CAMBRIDGE FUNERAL SERVICES LTD
WHAT DO I DO NOW
OBTAINING A DEATH CERTIFICATE, REGISTERING THE DEATH, MAKING THE FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS, BURIAL OR CREMATION, SPIRITUAL OR SECULAR?, FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, FLOWERS, PRESS NOTICES AND FUNERAL STATIONERY, REGISTRARS
It can be a very difficult time for a bereaved
family when they lose a loved one even if the death is expected. There are
many things that need to be done at this time and you may not know which way
to turn or who to approach for help.
If the death occurred at home and was expected and providing the deceased has been attended by their doctor during the 14 days preceding their death, then the doctor should be able to issue a death certificate.
Telephone the appropriate surgery and tell the doctor or his staff about the death. The Doctor (or the 'on-call' doctor if the death occurs outside normal surgery hours) will then attend as soon as possible to confirm that death has occurred. Once the Doctor has attended and has advised you that he can issue a Death Certificate, you should contact us and we will arrange to move the deceased to our Chapel of Rest.
The Doctor will either issue a death certificate when he calls or, more commonly, you may be asked to collect it from the surgery later.
If the death occurs in hospital or in a nursing
home the staff
of the home will normally make arrangements for a doctor to certify the death.
If the death was sudden or unexpected, or
if the Doctor cannot
issue a death certificate for any reason then the matter will need
to be referred The Coroner.
If this is the case then the doctor will inform the Coroner who will arrange for the police to attend the place of death. The police attend all sudden, unexpected, unexplained and accidental deaths and their attendance is simply routine and should not cause any concern. The police will make the necessary arrangements for the deceased's body to be moved to a hospital mortuary for Post Mortem examination.
Once you are in receipt of the death certificate you should telephone the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages to make an appointment to register the death. Registration should normally be made within five working days of the death.
The numbers of all the local Registrars are given in this leaflet.
A death normally has to be registered at the
office serving the sub-district
in which the death occurred but it may be possible to make registration by
declaration at a more local office. The Registrar, or the Funeral Director,
will be able to advise you on this.
Registration must be made by a person deemed to be a qualified informant. The Registrar or the Funeral Director will advise you as to who is able to register the death.
When you attend the Register Office you must take the certificate issued by the Doctor with you. The Registrar will also need to know the date and place of birth of the deceased and their occupation. In the case of a married woman or a widow the Registrar will also require details of her husbands name and occupation.
After the death has been registered you will be issued with a Certified Copy of the Entry from the Register. A fee is payable for this. Additional copies are also available on payment of the appropriate fee. You may need additional copies for the purposes of Probate etc.
If the person who has died was receiving state benefits or the state retirement pension then the registrar will also issue a document to be handed to the Benefits Agency to cancel or amend any payments.
You will also be issued with a green certificate known as 'The Registrars Certificate for Burial or Cremation.' You should keep this safe and hand it to us as soon as possible.
If the death is referred to the Coroner then registration cannot take place until his enquiries are completed. The Coroners Office will keep you informed about this and the Coroner will issue his own certificate to the Registrar giving the cause of death.
MAKING THE FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS
It is important that you have confidence in
the Funeral Director you decide to use. You may have decided to use us because
we have acted for you before or because a friend or family member has recommended
us.
We are members of The National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD) and
The Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors (SAIF) which are the
two main trade organisations representing the funeral industry. This ensures
that you will receive service from qualified professionals whose premises
and services are inspected regularly.
The person who has died may have left specific instructions in their Will or with their family as to how their funeral is to be carried out. If this is the case then most families comply with these wishes.
If no specific instructions have been given then the deceased's Executor will normally be responsible for making the funeral arrangements.
If no Executor has been appointed or if the person who has died has not left a Will or any other specific instructions then decisions about the funeral will normally be taken by the deceased's next of kin.
BURIAL
If burial is required it is important to remember that you may not necessarily have the right to be buried in the churchyard or cemetery of your choice.
A person normally has a right to burial only in the facilities provided in the place where they were resident at the time of their death. This is usually the parish churchyard or the cemetery provided by the local authority.
Some people may have purchased a plot in a cemetery in advance of their death. At the time of the purchase the owner will have been issued with a document called a ' Deed of Grant' giving them right of burial in that plot for a specific period of time. The family will normally need to produce this document when the plot is required for a burial. Only in exceptional circumstances can grave plots in churchyards be reserved in advance.
Permission to be buried must be obtained from either the Vicar or Rector of the parish in question (in the case of churchyards) or the local council (in the case of cemeteries run by the local authority).
You should discuss your requirements with us so that we can advise you and make all enquiries and bookings that are necessary.
CREMATION
If you choose to have a cremation we will make the necessary bookings for you at the Crematorium of your choice. Most people tend to use the Crematorium nearest to them but if you wish to use cremation facilities in another area this will not present any problems. Remember however that additional charges may be made for the extra mileage involved.
Additional statutory documentation is required before cremation can be carried out but you do not need to worry about this as we will obtain it for you.
We will also be able to advise you about the options available in respect of disposal of the deceased's ashes after cremation.
THE FUNERAL SERVICE - SPIRITUAL OR SECULAR?
Providing the body of the person who has died is disposed of with due reverence and dignity and within the statutes governing such matters there is no legal reason why a funeral service of any kind needs to be held.
However most families still prefer to hold some sort of formal ceremony to acknowledge the passing of their loved one. Details of the different types of funeral services and ceremonies available can be found by clicking on Funeral Options on the navigation bar.
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE WITH FUNERAL EXPENSES
The Death Grant that was once given to everyone no longer exists.
Financial assistance from the State in respect of funeral expenses is now restricted to recipients of certain other State Benefits who fulfil the criteria for such assistance as laid down by The Department of Work and Pensions. You should inform us before arrangements are made if it is your intention to apply for financial assistance from The Department of Work and Pensions. We will be able to advise you about whether or not your claim is likely to be successful. Application forms for assistance with funeral expenses are available from your local Department of Work and Pensions Office.
Further benefits or grants may be available depending on your personal circumstances, full details are a avilable from The Department of Work and Pensions.
Payment of a persons funeral expenses is normally made from their estate. If they have not left sufficient funds for this purpose then the responsibility for payment falls to the person instructing us in respect of the funeral.
Assistance with funeral expenses may also be available through repayment of insurance policy claims or by virtue of the deceased persons membership an organisation that provides a death benefit.
If financial resources are limited you should advise us of this before any arrangements are made. We will then try and adapt the service we provide to suit the funds available.
We will provide you with a written estimate before the funeral is carried out. You will be asked to sign this and will be given a copy to take away with you. Signing this estimate establishes a contract between you and ourselves.
FLOWERS, PRESS NOTICES and FUNERAL STATIONERY
We will be happy to assist you in respect of floral tributes, announcements in both local and national newspapers and the printing of Order of Service sheets and other funeral stationary if you wish.
REGISTRARS OF BIRTHS, DEATHS AND MARRIAGES
STEVENAGE & HITCHIN OFFICE
Danesgate, Stevenage
Tel: 01438 316 681
Opening Hours: 9am - 4:30pm
ROYSTON REGISTER OFFICE -
Tel: 01438 316 681 Opening Hours: Alternate Wedesday Mornings Appointment Only
CAMBRIDGE REGISTER OFFICE
Castle Lodge, Shire Hall
Castle Hill, Cambridge CB3 OAP
Tel: 01223 717 021
Opening Hours: Mon-Fri 9.30am to 4pm Appointment only
HUNTINGDON REGISTER OFFICE
Wykeham House, Market Hill, Huntingdon PE18 6NR
Tel: 01480 425 821
Opening Hours: Mon-Fri 9.30am to 4pm Appointment only
NEWMARKET REGISTER OFFICE (Bury St Edmunds)
The Rookery, Newmarket, Suffolk
Tel: 01638 663 714
Opening Hours: Tues & Thurs 9.30am to 12.30pm Tues 2pm to 4pm
Appointment only Tel: 01284 352 375 (Bury)
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