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Register a death

Find out how to register a death in North Lincolnshire and get support.

Registering a death

Deaths must be registered within five days. This includes weekends and bank holidays (unless the death has been reported to the Coroner).

Deaths should be registered at the local register office for the area where the death occurred. If your relative died in North Lincolnshire you must make an appointment to visit the register office in Scunthorpe.

If you can’t register the death in the area where it occurred, you can go to another register office and they will send your details to the correct office. This is called ‘making a declaration’. This process will take longer and you will not receive the death certificate or additional documents straight away.

If English is not your first language, you can ask a friend or relative to help and attend the office with you.

For a step by step guide on what to do when someone dies visit Gov.uk

Further information

When someone has died, there are lots of people to notify at a time when you feel least like doing it. North Lincolnshire Registration Service is pleased to be able to offer the Tell Us Once service.

This service informs certain local government and central government departments on your behalf that a death has occurred. We provide this free service after a death registration, so you don’t even need to leave the Register Office to notify key departments of the change in circumstances. We can also provide the service if the Coroner has issued interim certificates before an inquest.

The Tell Us Once service is available to the next of kin or the person dealing with the estate of the deceased.

If you are unable to use the service at the time of registration, the Registrar will provide you with a reference number. You will be able to complete the notification using the online portal.

When you call the register office to make an appointment to register a death, we will ask if you would like to use the service and tell you what information you need to bring with you.

If the Coroner’s Office has decided to carry out further investigations or hold an inquest into the death, you can still use the Tell Us Once service before the registration has been completed. You will need to be in receipt of any ‘interim certificates’ the Coroner has issued to you first. Please contact us for more information.

When someone dies, their doctor usually issues relatives with a medical certificate which shows the cause of death. You should take this certificate with you when you go to the register office.

Contact registrars@northlincs.gov.uk or 01724 297000 to make an appointment.  These take place at Scunthorpe Central  in Scunthorpe.

You will be given a time for your appointment and we will explain exactly what documents and information are needed. The appointment will take about 40 minutes.

If you are unable to attend the register office, we can in certain circumstances, arrange to visit an information, advice and guidance office near to where you live to complete the registration. Please ask when you make the appointment.

You will be seen privately and the Registrar will ask you:

  • the person’s full name at the time of death
  • any names previously used, for example a 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

If you have them, please bring the following documents of the deceased person you are registering:

  • Birth certificate
  • Marriage or civil partnership certificate
  • NHS medical card

If you use the Tell Us Once service, we will tell you what else to bring.

Once the death has been registered, you will be given the following forms free of charge:

  • a Certificate for Burial or Cremation (the ‘green form’) – this allows the burial or  cremation to go ahead
  • a Certificate of Registration of Death (form BD8) – you may need to fill this out and return it to the Department of Work and Pensions if the person was getting a state pension or benefits

You can only register a death if you are:

  • a relative of the deceased
  • someone present at the death
  • an administrator from the hospital or nursing home manager
  • the person making arrangements with the funeral directors

This is called a “qualified informant”.  If you are not a qualified informant, but you think you are the only person who can complete the registration, please contact the register office and we can advise what you should do.

It is free to register a death. You may need to buy one or more certified copies of the registration to sort out the affairs of the deceased. For example to notify the bank or a private pension.

These cost £11 each at the time of registration.

Payment can be made by debit or credit card.

You can order additional certificates after the registration from the register office.

If the cause of death is unknown, sudden or unexplained, it may be reported to the Coroner.

The Coroner may ask for a post mortem examination. You might have to wait for the Coroner to issue documents to the Registrar before you can register the death. The Coroner will always tell you when to contact the register office in these cases.

If a death is reported to a Coroner, the documents you need to register the death may be different. For further information on deaths reported to a Coroner please visit Gov.uk

Details of upcoming inquests held by the Coroner for North and North East Lincolnshire.

When you have experienced the sadness of a stillbirth, it can be very daunting to have to face attending the register office to complete the legal registration process. This information explains what is required and what is involved, but if you would rather speak to someone personally please contact us at the register office on registrars@northlincs.gov.uk or 01724 297000. We will be able to give you further information.

The stillbirth should be registered at the register office for the district in which it happened. You can go to another register office if it is more convenient, but things take a bit longer if you go to an office out of the district where the stillbirth occurred. This is because the registrar will need to forward your information to the original district who will then post any certificates to you.

Your midwife will normally tell you who to contact and may help you make an appointment to come in to the register office. We understand that registering a stillbirth is distressing and we can arrange for a registrar to carry out the registration either at the hospital or the parents’ home, if you prefer.

What happens at the register office when I register a stillbirth?

You must take the medical certificate of stillbirth with you when you go to register. This will be given to you by the doctor or midwife.

The registrar will ask the following details:

  • Where and when the stillbirth took place
  • The full names of the baby
  • The sex of the baby
  • Parents’ forenames and surnames
  • Maiden name if the mother is, or has been, married
  • Mother’s usual address at the time of the stillbirth
  • Date and place of birth of both parents
  • Occupations of parents
  • Date of marriage, if the mother is married to the stillborn child’s father at the time of the stillbirth
  • Number of the mother’s previous children by the present husband and by any former husband

Fees

There is no fee for registering a stillbirth.

You will be given a form for the funeral director. This form is issued free of charge.

We will also give you a free full certificate which shows both the parents’ and baby’s details. We do not charge families for stillbirth certificates issued at the time of registration.

For further information on registering a stillbirth and what support is available please visit Gov.uk.

You can order a death certificate by contacting us on 01724 297000 and paying by credit or debit card. Or you can order it in person at the register office at Scunthorpe Central.

Death certificates cost:

  • Standard service – £11 – ready within fifteen working days
  • Priority service – £35 – orders placed before 3pm will be ready for collection after 10am the next working day. Orders placed after 3pm will be ready for collection from 3pm the following working day. Please note all certificates ordered after 3pm on a Friday will be available to collect from 10am on Monday. Priority certificates will be posted the same working day if ordered before 11.30am, or the next working day if ordered after 11.30am (due to postal arrangements).
  • If you wish your certificate to be posted to you, there is an additional £2 charge and the certificate will be sent by recorded delivery. This is to ensure safe delivery of your certificate.

Applying for a copy stillbirth certificate

Due to the sensitive nature of stillbirth registrations, the procedure for ordering copy certificates differs from other types of certificates. The General Register Office holds records of all stillbirths registered in England and Wales since 1 July 1927. Certified copies of these records can only be obtained with the Registrar General’s consent. The following conditions apply:

  • A certificate will only be issued to the mother or father of a stillborn child.
  • Siblings may only apply if their mother and father are no longer alive. They should send details of their parents’ dates of death with their application.
  • Stillbirth certificates can only be obtained from the General Register Office in Southport.
  • For more information on obtaining a certificate after the date of registration, telephone or write to the General Register Office, Southport, PR8 2WJ or call 0300 123 1837

North Lincolnshire Registration Service

North Lincolnshire Registration Service covers Scunthorpe, Brigg, Broughton, Scawby, Barton-upon-Humber, Crowle, Epworth, North Killingholme and Kirton-in-Lindsey, along with other smaller villages in the area.

Register deaths and stillbirths occurring in North Lincolnshire at Scunthorpe Central, Carlton Street, Scunthorpe North Lincolnshire DN15 6TX

registrars@northlincs.gov.uk

01724 298555

North East Lincolnshire Registration District

Covers Grimsby, Cleethorpes, Immingham and Humberston.

The Register Office
Cleethorpes Town Hall
Knoll Street
Cleethorpes
DN35 8LN

01472 324860

Lincolnshire Registration District

Covers Lincoln, Caistor, Bourne, Sleaford, Boston, Louth, Holbeach, Horncastle, Skegness, Gainsborough, Spalding, Stamford and Spilsby.

The Register Office for the District of Lincolnshire
4 Lindum Road
Lincoln
LN2 1NN

01522 782244

When you register a death, the details are entered in a register. The Registrar will ask you to check the entry carefully before signing the register. Once the register has been signed by you and the Registrar, it is deemed to be a legal record and cannot be changed easily.

A legal process is followed which involves producing supporting evidence before any correction can be considered. Registration staff can authorise some corrections at the register office, but others have to be submitted to the Registrar General for consideration and authorisation.

The following charges will apply for any corrections where the informant has supplied incorrect information:

The following is a list of national and local organisations that offer bereavement support:

National bereavement support agencies

There is a range of advice and support available if you’re dealing with bereavement, or supporting someone who is. For a list of national support services please visit Gov.UK.

Local bereavement support agencies

Age UK supports all individuals over the age of 50 years by providing advice, information and a befriending service which aims to minimise social isolation.
Call: 01507 524242

Citizens Advice run the Help Project which includes a Befriending Officer to ensure you are provided the help and support you require.
Call: 01724 296958

Cruse Bereavement Care offer support, advice and information to all individuals who have been bereaved.
Call: 07488253640 or 01724 281178

Hope Again is the youth version of Cruse Bereavement Care, which provides a safe place for young individuals to express themselves through grief.
Call: 0808 808 1677

Jen’s Special Place is a local support group for bereaved children and families within Scunthorpe.
Call: 0785 6030 3301

Lindsey Lodge Hospice provide friendship and emotional support following the loss of a loved one.
Call: 01724 270835

Macmillan Cancer Support give practical and emotional support at the end of life and through bereavement by cancer.
Call: 0808 808 0000

Mind provide emotional support and support with the management of mental health
Call: 01724 279500

North Lincolnshire Children and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMHS) provides mental health support for children and young people up to the age of 18. This is inclusive of support for bereavement and any mental health needs.
Call: 01724 408460

The Samaritans provide support and information in difficult times for yourself or if there are concerns for another individual.
Text: 116 123
Call: 0330 094 5717

The Help Project – a service that supports residents over the age of 50 who have experienced the loss of a loved one.

The Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide exists to meet the needs and break the isolation experienced by those bereaved by suicide.
Local helpline: Nina – 07528788823

Further advice, information and support for bereavement can be provided by school nurses, the local registrar, your workplace and your local GP Practice. More information on what support is available can be found on the following websites: