When someone you love has died: a UK guide to the first days, the paperwork and saying goodbye

If the death was expected — for example, a person receiving end-of-life care at home or in a hospice — call the person's GP, district nurse or the hospice's out-of-hours number. They will visit to verify the death and issue a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD).^[11]NHS

If the death was unexpected or sudden, call 999. The police or paramedics will attend and may refer the death to the coroner. Do not move the person until you have been told you can.^[11]NHS

If your loved one died in hospital or a care home, the staff will guide you through what happens next, including arranging for the MCCD and the release of the body to a funeral director of your choice.^[1]GOV.UK

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland a death must be registered within 5 days; in Scotland it is 8 days. You register at the local register office where the person died — book an appointment online via GOV.UK.^[2]GOV.UK

Take with you, if you have them:

• The Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (the registrar may receive this directly from the doctor).
• The person's birth certificate, NHS medical card, marriage/civil partnership certificate and proof of address.

The registrar will give you a Certified Copy of the Death Certificate (buy several — banks, insurers and the probate service usually want originals), a certificate for burial or cremation (the "green form") for the funeral director, and a unique Tell Us Once reference so one phone call updates HMRC, DWP, DVLA, the Passport Office and the local council.^[2]GOV.UK

You are not obliged to use the first funeral director you contact, and you can move your loved one between funeral homes if you change your mind. Look for a member of the National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD) or the National Society of Allied & Independent Funeral Directors (SAIF) — both codes require transparent pricing and a complaints process.^{[8]NAFD[9]SAIF}

Since September 2021 the Competition and Markets Authority's Funerals Order requires every funeral director and crematorium in the UK to publish a Standardised Price List, including the price of an "attended" and "unattended" funeral, so you can compare like-for-like before signing anything.^[10]CMA

Ask for a written quote. A simple direct cremation typically costs £1,000–£1,800; a traditional attended funeral averages around £4,100 in the UK (SunLife Cost of Dying Report). If money is tight, ask about the DWP Funeral Expenses Payment (for people on qualifying benefits) and the Public Health Funeral, which the local council must arrange if no one else can.^[7]GOV.UK

About 78% of funerals in the UK are now cremations and around 22% are burials (Cremation Society of Great Britain). Both are legal, regulated, and a personal choice — sometimes guided by faith, wishes left in writing, or family tradition.

Burial can be in a churchyard (with the incumbent's permission), a local-authority cemetery, a private cemetery or a licensed natural / woodland burial ground. Plots are usually leased for 50–100 years rather than owned outright.

Cremation requires two doctors' forms (Cremation Forms 4 and 5) unless the coroner is already involved. Ashes can be collected, scattered (with the landowner's permission), buried, or kept. Direct cremation — a simple unattended cremation, with a memorial held separately — has become much more common since 2020.

Other options include donating the body to medical science (arranged before death with the Human Tissue Authority), repatriation if the person is to be buried abroad, and humanist or non-religious ceremonies led by celebrants from Humanists UK.

A will sets out who inherits the person's estate, who looks after any children under 18, and who is appointed as executor to administer everything. Wills should be signed by the person ("the testator") and witnessed by two independent adults who are not beneficiaries.^[4]GOV.UK

The original will is often held by a solicitor, a bank, or the National Will Register (Certainty). If you can't find one, search the Probate Registry's records (free) and check the National Will Register before assuming there is none.

If there is no will ("intestacy"), the estate is shared according to the strict Rules of Intestacy set out in the Administration of Estates Act 1925 — spouses and civil partners are prioritised, then children, then other blood relatives. Unmarried partners and stepchildren do not automatically inherit, however long the relationship.^{[13]MoneyHelper}

Probate (called Confirmation in Scotland) is the legal document that allows the executor to access bank accounts, sell property and distribute the estate. You apply online via GOV.UK or by post (Form PA1P if there is a will, PA1A if not). The fee is currently £300 for estates over £5,000.^[3]GOV.UK

Before applying you must value the estate and submit an Inheritance Tax (IHT) return to HMRC. IHT is charged at 40% on anything above the nil-rate band of £325,000, with an additional £175,000 "residence nil-rate band" when a main home passes to direct descendants — so a couple can typically pass on up to £1 million tax-free.^[6]HMRC

You don't always need a solicitor — many straightforward estates are administered by the family — but for property, business assets, trusts, disputes or anything overseas it is worth instructing a STEP-qualified probate solicitor via the Law Society's Find a Solicitor directory.^{[14]Law Society}

A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) lets a person nominate someone they trust to make decisions for them about their finances or their health and care if they later lose capacity. LPAs must be registered with the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) before they can be used — currently £82 per LPA in England and Wales, free or reduced for people on certain benefits.^[5]OPG

Critically, an LPA ends the moment the donor dies. After death, only the executor named in the will (or an administrator appointed by the Probate Registry if there is no will) has authority over the estate. Many families are caught out by this — keep paying essential bills from your own account and reclaim them from the estate later.

If your loved one had registered LPAs, send the OPG a copy of the death certificate so the LPAs can be formally cancelled.

Tell Us Once handles most government bodies in one step. You will separately need to contact: banks and building societies, the mortgage provider, private pension providers, life insurers, utilities, the landlord or leaseholder, subscription services, and any care providers.^{[12]Citizens Advice}

Bereaved spouses or civil partners under State Pension age may be entitled to Bereavement Support Payment — a tax-free lump sum of up to £3,500 plus monthly instalments — provided you claim within 3 months to receive the full amount.^[7]GOV.UK

Grief is not a problem to be solved — it is the natural response to losing someone you love, and it can come in waves for months or years. NICE recognises bereavement counselling as an evidence-based intervention when grief becomes prolonged or disabling.

If your sleep, appetite or work has been affected for more than a few weeks, speak to your GP — and reach out to one of the free, qualified services below.^[15]Cruse

• If a death has just happened at homeNHS / GP

  111 · 24/7

  If the death was expected, call the person's GP or out-of-hours service. If unexpected, call 999. Do not move the person until you are told to.

• Cruse Bereavement SupportCruse

  0808 808 1677 · Mon–Fri (extended hours Tue–Thu)

  Free confidential grief support for adults and children across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

• SamaritansSamaritans

  116 123 · 24/7, free

  If grief feels unbearable or you are having thoughts of suicide.

• Tell Us OnceGOV.UK / DWP

  A free government service that lets you report a death to most government departments (HMRC, DWP, DVLA, Passport Office, local council) in one go. The registrar gives you a unique reference when you register the death.

• Child Bereavement UKChild Bereavement UK

  0800 02 888 40 · Mon–Fri 9am–5pm

  Support for families when a baby or child of any age dies, and for bereaved children, young people and their families.

• Sue Ryder Online Bereavement CounsellingSue Ryder

  Free video counselling with qualified bereavement counsellors, plus an online community.

• WAY (Widowed and Young)WAY

  Peer-to-peer support for anyone widowed aged 50 or under.

• AtaLossAtaLoss

  UK-wide signposting site to find bereavement services local to you.

• Marie Curie Bereavement Support LineMarie Curie

  0800 090 2309 · Mon–Fri 8am–6pm, Sat 11am–5pm

  Free emotional and practical support after the death of someone close.