Register a death

- Who can register the death

- What happens at your appointment

- Tell Us Once

- Death Notification Service
 

Who can register the death

A relative should register the death. If this isn't possible, you can do it if you:

• were there at the time of death
• are an administrator from the hospital (if the person died in hospital)
• are in charge of making the funeral arrangements (not the undertaker or funeral director)

What happens at your appointment

All appointments are face to face at Gateshead Register Office.

There is no need to collect the medical certificate, showing the cause of death, from the doctor. This will be sent electronically to the register office in time for your appointment. However, if the doctor does give you the original medical certificate, please ensure you bring this with you to your appointment.

If the Coroner has been involved the Coroner's Office will advise you what to do as there may be additional paperwork needed.

If available, also bring the person's:

• birth certificate
• council tax bill
• driving licence
• marriage or civil partnership certificate
• NHS medical card
• passport
• proof of address (for example a utility bill)

Don't worry if any of these documents aren't available as the registrar can still register the death.

The registrar will ask you:

• the date and place of death
• the person's full name at the time of death
• any names previously used, for example maiden name
• the person's date and place of birth
• their last address
• their occupation
• the full name, date of birth and occupation of a surviving or late spouse or civil partner
• whether they were getting a state pension or any other benefits

You should also bring supporting documents that show your name and address, for example a utility bill, but you can still register a death without them.

The form to allow the funeral to take place will be sent electronically to your funeral director (if the Coroner is involved, other arrangements will be made). You will also receive a form for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to notify them of the death. These are both free. 

A certified copy of the entry in the Register (death certificate) can be provided at the time of registration. You may need this for banks, building societies, solicitors, or for pension or insurance claims. If copies of the death certificate are required after the registration. View our fees and charges.

Tell Us Once service

Tell Us Once (opens new window) is a free service that lets you report a death to most government organisations in one go. We can inform the following organisations for you:

• HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) - to deal with personal tax (you need to contact HMRC (opens new window) separately for business taxes, like VAT)
• Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) - to cancel benefits
• Passport Office - to cancel a British passport
• Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) - to cancel a licence and remove the person as the keeper of up to 5 vehicles
• the local council - to cancel Housing Benefit, Council Tax Support, a Blue Badge, inform council housing services and remove the person from the electoral register
• Veterans UK - to cancel Armed Forces Compensation Scheme payments

If you are using the Tell us Once service please bring the person's National Insurance number to your appointment.

Information will be treated securely and confidentially. Organisations that we contact will use the information to update their records and end benefits or services as appropriate.

Death Notification Service

The Death Notification Service is a free online service that allows you to notify member organisations of the death of a family member. This might include a:

• bank
• building society
• utility company
• insurance company
• telephone company

For more information visit the Death Notification Service website (opens new window).