Bereavement Advice
Reporting a death to the Council and other services
Support for child funeral costs - Children Funeral fund for England (CFF)
What to do when someone dies
A step-by-step guide is available on the GOV.UK website and provides information on what to do when someone dies.
What to do when someone dies: step by step - GOV.UK 
It provides information on death registration, notifying Government Departments and dealing with the deceased estate, including:
- Register the death
- Tell Government about the death
- Arranging a funeral and getting help with funeral costs (Funeral expenses payment)
- Checking if you get can bereavement benefits
- Value the state and check if you need to pay inheritance tax
- Applying for Probate
- Dealing with the estate, paying debts and taxes and then distribute the estate in accordance with the will
For further advice, The Citizens Advice Bureau can provide additional assistance.
Registering the death
A death must be registered in the District Registration Office where it happened. The Registration Office for Fareham is at 4-8 Osborn Road South, Fareham PO16 7DG. To make an appointment, you can phone;0300 555 1392 between 9 am till 4 pm Monday to Friday.
Alternatively, appointments can be booked online, using the Hampshire County Council, online portal.
Register a death | Hampshire County Council
When does a death need to be registered?
The death must be registered within five days of the registration office receiving the medical certificate of cause of death from the Medical Examiner's office.
The Medical Certificate of Cause of Death is sent electronically by the Doctor's Surgery or the Medical Examiner's Office to the Register Office.
If the cause of death is investigated by the Coroner, the Coroner will issue a Coroner's Certificate of the fact of Death. In these cases, the death can only be registered after the Coroner has established the cause of death and has discontinued the investigation.
Who can register a death?
People with legal responsibility to register include:
- A relative of the deceased
- A person present at the death
- A person arranging the funeral (this does not include the funeral director).
- A personal representative of the deceased
What information do you need to register a death?
To complete the registration, the Registrar requires the following information concerning the deceased:
- Their date and place of death
- Their full name and surname
- Any names used previously such as maiden name
- Their date and place of birth
- Their last know known address
- Their occupation
- Their marital status
- The full name, date of birth and occupation of the surviving or late spouse or civil partner
- Whether the deceased person was receiving a State Pension or any other benefits.
What documents will you be given?
- The Registrar issues a Certificate for Burial or Cremation, to give permission for the deceased to be buried or cremated which is usually sent electronically to the Funeral Director, appointed for the funeral.
- Certified Death Certificate can be obtained from the Registrar at the time of registration for a fee per certificate. As copies are not acceptable, you may wish to purchase additional certified death certificates.
- A unique Tell Us Once service reference number, to access the service online via GOV.UK and enable you to report the death to central and local Government services
Tell Us Once Service
Tell Us Once is a free service offered by HM Government.
Tell us Once is voluntary to use and is very helpful. It enables you to report a death once, telling central and local government services and confidentially without you having to inform them individually.
The services that can be notified include:
The local Council to update services such as Council Housing, Housing benefit, Council Tax, Blue Badge and remove the person from the Electoral Register
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) – to deal with personal tax and to update regarding tax credit claims
Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) – To update benefits such as State Pension and universal credit
Passport Office – To cancel a British Passport
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) – to cancel a driving licence and to remove registered vehicle keeper.
Public Sector or Armed Forces Pension Schemes – to update pension records
The Tell Us Once Service can be accessed Online via What to do after someone dies: Tell Us Once - GOV.UK
Reporting a death to the Council and other services
Notifying Fareham Borough Council
To report a death to Fareham Borough Council, use our online form
Fareham Borough Council: Online Form
Alternatively, you can contact us on 01329 236100. When notified, we will pass on the details of the deceased to all the relevant departments within the Council.
Fareham Borough Council will also be notified, if you chose the Tell Once Service.
Notifying other services
The Tell Once Service enables you to report a death once, telling central and local government services and confidentially without you having to inform them individually.
Other organisations not covered by the Tell Us Once Service will need to be notified independently. This usually involves providing them with a death certificate.
When you register the death, the Registrar will be able to notify public funds organisations other than state pension, such as a civil service or army pension on your behalf.
The Death Notification Service helps you notify multiple financial organisations of a person's death at the same time for free.
To stop mail to the deceased address and protecting the identity of your loved one, the Deceased Preference Service, is quick, easy and free of charge to register. To register, visit Deceased Preference Service .
Help with funeral expenses
You might be eligible for a Funeral Expenses Payment if you get certain benefits and need to pay for a funeral you are arranging.
To check if you are eligible and make a claim, please visit the GOV.UK website
Get help with funeral costs (Funeral Expenses Payment): How it works - GOV.UK
Support for child funeral costs - Children Funeral fund for England (CFF)
The Children's Funeral Fund for England can help to pay for some of the costs of a funeral for a child under 18 or a baby stillborn after the 24th week of pregnancy.
It is not means-tested: what you earn or how much you have in savings will not affect what you get.
The burial or cremation must take place in England.
What the fund covers
The Children's Funeral Fund for England can help pay for the:
- burial fees
- cremation fees, including the cost of a doctor's certificate
- coffin, shroud or casket (up to a cost of £300)
If you have other funeral expenses, you might be able to apply for Funeral Expenses Payment to cover them. You or your partner must be getting certain benefits - check if you're eligible for Funeral Expenses Payment .
How claiming works
The fees for the burial or cremation can be claimed directly by the burial or cremation provider - you should not be charged. How to claim for some other expenses (for example, the coffin) depends on if you are using a funeral director or not.
Claims must be made within 6 months of the funeral.
If you are using a funeral director
You do not need to submit any claims yourself.
The burial or cremation provider can claim for the fees of a burial or cremation . The money will be paid directly to them.
Your funeral director can claim for some other funeral expenses (for example, the coffin). The money will be paid directly to them.
If you are not using a funeral director
The burial or cremation provider can claim for the fees of a burial or cremation . The money will be paid directly to them.
Claim funeral costs online
To claim other funeral expenses (for example, the coffin) online, please visit
Support for child funeral costs (Children's Funeral Fund for England): What it does - GOV.UK
Bereavement Support
Coming to terms with your loss may be difficult but there are a number of organisations that can help, including, The Citizens Advice Bureau , Cruse Bereavement Care or Counselling Directory . Hampshire County Council also provides information regarding what needs to be done legally following a death, and mental health and wellbeing support following bereavement.