Registering a death
Deaths are registered by appointment only. The Registrar will contact the next of kin when all relevant paperwork is received from the Medical Examiner or Coroner.
Deaths are usually registered by a relative or personal representative of the deceased, the registrar will discuss this with you when they contact you.
Deaths are registered as a two-step process. The Medical Examiner or Coroner will email the registrar with the completed medical certificate of cause of death and this should have the contact details for the next of kin. Please contact us if you have any concerns about this information being correct. The Registrar will then contact the next of kin to arrange to complete the registration. The first part of the registration will be undertaken over the phone and we will gather all the information listed below to undertake the registration. You will then be offered an appointment to attend the register office to complete the registration and be able to purchase copies of the death certificate.
If you do not live near Bridgend there is an option for a death to be registered by declaration at your local register office. The registrar will discuss this with you when they contact you.
We will need the following information:
- full names and surname, including previous names if applicable
- date and place of birth
- occupation
- address
- whether they were receiving a government pension or other benefits
- name, date of birth and occupation of any spouse or civil partner if the deceased was married or in a civil partnership
- NHS medical card if possible
Purchasing death certificates
You can purchase death certificates when you register a death. We accept payment by cash, cheque or debit/credit card.
Where to register a death
A death needs to be registered in the district where it occurred. If the person passed away at the hospital or at home anywhere within Bridgend County Borough, you will need to register the death at Bridgend Register Office.
Bridgend Register Office
Email:
registrar@bridgend.gov.uk
Telephone:
01656 642391
Address:
Civic Offices,
Angel Street,
Bridgend,
CF31 4WB.
Opening hours:
Monday - Friday, 9.30am - 4pm
Tell Us Once
Tell Us Once is a free service offered by HM Government.
When someone has died, there are lots of things that need to be done, at a time when you probably least feel like doing them.
Tell Us Once is voluntary to use and very helpful. It enables you to report a death only once, telling central and local government services securely and confidentially without you having to inform them individually.
Many services can be notified and these 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 Child Benefit and Tax Credits claims (contact HMRC separately for business taxes, like VAT)
- Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) - to update benefits information for example: State Pension, Universal Credit
- Passport Office - to cancel a British passport
- Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) - to cancel a driving licence and to remove registered keeper details, possibly for up to five vehicles
- Public Sector or Armed Forces Pension Schemes - to update pension records
How to use the service
After you have registered the death with the Registrar, if the service is offered face to face, they will complete the Tell Us Once service with you at the same time.
Otherwise, the Registrar will provide you with an unique Tell Us Once reference number, which will enable you to access Tell Us Once service Online
If you have been issued with a Coroners Fact of Death (Interim Death Certificate) you may still be able to use the service and the Registrar will advise you how to do so.
It will help you to have all the relevant information listed below about the person before using Tell Us Once:
- date of birth
- address of the deceased
- National Insurance number
- driving licence number
- vehicle registration number
- passport number
You will also need:
- details of any benefits or entitlements they were receiving, for example State Pension, Universal Credit
- details of any local council services they were receiving, for example Adult Social Services, Blue Badge, travel pass
- the name and address of their next of kin
- the name and address of any surviving spouse or civil partner
- the name, address and contact details of the person or company dealing with their estate (property, belongings and money), known as their ‘executor’ or ‘administrator’
- details of any public sector or armed forces pension schemes they were getting or paying into
Important information
- Permission is required from the next of kin, the executor, the administrator and anyone who was claiming benefits or entitlements jointly with the person who died, before you give their details.
- There is no need to follow-up contact after you have used Tell Us Once unless you don’t receive a confirmation from the relevant department after a reasonable period of time, in most cases a calendar month.
- Once the various agencies informed by Tell Us Once have received notification of the death, they will make any further contact if necessary with the bereaved family.
- Tell Us Once is not a claim to benefit, therefore please contact GOV.UK or the relevant department for advice.
- Tell Us Once does not notify any commercial organisations of the death and cannot arrange for redirection of post.