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Bereavement advice and support

When someone dies there can be lots of things to sort out and often whilst you are experiencing personal distress. This information provides some practical guidance on what to do.

Please see below for leaflets and useful contacts. If at any time you feel unable to cope emotionally, please call the practice to seek guidance or to book an appointment. There are services available to help you following a death and the practice can offer you support and information.

In the first few days after someone passes away you will need to get a death certificate from the practice or the hospital in which they have passed away, and register the death within 5 days. Please call Stoke on Trent Council on 01782 235260 to make an appointment to register the death.

Once the death is registered you will be given documents which enable you to arrange the funeral. Please note that sometimes, dependent on the circumstances, the death is reported to a coroner and this will cause a delay in receiving a death certificate.
Information on how to register a death with Stoke-on-Trent Council is available on the link below.

Stoke on Trent Council offers a service called ‘Tell Us Once’, which you can use to inform them of a person’s passing. They will then inform all relevant government organisations on your behalf, such as DVLA, DWP and HMRC. You do not have to use this service and can choose to inform government organisations yourself if you prefer.

You will not need to deal with their will, money or property straight away.

You can apply for a Funeral Expenses Payment (also called a Funeral Payment), click on the link below, if you receive certain benefits and need help to pay for a funeral you are arranging.

Coping with the death of a loved one can be extremely hard and you may be dealing with lots of different emotions. Age UK have some really useful information on coping with bereavement which can be accessed from the link below. 

Dove Service is a bereavement and loss support charity, covering Stoke on Trent, North Staffordshire and Cheshire. Information on the services which are available can be accessed from the link below.