Arranging The Funeral

After registering the death, which must be done within 5 days, you then need to arrange the funeral.

Choose a local, independent undertaker who is registered with the National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD) or the National Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors (SAIF).

Undertakers who are members of these organisations have to follow certain codes of practice.

Make sure you have obtained the Death Certificate and Disposal Certificate from the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages before trying to organise the funeral.

The will needs to be read and checked to see if there are any special instructions for the funeral.

Check the deceased’s paperwork to identify if there are any papers that indicate whether the deceased may have prepaid for their funeral or advanced any wishes about the funeral arrangements.

• Whether you want the body to be buried or cremated;
• Where the funeral should start from and when it is to take place;
• Whether there should be a religious service;
• Where the funeral should be held and who should conduct it;
• Whether you want flowers (and what happens to them after the service) or do you request that mourners make donation to a  charity;
• Whether to place an announcement of the death in a national or local newspaper;
• If cremated, what should happen to the deceased’s ashes;
• Whether you wish for a memorial plaque to be placed anywhere;
• Your chosen funeral director will help and advise you about the formalities and any problems.

If you arrange the funeral, you must pay for it (or at least pay a deposit) in advance, although you can reclaim the costs from the deceased’s estate.  If there are insufficient assets in the deceased’s estate, then an application can be made to the Department for Work and Pensions.