death A nominated person arranging the funeral, ie an executor When you go to the Registrar you should take: The certificate of cause of death The deceased s medical card if possible Documents relating to any benefits the deceased was receiving The deceased s birth and marriage certificates, if available When someone dies at home the death needs to have been confirmed by a doctor or nurse. They can advise the family that the funeral director may be contacted to take the person who has died to a Chapel of Rest. You will need to give some thought to which funeral director you would want to use. Funeral Directors accept that relatives will seek quotations before they decide which company to use. The Funeral Director will visit you to advise and help with the funeral arrangements. Before a funeral can take place, the Funeral Director must have the burial or cremation certificates. If you are receiving State Benefits, you may be able to apply for help to meet the funeral costs by contacting The Department of Work and Pensions. They can give information about benefits, help with claim forms and provide contact with a Bereavement Officer (see section on Financial Help on page 9).

8 Information required by the Registrar: The date and place of death The full name and maiden name if appropriate, address, sex, date and place of birth of the person who has died Occupation of the deceased, whether retired at time of death If married or civil partners, their partners full name and occupation What certificates will the Registrar issue? A green certificate for notification of burial or cremation (if the coroner has not already issued one). This must be given to the Funeral Director to enable the funeral to take place. A certificate of Registration of death. You may need additional copies of this certificate for pension and/or insurance purposes. There is a small charge for each copy. A white Certificate of Registration of Death, which if required, should be completed and taken to the local Department of Social Security along with pension or benefits books. (This is free of charge). Copies of the death certificate can be purchased, these will be necessary for a Grant of Probate or letters of administration and there will be a small charge.

9 If you are having difficulty with meeting the costs of the funeral you might be able to qualify for a funeral expenses payment from the Social Fund. You can qualify for a funeral payment if you're the person responsible for the funeral costs and you receive one or more of the following benefits: Income Support, Income-related Employment Support Allowance, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, Housing or Council Tax Benefit, Child Tax Credit (paid at more than the basic family element), Working Tax Credit (if it includes a disability or severe disability element), or Pension Credit (guarantee or savings credit). If you don't already receive one of these benefits you can get a benefit check from your local Welfare Rights Unit or Citizens Advice Bureau to see if you should be receiving one of the qualifying benefits which will allow you to claim a funeral payment. A funeral payment has to be claimed within 3 months of the date of the funeral. You can get a claim form from your local Jobcentre Plus office or you can download one from You could be entitled to a one-off lump-sum Bereavement Payment, Bereavement Allowance, Widowed Parent's Allowance, or, if you are on a reduced income you might qualify for other means tested benefits. Again, it's important to get advice and information to ensure that you receive all the income you are entitled to.

10 Disposal of medicines any remaining medication should be returned to your usual chemist. Any equipment please contact the district nurse via the GP surgery during office hours, or through a telephone number that the district nurse has supplied for the Tees Community Equipment Store. Please return all patient held records to the district nurse. If anyone wishes to donate their body for medical education or research contact the Professor of Anatomy at their nearest medical school or the Human Tissue Authority, Finlaison House, Furnival Street, London EC4A 1AB Tel: , website:

11 You may find it useful to mark each one when you have attended to it: 1 Solicitor 2 Person or organisation holding the will 3 Bank 4 Building Society 5 Post Office 6 Taxation Office 7 Department of Social Security 8 Council housing department for rent and rates 9 Gas supplier 10 Electricity supplier 11 Water supplier 12 Telephone supplier 13 Coal merchant 14 Oil supplier 15 Hire purchase company 16 Credit card company 17 Insurance companies about policies and pensions 18 Car insurance company, car log book 19 AA, RAC or other motoring organisation 20 Passport office 21 Local authority or charity from which equipment has been loaned 22 Hospital appointments 23 DVLA 24 Social Care / Home Care, meals on wheels

12 REGISTRATION OFFICES (Register Offices) Middlesbrough The Registration Service in Middlesbrough Register Office Corporation Road Middlesbrough TS1 2DA Tel: Redcar & Cleveland The Superintendent Registrar The Register Office 88 Westgate Guisborough TS14 6AP Tel: Opening Times Monday 9am-4pm Tuesday 10am-6pm Wednesday 9am-4pm Thursday 9am-4pm Friday 9am-4pm Saturday (by appointment) Telephone for appointment Stockton The Registration Service in Stockton Register Office Balaclava Street Stockton- on- Tees TS18 2AL Tel: Fax: Opening Times Monday - Thursday 8.30am pm Friday am - 4pm Hartlepool The Registration Office Raby Road, Hartlepool, TS24 8AF registrar@hartlepool.gov.uk. Telephone: (01429) for appointments Opening Times Monday -Friday 9am-4pm, office closes pm on a Wednesday

13 Age UK Dorothy Rose House, 190 Borough Road, Middlesbrough, TS1 2EH. Tel: Helpline: Web: Carers Together in Redcar and Cleveland 23 Queen St, Redcar, TS10 1AB. Tel: Carers support, Middlesbrough Social Services Contact Centre, Middlesbrough House, 50 Corporation Road, Middlesbrough, TS1 2YQ. Tel: Web: The Junction Young Carers Support The Junction, Drayton House, 19 Station Road, Redcar, TS10 1AN. Tel: (Middlesbrough, Redcar & Cleveland Area) Web: Carers' Centre Hartlepool Hartlepool. TS24 8BH Tel: Carers' Centre Stockton 23-27b Bishopton Lane, Stockton-on-Tees, TS18 1PS. Tel: Opening times: 9.00am to 4.30pm Monday to Friday

14 Citizens Advice Bureau Hambleton 277 High Street, Northallerton, DL7 8DW. Tel: Drop in advice times Monday - Friday and Citizens Advice Bureau Hartlepool 87 Park Road, Hartlepool, TS26 9HP. Tel: Drop in advice times Monday - Friday Citizens Advice Bureau Middlesbrough 3 Bolckow Street, Middlesbrough, TS1 1TH. Tel: Drop in advice times: Monday Tuesday ( appointments only) Wednesday ( appointments only) Thursday Friday ( appointments only) Telephone Advice: Monday - Friday

15 Citizens Advice Bureau Redcar & Cleveland 88 Westgate, Guisborough, TS14 6AP. Tel: Website: Telephone Advice times: Friday Citizens Advice Bureau Stockton Bath Lane, Stockton-on-Tees, TS18 2DS. Tel: Community Legal Services Direct Helpline : (9am to 5pm - Monday - Friday Website: The Community Legal Service can give you advice on benefits, debts and legal support. Cruse Bereavement Care Cruse House, PO Box 800, Richmond, TW9 1RG. Tel: Young Person s freephone helpline helpline@cruse.org.uk Tees Valley and Durham Area - Tel: Useful information: Cruse offer a range of books, leaflets and cassettes aimed at grieving people Department of Work and Pensions Website: Useful leaflet: The Department of Work and Pensions produces a comprehensive leaflet entitled What to do after a death in England and Wales (D49), which can be read online or should be available through your local Jobcentre Plus. First Contact Team (Advice for accessing local services for Stockton) Bath Lane, Stockton-on-Tees, TS18 2DS. Tel: Telephone lines open 8.30am to 5.00pm Monday to Thrusday 8.30am pm Friday Lesbian and Gay Bereavement Project c/o Healthy Gay Living Centre, 40 Borough High Street, London, SE1 1XW. Tel:

16 Mind Hartlepool Crown buildings, Tees Street, Hartlepool, TS24 8HB. Tel: Fax Mind Redcar and Cleveland Dove House, 5 Turner Street, Redcar, TS10 1AY. Tel: Fax: Website: Mind Stockton 110 High Street, Stockton, TS18 1BB. Tel: Opening hours: Monday to Saturday: 9.00am pm Mind Middlesbrough & Stockton 1st Floor, 47 Grange Road, Middlesborough, TS1 5AU. Tel: info@middlesbroughandstocktonmind.org.uk Website: National Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors 3 Bullfields, Sawbridgeworth, CM21 9DB. Tel: infor@saif.org.uk Website: Natural Death Centre (The) 12a Blackstock Mews, Balckstock Road, London, N4 2BT. Tel: ndc@alberyfoundation.org Website: Useful information: for information on woodland burials, cardboard coffins, living wills, funeral wishes forms and DIY funerals. You can also purchase The Natural Death Handbook through the centre.

17 Probate and Inheritance Tax Helpline Tel: Samaritans National Helpline: Website: Teesside Samaritans 147 Borough Road, Middlesbrough, TS1 3AT. Tel: Usual hours open to receive callers: 8am - 10pm every day Redcar and Cleveland Welfare Rights Unit Advice Line: welfare_rights@redcar-cleveland.gov.uk Drop-in surgeries available, please ring our advice line for details. Stockton and District Advice and Information Service Bureau Bath Lane, Stockton on Tees, TS18 2DS. Drop in Sessions Mornings Appointments only afternoons Monday - Thursday and Friday only Survivors of Bereavement by Suicude (SOBS) The Flamsteed Centre, Albert Street, Ilkeston, DE7 5GU. Tel: ( every day) Veterans Agency Norcross, Blackpool, FY5 3WP. Helpline: Tel: Website: Welfare Rights Middlesbrough Tel: Welfarerights@middlesbrough.gov.uk Redcar and Cleveland Welfare Rights Unit Tel: Welfare_rights@redcar-cleveland.gov.uk

18 Alliance Psychological Service (Counselling) 20 Yarm Road, Stockton-on-Tees, TS18 3NR. Tel: Butterwick Hospice in Stockton Middlefield Road, Stockton-on-Tees, TS19 8XN. Tel: Hartlepool and District Hospice Alice House, Wells Avenue, Hartlepool, TS24 9DA. Community Bereavement Service: Tel: St Catherine s Hospice Throxenby Lane, Scarborough, YO12 5RE. Tel: St Teresa s Hospice The Woodlands, Woodland Road, Darlington, DL3 7UA. Tel: Teesside Hospice and Bereavement service 1 Northgate Road, Linthorpe, Middlesbrough, TS5 5NW. Tel: or Teesside Hospice Forget Me Not Children s Bereavement Service Tees Valley Counselling Trust Norton Community Resource Centre, Somerset Road, Norton, Stockton-on-Tees, TS20 2ND. Tel:

19

20 We gratefully acknowledge the following organisations for their help in producing this booklet Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland Community Services North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust