Registering a death

Once we have received the necessary paperwork from the Medical Examiner, the new legal framework requires a death registration to be made within 5 days. We will be in touch with you to make this happen as soon as we possibly can.

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Where can I register a death?

A death will be registered in the district in which the death occurred. If the death occurred in Telford and Wrekin, we will register the death.

From 9 September 2024, please can families make contact with the Medical Examiners or Coroner regarding arrangements for issuing MCCDs (Medical Certificate Cause of Death) - as we will no longer be able to help facilitate this part of the process. You will only here from our team once we have the correct paperwork required by law. We will then make an appointment within 5 days to complete the formal registration process. This process will still be by an ‘in-person’ appointment.

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Can I pre-register the death?

You cannot currently ‘pre-register’ a death in Telford & Wrekin. However, you can notify us that somebody has passed-away. Please note: it is not mandatory to do this, nor is it a legal requirement; you will still need to attend the Register Office to register the death at a later stage.

In completing the death notification, you will be letting us know of a death that has occurred in Telford & Wrekin.

Please do not notify us of a death that has happened outside of our district, for example in Wolverhampton, Shropshire or Staffordshire.

Once all of the paperwork has been completed by the hospital, Coroner or medical practitioner, we will be in touch with you to make an appointment to register the death.

Notify us of a death in Telford and Wrekin

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Who can register a death?

The people who are legally allowed to register a death has changed. Please seek advice from your Medical Examiner, and they will be able to provide you with further information about who will be the informant.

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How do I register a death?

You are able to register a death or make a declaration of particulars in Telford and Wrekin at our Register Office in Wellington, Monday to Friday. All registrations are by appointment only. Please wait for one of the team to call you to make the appointment.

The registration process can take up to 40 minutes to complete. At the end of the appointment, the Registrar will also issue you with a unique number on a letter, with some guidance on how to complete the Tell Us Once service - notifying various Government departments of the death - in one simple online submission. You will be advised by the Registrar to submit details to the Tell Us Once service within 28 days.

We will need the following information in order to process the registration:

• the date and place of death;
• the forename(s) and surname of the deceased and, if the deceased was a woman who had been married, her maiden name;
• the date and place of birth of the deceased;
• the occupation, and if the deceased was married or widowed or had a civil partner, the full name and occupation of their wife or husband;
• the usual address of the deceased;
• if the deceased was married or in a Civil Partnership, the date of birth of the surviving spouse;
• whether the deceased was in receipt of a pension from public funds; for example, if they or their spouse were employed by a Government department or the armed forces;

Documents to bring with you to your appointment:

• the Medical Certificate Cause of Death is now issued by the Medical Examiner;
• birth and marriage certificates are also useful as a checking aid, if readily available;
• it is important to remember that you are not given a death certificate free of charge; any certified copy certificates issued have to be paid for.

We will provide you with the following documents:

• a certificate for burial or cremation (green form) - this is for you to take to the Funeral Director so that the funeral can take place (in some cases, this will be issued by the Coroner);
• certified death certificates can be purchased from the Registrar at the time of registration. These may be required to deal with such things as solicitors, banks, building societies, insurance policies and probate requirements.

Please note: Only card payments can be taken by the Registration Service. We are unable to take cash payments.

Find out more about Bereavement Support Payment (BSP), what it is, who can apply and how to apply

Last updated: 30/08/2024 14:48