What to Do When Someone Dies: A Practical Guide for Devon Families
The days immediately following a death are overwhelming. This step-by-step guide covers what needs to happen, who to contact, and how to find affordable funeral options, including services available to families across Devon and the South West.
Losing someone is hard enough without the added stress of navigating paperwork, registrations, and funeral arrangements you’ve never had to deal with before. Most people have very little idea what is legally required or what their options are until they’re in the middle of it.
This guide is intended to help. It covers the practical steps that need to happen after a death in the UK, the decisions that need to be made, and the options available to families in Devon and across England and Wales.
Step 1: Getting a Medical Certificate
Before anything else can happen, a doctor must certify the cause of death and issue a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD). The GP or a hospital doctor usually does this. If the death was sudden or unexpected, the coroner will be involved, which adds time to the process.
You’ll need this certificate before you can register the death.
Step 2: Registering the Death
In England, a death must be registered within five days (unless the coroner is involved). You need to visit a register office in the district where the death occurred. In Devon, this can be done at offices in Exeter, Plymouth, Barnstaple, Torquay and other locations.
You will need to bring the MCCD and, where possible, the deceased’s NHS medical card, birth certificate, and marriage or civil partnership certificate if applicable. The registrar will issue a death certificate (you will need several certified copies, which are typically five to ten, for banks, insurance, pension providers and so on) and a green ‘certificate for burial or cremation’.
Step 3: Notifying Relevant Organisations
The Government’s Tell Us Once service allows you to report the death to most government departments in a single step, including HMRC, the DVLA, the Passport Office, and the Department for Work and Pensions. This saves a significant amount of time and administration.
You’ll also need to notify the deceased’s bank, any pension providers, insurance companies, utility companies, and the Electoral Roll.
Step 4: Arranging the Funeral
This is where many families feel most out of their depth. Funeral costs have risen sharply in recent years, and the pressure to make decisions quickly, which can often be made within a day or two of the death, leaves little time for research.
The most important thing to know is that you have more options than a traditional funeral director might present. One option that has grown significantly in popularity across the UK is direct cremation.
What is Direct Cremation?
Direct cremation is a cremation without an attended service. The funeral provider collects the deceased, handles all necessary paperwork, conducts a private, individual cremation, and returns the ashes to the family. There is no ceremony at the crematorium.
This does not mean there is no opportunity to say goodbye. A separate memorial service can be held at any time at home, at a community space, or outdoors, giving families far more flexibility over how and when they mark the death.
The cost is substantially lower than a traditional funeral. Providers such as directcremation.co.uk offer direct cremation from £895, compared to a national average of over £4,000 for a traditional funeral. They collect from any hospital or mortuary in England and Wales, meaning families across Devon are fully covered.
Who Qualifies For Free Funeral Support?
If the person arranging the funeral receives certain benefits, including Universal Credit, Pension Credit, or Housing Benefit, they may be eligible for the Government’s Funeral Expenses Payment, which can cover the full cost of a direct cremation. Applications are made through the Department for Work and Pensions.
Step 5: Dealing with the Estate
Once the immediate arrangements are in hand, attention turns to the deceased’s estate. If there is a will, the executor named in it is responsible for administering the estate. If there is no will, the rules of intestacy apply, and a close relative will need to apply for letters of administration.
Probate, the legal process of proving a will and authorising the executor to deal with the estate, is required for estates above certain thresholds. A solicitor can help with this, or it can be done personally through the Probate Registry.
Getting Help
You do not have to manage this alone. Several organisations offer free support to bereaved families:
- Cruse Bereavement Support: cruse.org.uk — free bereavement counselling and practical advice
- Citizens Advice: free legal and financial guidance
- The Funeral Planning Authority helps verify the legitimacy of funeral plan providers
- Devon-based hospices, including Hospiscare, offer bereavement support to families of patients
Taking things one step at a time and asking for help when you need it makes the process manageable. The first days are the hardest. At directcremation.co.uk, we are here to support you at every stage.
