Registering a death
A death should be registered within 5 days
unless a coroner is investigating the circumstances surrounding the
death. Deaths should be registered at the local register
office for the area where the death took place.
If it is more convenient, you are able to register the death by
declaration at another register office. This means that you
will not receive any documents at this appointment.
Details of the death will be forwarded to the relevant office for
the area where the death took place who will then send documents to
you. Please note that the declaration process could delay
funeral arrangements.
If you would like to register a death at Knowsley Register
Office please book
an appointment online or contact us to make an
appointment.
Who can register a death?
- A relative
- A person present at the death (only in the absence of a
relative)
- The person arranging the funeral - this does not mean the
funeral director (only in the absence of a relative)
- The occupier of the premises where the death occured, if they
were aware of the death. For example, the matron of a nursing
home or Hospital Administrator (only in the absence of a
relative)
What information will I need to provide when registering a
death?
You will need to provide the registrar with
the following details about the deceased:
- Medical certificate of cause of death if applicable (issued by
the doctor or hospital who was treating the deceased). If a death
has been referred to the Coroner please contact the office to check
relevant paperwork has been received before making your
appointment.
- Full name, surname and maiden name (if married).
- Date and place of death.
- Date and place of birth.
- Occupation and whether the deceased was married or had a civil
partner.
- Name and date of birth of spouse or civil partner (if
applicable).
- Home address.
- Whether the deceased was receiving a pension or public fund
allowance.
- NHS Card (if available)
Fees
You can purchase a death certificate for a fee
of £3.50 when you register the death.
What happens next?
We will give you a document at the
registration appointment which allows burial or cremation to take
place, unless the coroner has already done so. We will also
issue a form that you need to return to the Department of Work and Pensions if the
deceased was receiving a state pension or other benefits.
Urgent death registrations
Sometimes a burial needs to take place within 24 hours of the
death occurring. This can be because of the deceased religious
beliefs. You will need to speak to a Registrar who can provide
further information. Please contact the office on 0151 443 2900. If
you call out of office hours please follow the instructions
provided on the telephone message.
Tell us Once
When somebody dies, a number of organisations need to be
informed.
Knowsley Council’s Tell Us Once service can make this easier for
you by telling the people who need to know.
This means that you simply need to ‘tell us once’ and we will
provide the information to the Department for Work and Pensions
(DWP) to pass on to other government departments and council
services.
How will the service help me?
It means that you will not have to contact lots of different
organisations separately with the same information.
It is important to inform the relevant organisations so that
they don’t continue to contact someone who has died or attempt to
take any payments from them.
Which organisations will receive the
information?
We can provide information to the following council services as
appropriate:
- Council tax
- Benefits service
- Libraries
- Blue badges
- Adult services
- Children’s services
- Collection of payments for council services
- Electoral services
The following organisations can also be
informed:
- Department for Work and Pensions
- The Pension, Disability and Carers Service
- Jobcentre Plus
- HM Revenue and Customs
- Child Benefit
- Tax Credits
- Identity and Passport Service
- The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA)
How do I use the service?
You will need to book an appointment at our Register Office to
register the death.
For more details about the Tell Us Once service please speak to
the Registrar at your appointment.
You can also contact the Department for Work and Pensions on
0800 085 7308 after the death has been registered.
How will my information be used?
Your information will be treated securely and the organisations
who receive it will only use it to update their records.
Privacy notice
Knowsley Council uses the information you provide for the 'Tell
Us Once' service to enable us to notify a range of council and
central government services on your behalf.
The council uses a secure network to share your information and
we will only pass on the minimum amount of information that is
necessary.
If you have any comments, queries or concerns about Data
Protection, please visit the
data protection page.