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Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do
if a relative dies at home?
When a death which has
been expected occurs at home or at a nursing home, the Doctor
who has been treating the deceased should be contacted. The
Doctor or a colleague will either attend to confirm that death
has occurred, or will give permission for the deceased to be
transferred to a Funeral Director's premises, if this is your
wish.
You can then contact
the Funeral Director of your choice, who will attend to transfer
the deceased to their premises.
What
should I do if a relative dies in hospital?
If a relative who has
been a hospital inpatient dies, the doctors who have been
treating the deceased will usually be able to issue the Medical
Certificate. Ask the ward staff or Doctor what you need to do to
collect this Certificate, or ring your local Funeral Director
for advice and contact numbers.
Most hospitals will
give family members the opportunity to sit with the deceased
before transfer from the ward or private room. The deceased will
then be taken to the mortuary, prior to collection by your
chosen Funeral Director.
The
Doctor says he won't issue the medical certificate. Why is this?
The Doctor can only
issue the Certificate if he knows the cause of death, and has
been treating the deceased for this illness in the last 14 days.
If this is not the case, or if there are other circumstances
involved (such as a recent operation, or a possible industrial
disease), the Doctor will have to refer the death to the
Coroner.
If the death has
occurred at home, the Coroner will arrange for the deceased to
be taken into his custody, in order that the death can be
investigated.
What
does a coroner do?
It is the coroner's
responsibility to ascertain the cause of death. The vast
majority of deaths that are reported to the coroner are
discovered to be from natural causes - only a small proportion
require further investigation. The coroner will conduct a post
mortem examination of the deceased, which involves examination
of the organs to ascertain the cause of the death. The coroner
does not require permission to investigate a death within
his/her jurisdiction, and cannot be prevented from doing so.
In certain
circumstances, the coroner may investigate a death even when the
person has been ill for some time. The coroner has to
investigate deaths from diseases which may have been caused by
the deceased's occupation, or deaths after recent operations, to
ensure that public interest has been served.
Your local Funeral
Director will be familiar with the coroner's procedure in your
area, and will be able to advise you how to proceed.
Why
do GP's charge for cremation forms?
A deceased person
cannot be cremated until the cause of death has been ascertained
and properly recorded.
The BMA website sets
out the procedure:
"Before cremation can
take place two certificates need to be signed, one by the GP and
one by another doctor. Cremation Form 4 must be completed by the
registered medical practitioner who attended the deceased during
their last illness. Form 5 must be completed by a registered
medical practitioner who is neither a partner nor a relative of
the doctor who completed Form 4.
A fee can be charged
for the completion of both Forms 4 and 5 as this does not form
part of a doctor's NHS duties (1). Doctors normally charge these
fees to the funeral director, who, generally passes on the cost
to the family. Doctors are also entitled to charge a mileage
allowance, where appropriate".
How
do I decide which funeral service to choose?
Choosing a Funeral
Director can be difficult, especially if you are confronted with
having to make a quick decision. Many people ask friends or
relatives to recommend a firm that they have dealt with, or have
heard positive comments about.
If you do not have the
opportunity to ask advice from others, find out about the firms
in your area, perhaps from advertisements in your local press,
parish magazines, or Yellow Pages. These will tell you if the
firms are members of the National Association of Funeral
Directors - this is your guarantee of a quality service. The
advertisements may also give you further information, such as
whether it is a small family business or part of a larger group.
I
was not thinking when I rang the funeral service. Can I change
my mind?
If you have already
asked a funeral firm to transfer the deceased to their premises,
you can still use a different firm to deal with the funeral
arrangements. The company you contact to deal with the funeral
will arrange for the transfer of the deceased to their premises.
It will still be necessary for you to pay the other firm for the
removal of the deceased.
Why
do I have to register the death?
All deaths have to be
registered, and the people closest to the deceased have a legal
obligation to do this. Deaths in England and Wales or Northern
Ireland should be registered within 5 days - if this is not
going to be possible, you should inform the Registrar. In
Scotland, deaths must be registered within 8 days.
Which registrar's office should I go to?
In England and Wales,
the death has to be registered at the registrar's office in the
area where the death occurred. This is the case even if the
death occurred a distance from home.
However there is a
facility available to attend your local registrar's office to
register a death that occurred in another area. This is called
'Registration by Declaration', and involves the two Registrars
transferring documents by fax and post in order to register the
death. Depending on the circumstances, this can delay the date
of the funeral - ask your Funeral Director for advice.
In Scotland, you can
register the death either at the place of death, or where the
deceased had their normal residence, as long as both are in
Scotland.
What do I need to
register the death?
In order to register
the death, you will need to obtain a Medical Certificate from
the Doctor who was treating the deceased during the last
illness. When the Coroner is involved, this Certificate is
replaced by one from the Coroner. The Coroner's Office will be
able to advise you or your Funeral Director when you will be
able to attend the Registrar's Office.
To register a death in
England and Wales, the deceased's NHS Medical Card is the only
other document required. However, this is not compulsory, so do
not delay registering the death if you cannot find it - the
Registrar will explain to you what to do if the Medical Card is
subsequently found.
If you have the
deceased's Birth or Marriage Certificates to hand you can take
them along to the Registrar, but the documents will not be
retained. All that is required is the information contained on
them e.g. the deceased's place and date of birth, and maiden
name if applicable.
In Scotland, more
documents are required to register a death - contact your
Funeral Director for information and advice.
What
will the registrar give me?
The DSS Form - now
called the SF200 Funeral Payments from the Social Fund should be
taken or sent to your DSS Office with any pension or benefit
books in the deceased's name, or in joint names. This is also
used to assess whether a surviving partner is eligible for
benefits such as Widows Benefit. You can download the form on
the Department of Works and Pensions website. To find out more
information please visit the Funeral Payment.
Funeral Director's
Form. This is green, and should be given to your Funeral
Director to allow the funeral to take place. NB: If the Coroner
has investigated the death, and cremation is required, this will
be replaced with a form which the Coroner will send direct to
the Funeral Director.
Death Certificates.
These are copies of the Register Entry, and are the Certificates
required by Banks, Insurance Companies etc. to attend to the
deceased's affairs. These are currently £3.50 per copy.
Do I
have to register the death before arranging the funeral?
No. Arranging the
funeral involves your Funeral Director discussing with you the
type of funeral required, and offering you advice and
information as appropriate. This can be done as soon as you have
made certain decisions about the funeral - e.g. whether it is to
be a burial or cremation.
Then, once you have
registered the death, you can arrange with your Funeral Director
for the green form to be handed over or collected.
We have never been a
religious family - do we have to have a vicar to take the
ceremony?
No - there is no
requirement to hold a religious funeral service, and there are a
number of alternatives. Perhaps a relative or friend could take
the service if they feel able to do so. Other Members of the
congregation could speak or read verses or poems. The British
Humanist Association has a network of officiates who will
provide a very personal non-religious ceremony. Ask your Funeral
Director for more information or to organise a Humanist
ceremony.
What
are green funerals and woodland burials?
'Green funerals' is a
term often used to describe funerals which are designed to be
simple and environmentally friendly. Some people consider the
use of a cardboard coffin to be more environmentally friendly
than one composed of wood bi-products.
Woodland burial sites
are where trees or wild flowers are planted on graves instead of
a headstone, eventually turning the site into woodland. There
are many such sites available throughout the United Kingdom -
your Funeral Director will be able to provide you with
information should you require it.
Funerals can be expensive. How will I know if I can afford it?
Funeral Directors who
are Members of the National Association of Funeral Directors
abide by a Code of Practice which ensures that they treat their
clients and the public fairly. Members are required to have
price lists available showing the cost of the services they
provide.
To ensure you obtain
the best value possible, you should contact at least two Funeral
Directors in your area for an estimate of the funeral costs, or
obtain a price list from their office to make comparisons. Do
not assume that all funeral firms charge the same prices.
If you have chosen a
Funeral Director who is a Member of the National Association of
Funeral Directors, you will receive a written estimate and
confirmation of arrangements before the funeral takes place.
This ensures that you are aware of the costs of the funeral you
have arranged, and forms the basis of the contract between
yourself and the funeral firm.
Can
I get any assistance with funeral costs?
The DSS Social Fund
awards financial assistance to individuals who meet a number of
criteria. To qualify, you, and all other family Members who
share your responsibility for the funeral, must be receiving at
least one of several benefits, and have insufficient savings to
pay for the funeral.
The DSS Funeral
Payment will provide a limited amount, which may cover a very
basic funeral, or provide a contribution towards a more
traditional funeral. Your Funeral Director will be able to
advise you about the qualifying criteria and the likely
contribution available.
I've
heard anyone can become a funeral director is this true?
It is true that there
are no qualifications required to become a Funeral Director.
However, the industry has a qualification, the National
Association of Funeral Directors' Diploma in Funeral Directing,
which is awarded to candidates who achieve a high level of
professional competence and experience.
Funeral Directors and
staff who have the letters 'Dip. F.D.' after their name have
been awarded the Diploma in Funeral Directing.
As a
Non-Christian how will I know a funeral director understands our
requirements?
Today we live in an
ethnically diverse society, and this diversity needs to be
celebrated in our funeral ceremonies as well as our everyday
lives. However, facilities for particular religious communities
do vary from region to region- for example, in some areas
cemeteries have dedicated sections for Muslim burials, and the
local Muslim community is often closely involved with the
operation of the Cemetery.
It is the role of our
Members to discuss funeral requirements with their clients, and
to have knowledge of the different alternatives available to a
family, in order to offer sound advice. A professional Funeral
Director will have the ability to do this regardless of the
religion of the deceased or the immediate family.
However, the Funeral
Director will not make assumptions about the family's wishes
based solely upon its religious beliefs. Funerals are individual
events, and there are many other variables to be taken into
account. Even if you tell your Funeral Director you require a
'Traditional Hindu funeral', he or she will still wish to
discuss your exact requirements with you, to ensure that no
personal wishes have been overlooked.
What
if something goes wrong?
There are occasions
when a client may feel dissatisfied with aspects of the services
provided as part of the funeral. The National Association of
Funeral Directors Code of Practice , with which all NAFD Funeral
Directors are obliged to comply, provides a simple procedure to
resolve problems between Funeral Directors and their clients.
Copies of the Code of Practice are readily available from all
NAFD Members.
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