If you have recently lost a loved one, we would like to express our condolences at this difficult time. It can be daunting for a recently bereaved relative to have to face registering the death of a loved one.
“Our aim is to register deaths in a respectful and dignified manner and to offer help and advice on the bereavement journey through the new Tell us once Service”
Customer satisfaction is very important to us. We wish to offer you a high quality, personal and professional service and to give support and advice where we can. If we have let you down in any way we would like to know about it so that we can try to improve. Please let us know what you think by completing our registration service questionnaire. Alternatively you could write to :-
Mr Paul Mee Proper Officer for Registration Matters
Public Health & Protection, Ty Elai, Williamstown, Tonypandy CF40 1NY
Comments, compliments or complaints with regards to this service can be made through our online comments form|
How soon should the death be registered?
A death should normally be registered within 5 days of the date of the death. However, there may be exceptions to this such as when the Coroner is involved.
There are a number of occasions when a death will be reported to the Coroner e.g. when no doctor has treated the deceased during his or her last illness or when the death was sudden, unexpected or unnatural.
If you are aware the Coroner has been involved, please contact your local register office for further information/advice.
To register a death that occurred within Rhondda Cynon Taf please contact the Registrar at:
The Register Office
Municipal Buildings
Gelliwastad Road
Pontypridd
CF37 2DP
Telephone: 01443 486869
See our Registrars - locations and opening times for further information.
Who should register a death?
The primary responsibility for registering a death rests with a nearest relative of the deceased person.
If no relative is available to register the death, please contact your local register office for advice.
Where can I register a death that occurred outside Rhondda Cynon Taf
A death should be registered within the district in which it took place. If a death occurred outside the district of Rhondda Cynon Taf, you can either:
-
attend at the register office in person in the district in which the death took place, sign the register and receive the paperwork, including death certificates, there and then, or
-
you can go to any register office within England or Wales, complete and sign paperwork, which is then sent to the district where the death took place, and then written into the register without your presence. The paperwork you require for the funeral, together with any death certificates you may want to purchase, will be posted out to you.
Please note: if you do register the death in this way, it may lead to delays with funeral arrangements.
Most offices within England and Wales operate an appointment system, you should therefore contact the office you wish to attend and make an appointment before attending.
What documents will I need?
You will need to take the following documents when you attend to register a death:
-
the Medical Certificate of cause of death issued by the doctor or hospital (if the doctor referred the death to the coroner for any reason then the registrar will have to have received the paperwork form the coroner before going ahead with the registration).
-
the deceased’s Birth Certificate if available
-
the deceased’s Medical Card (if this is not available then the deceased’s National Insurance Number)
What information will I need to supply?
About the Deceased
-
The details required to be entered into the register are:
The deceased’s Forename(s) and Surname (if a Married or widowed woman, then her Maiden Surname will also be required)
-
The date and place of their birth
-
Their usual home address including their postcode
-
If the deceased was married their spouse’s Forename(s) and Surname, date of birth and their last occupation
-
Deceased’s current or last occupation
-
The date of the funeral, and whether the deceased will be buried or cremated
Whether they were in receipt of a pension form government funds (this is not a State Pension)
About the person registering the Death
-
The persons full name and Surname
-
Their current address
-
The informants relationship to the deceased
Please note: It is important that the information recorded in the register is correct. If any mistake is made it will put you to some trouble to have it corrected. You should therefore check the entry in the register very carefully before you sign.
What will I have to pay?
Registration of the death and the issue of some paperwork is free of charge.
Certified copies (Death Certificates) can be issued at the time of registration at a cost of £4.00 per certificate.
Some organisations may require you to produce these certificates e.g. for Legal and Evidential purposes.
Certificate fees are set by Statute and reviewed annually.
What is a certified copy?
A Certified copy (Birth, Death or Marriage Certificate) is an exact copyof a register entry.
Certified copies are issued by the registrar and should be used for all Legal and Evidential Purposes.
Birth, Death and Marriage certificates are printed on water marked paper and are subject to © Crown Copyright, this means they should not be photocopied.
Certificate fees are set by Statute and reviewed annually.
What documents will the registrar issue
Once the registration has been completed, in most cases, you will be issued with the following documents:
-
a Green Form - to allow the funeral to take place
-
a White Form – this is a notification of death for the Department of Social Security
The above paperwork is the only paperwork issued free of charge.
Certified copies (Death Certificates) are available from the registrar at the time of registration at a cost of £4.00per certificate.
Bi-lingual Registration
If you would like to have the death registered in both English and Welsh, please discuss this with the registrar when you telephone to book an appointment.
Tell Us Once
Rhondda Cynon Taf provides a service to try and help bereaved families inform other council departments and Government organisations about the death. This can be done immediately following the registration so that there is no need to make more appointments to see lots of different departments and organisations to contact them about the death. Just tell us once|.
Special assistance
If English is not your first language and you would like someone to help you with the registration, pleas ask a relative or friend to accompany you to the register office.
Please remember you must register the death personally: you can Not ask a relative or friend to attend and register instead of you.
If you require any further assistance, then please discuss your needs with the registrar when you make an appointment.
Probate
The personal Representative
The person who deals with everything owned by the person who died is known as the personal representative (also known as the executor if they are named as such in the will, or the administrator if there is no executor named or no will).
If you are the personal representative you may have to apply to prove the will or, if there is a will, apply for letters of administration. This will give you permission to pay the bills and deal with the estate.
For more information on how to obtain probate contact the Probate and Inheritance Tax Helpline on: 0845 30 20 900
The help line is open Monday to Friday 9.00am to 5.00pm, except bank holidays. Alternatively, you can obtain information online from the Court Service website|. Information about Inheritance Tax is available from the Inland Revenue|.
What If I make a mistake in the register entry?
The register is a Legal Document it is therefore important the information recorded in an entry is correct.
If any mistake is made it will put you to some trouble to have it corrected.
You should therefore check the information recorded in the register very carefully before you sign.
If you find an error has been made you should contact the register office as soon as possible.
Further Information
You can register a death within Rhondda Cynon Taf at our district office Pontypridd, or at one of our sub-offices based at Aberdare or Treorchy.
Our offices operate an appointment system please telephone to arrange a mutually convenient appointment.
To book an appointment at of our offices please telephone us on: (01443) 486869
Email: Registrar@rhondda-cynon-taff.gov.uk|
If you would like to complete a short survey on our standard of service please click on the link below
Questionnaire/Survey|