A death must be registered in person and the registration must take place in the district where the death occurred.
The Medical Examiner will independently scrutinise all deaths that do not involve a post mortem or inquest. They will receive the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death from the Doctor for scrutiny. Their role is to liaise with the doctor and family about the cause of death and where necessary engage with the coroner.
Once scrutinised the Medical Examiner Officers will email a copy of the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death to the Registration Office. Upon receipt of the paperwork, they will contact the next of kin to arrange an appointment.
A death must be registered within five days from the date the Registration Office receives the paperwork from the Medical Examiner. This period can be extended if the coroner is involved and in some other exceptional circumstances.
If the death occurred in the Wakefield district, you will be able to register in person at one of the offices shown below;
Wakefield Register Office
Wakefield Town Hall
Wood Street
Wakefield
WF1 2HQ
Pontefract Registration Office
Town Hall
Bridge Street
Pontefract
WF8 1PG
If it is difficult for you to get to the Registration Office, you may visit your local Register Office and declare the necessary information. Please be mindful that registration by declaration will usually delay the issue of the document needed for the funeral arrangements.
What happens if the death is referred to the coroner
In some cases, a death will be referred to the Coroner for investigation. Once the Corners investigations are completed, he/she will contact you and will provide written notification to the registrar for the registration to proceed.
Inquests – if an inquest is held the Coroner will inform the registrar once the inquest is over and the death will be registered. You do not need an appointment to register. If you wish to purchase death certificates you can order these online at Ordering a certificate – Wakefield Council
Who can register a death
The primary responsibility for registering a death rests with the closest relative by blood or marriage. If no relative is available to register, please contact the Registration Office for advice.
The appointment
When the Registration Office contact you it will be by telephone and from a withheld number, they will arrange an appointment for you to attend either the Wakefield or Pontefract office. The appointment will be confirmed by email. It is important that you arrive on time for your appointment. The appointment will last approximately 30 minutes.
The registrar will require certain information from you to register the death, this can be found here. https://www.wakefield.gov.uk/media/y3mb152l/annex-a-informants.pdf
Documents relating to the deceased that may be helpful but are not essential at the point of registration are;
- Passport and/ or Birth Certificate
- Proof of Address i.e. utility bill
- Deed Poll (if applicable)
- NHS Medical Card
- Marriage and /or Civil Partnership Certificates – including any from previous relationships which are available
What documents you will receive from the registrar
After the information has been recorded the registrar will issue the necessary forms and certificates. Death certificates can be purchased at a statutory fee of £12.50 each.
The Form 9 (green form) – the forms required to proceed with the funeral arrangements will be given to you at the end of the appointment to pass on to the funeral director.
Tell us Once
Tell Us Once is a free local and central government bereavement notification service. Tell us Once will contact government and local council services on your behalf, following a death registration. This short information video provides further information https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egkHE6y2rpg .
At the end of your appointment the registrar will issue you with a unique reference number so you can use the service online or by phone.
For more information visit the GOV.UK advice page here. https://www.gov.uk/after-a-death/organisations-you-need-to-contact-and-tell-us-once
Life Ledger
Life Ledger is a free, easy-to-use service that allows families to inform companies such as banks, insurance, gas, water, telecoms, and social media, connected to the deceased, from one place. Please visit their website for more information.