Bereavement
Child Bereavement UK
At our centre in Milton Keynes, Child Bereavement UK offers face to face support for families where a baby or child has died or where children and young people, up to the age of 25, are bereaved. We are also able to support families who are facing bereavement, where a child of any age is not expected to live, or where children and young people are facing the bereavement of anyone significant in their lives.
Telephone: 01908 550 895
Website: www.childbereavementuk.org
Milton Keynes Bereavement Service
The Good Grief Trust exists to help all those suffering grief in the UK. They aim to find the bereaved, acknowledge their grief and provide reassurance, a virtual hand of friendship and ongoing support.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/thegoodgrieftrust
Twitter: www.twitter.com/goodgrieftrust
Website: www.thegoodgrieftrust.org/our-story
Email: hello@thegoodgrieftrust.org
In Times of Bereavement
In the unfortunate event that a person has passed away, there are three things that must be done in the first few days:
- Get a medical certificate from your GP or hospital doctor (this is necessary to register the death).
- Register the death within five days (eight days in Scotland). You will then receive the necessary documents for the funeral.
- Make the necessary funeral arrangements.
Register the death
If the death has been reported to the coroner (or Procurator Fiscal in Scotland) they must give permission before registering the death.
You can register the death if you are a relative, a witness to the death, a hospital administrator or the person making the arrangements with the funeral directors.
Please visit the Gov.uk website for information on how to register a death. This will also explain the registration process for Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Arrange the funeral
The funeral can usually only take place after the death is registered. Most people use a funeral director, though you can arrange a funeral yourself.
Funeral directors
Choose a funeral director who’s a member of one of the following:
These organisations have codes of practice – they must give you a price list when asked.
Some local councils run their own British Humanist Association can also help with non-religious funerals.
Arranging the funeral yourself
Contact the Cemeteries and Crematorium Department of your local council to arrange a funeral yourself.
Funeral costs
Funeral costs can include:
- Funeral director fees.
- Things the funeral director pays for on your behalf (called ‘disbursements’ or ‘third-party costs’). An example of this is crematorium or cemetery fees, or a newspaper announcement about the death.
- Local authority burial or cremation fees.
Funeral directors may list all these costs in their quotes.