Registering a Death
When must the death be registered?
By law you must register a death that occured within Milton Keynes within five days unless the Coroner is investigating.
Please click on the following link for information on
registering a still birth.
How do I register a death?
You can register a death by appointment only at a Register Office. Please call 01908 372101 and press option 1 between 9.30am and 4.30pm to arrange an appointment with a Registrar.
Who can register a death?
You can register the death if:
- You are related to the person who has died;
- You were there when the person died;
- You live at the place where the person died and there is no known relative to register; or
- You are instructing the funeral director.
You can bring a friend or relative with you when you see the Registrar.
What information will the Registrar ask for?
- The date and place of death
- The full name of the person who has died
- Their name before they were married, if this was different
- Their date and place of birth
- Their job and, if they were a married woman, the full name and job of their husband
- Their usual address
- The date of birth of their husband or wife (if they were married)
- Their National Health Service Medical card, if you have this.
Will I be given any documents at the end of the registration?
The Registrar will give you a form which allows you to make arrangements for the burial or cremation. You will also be given a form for Social Security and pension reasons, however, if you use the (article 16258#1 "Tell Us Once service") this may not be required.
Do I need copies of the death certificate?
You may need copies of the death certificate for:
- Dealing with the will;
- Bank and building society accounts;
- Insurance companies; and
- Tax rebates
You will have to pay for these death certificates which we can let you have at the time of registration or at a later date.
What will it cost?
Registering the death, the document allowing you to arrange the burial or cremation, and the Social Security certificate are free. If you want copies of the death certificate, (aricle 56677 "there is a fee"). The fee is set by Parliament and is regularly reviewed.
Is the procedure for registering the death different if there is an inquest?
Yes, the
Coroner’s Officer will tell you what to do.
Can I get help in an emergency?
If you need emergency help outside our normal office hours (for example, if a burial has to be carried out within 24 hours for religious reasons), the Coroner’s Officer or Hospital Bereavement Officer will be able to help you. You can contact the Coroner’s Officer by phoning the police control room on 0845 850 5505, select option 2 and ask for HBI or the Duty Inspector or the Duty Officer at the hospital by phoning 01908 660033.
When can I make the funeral arrangements?
It is best if you can make these arrangements after you have registered the death.
Crematorium Homepage
List of funeral directors
Probate website
What if I cannot speak or understand English?
If English is not your first language and you would like someone to help you register, you can ask a friend or relative to come with you.
Milton Keynes Council also has a
Community language service providing translators.
How do I get a copy of a death certificate?
If the death occured in Milton Keynes the quickest way is to
apply online for a death certificate
If you cannot use our online service you can collect an application form from the Register Office. Once completed you can leave it with our reception staff to be processed within 3 working days.
If the death occurred in another District and it has been registered,
please click here to find details of the local Register Office.
Tell Us Once
How the Service can help you
When someone has died there are lots of things that need to be done, at a time when you probably least feel like doing them. One of these is contacting government departments and local council services that need to be told. Their death needs to be registered with the Registrar. Once that’s done, several other organisations may have to be contacted and given the same information.
Milton Keynes Council is providing a service, called "Tell Us Once", which will make things easier. This new service means that you can just tell us and these organisations will be contacted. We can help you to give the information to the Department for Work and Pensions and they can pass on this information to a number of other government departments and local council services for you.
Tell Us Once is not available where a death has taken place outside of the UK or an inquest is required, however, the Registration Service can provide a checklist with advice on who to notify about the death in these cases.
Click here to download the
TUO When someone has died checklist
How you can contact us to use the service
Once you have registered the death with a Registrar there are a number of ways you can use the service:
• In person – If you would like to come and use the service please call
01908 372101 and press option 1 to make an appointment. Our office is open Monday to Friday between 9.30am and 4.30pm. You can make an appointment to see the Registrar to register the death and use the service on the same visit.
• By telephone – If you would like to speak to someone on the phone please call the Department for Work and Pensions on 0800 085 7308. The lines
are open Monday to Friday between 8am and 8pm. This number is free to call from a BT landline, but other providers, including mobile phone
providers, may charge you. If you don’t speak English, call us on 0800 085 7308 and one of our Advisers and an interpreter will call you back and help you. You need to have registered the
death before you phone.
What happens to the information?
It is possible to report the death to these
organisations and services if you decide to
use the service:
Local Councils
Housing Benefit Office
Council Tax Benefit Office
Council Tax
Collection of payment for local services
Libraries
Electoral Services
Blue Badge
Adult Services
Children’s Services
Council Housing
Department for Work and Pensions
Pension, Disability and Carers Service
Jobcentre Plus
Overseas Health Team
HM Revenue & Customs
Child Benefit
Child Tax Credit & Working Tax Credit
Personal Taxation
Identity and Passport Service
Driver and Vehicle Lincensing Agency
Ministry of Defence, Service
Personnel and Veterans Agency
War Pensions Scheme
How we will treat the information you give us
The information you give will be treated
securely and confidentially. The organisations who are contacted will use the information to update records; to end services, benefits and credits as appropriate; and to resolve any outstanding issues. They may use this information in other ways, but only as the law allows.
Information you will need to use this service
It will help if you have the following information with you, about the person who has died, when you use the service:
• Their National Insurance number and date of birth
• Details of any benefits or services they were receiving
• Their death certificate
• Their Driving Licence or Driving Licence number
• Their Passport or Passport number and town/country of birth
We may also ask you for the contact details for:
• Their next of kin
• A surviving husband, wife or civil partner
• The person dealing with their estate
You must obtain the permission of the persons listed above if you are going to provide us with information about them.
Next of Kin
If you are the next of kin (closest relative by
blood or marriage to the deceased), your entitlement to benefits may change, so please have your own National Insurance number and / or date of birth with you when you contact us.
If you are not the next of kin, or the person
who is dealing with the deceased’s estate (the person sorting out their property, belongings and money), you can still use the service if you have their permission to provide their details and act on their behalf.
Privacy
This service is committed to ensuring your
information is protected.
Our privacy statement tells you how the information you provide when using this service will be used and protected. Ask the Adviser if you wish to see the full privacy statement.
Please remember that it is your responsibility to ensure that all organisations, that pay you a benefit/credit or provide a service to you, have correct and up to date information about you.
