Benefits and Bereavement How to sort out benefits after bereavement Expand Benefits for you if you are a partner or child of the deceased Depending on which of your loved ones has died your tax allowances, National Insurance and benefits may change. You may need to make new claims for any benefits that your loved one was claiming for your family e.g. Universal Credit/Tax Credits and child benefit. You may be able to claim other benefits: - Funeral Expenses payment if you are on a low income. Click for information on funeral payments. Bereavement Support Payment if your partner has died. Until January 2023 this was only payable to married partners but this has now changed. If you were unmarried and your partner has died you are now entitled to payments and can claim back payments. Please call the Bereavement Service for advice, but have a look at the following information first. Click for information on bereavement support payments. If your income has been reduced you may be entitled to income related benefits. Click for information about calculating benefits If you are now bringing up a child whose parents have died you could get Guardian’s allowance. Click for information on guardian's allowance. If a child has died you must tell the Child Benefit Office and HMRC if you claim Tax Credits. Click for information on child benefits and tax credit changes. Who to notify if the deceased was receiving benefits If you use the 'Tell us Once' service you will not need to notify the Department of Work and Pensions of the death of your loved one yourself as the Tell Us Once service will do this for you. However, there will be a few matters that you do need to deal with; If your loved one had or benefitted from a Motability car you will need to send the car back within 2 weeks of the death. Click here for advice on how to deal with this matter. If your loved one was a blue badge holder this must be returned to the Blue Badge Unit at your local council. Click here for information about dealing with blue badges. TOP TIP Benefits are very complex to deal with at the best of times. Please do seek help from the Government's website in the first instance as this will steer you in the right direction. Alternatively, visit your local Citizen's Advice Bureau.
Bereaved by addiction or substance abuse Finding support and how to give support to anyone bereaved by addiction and substance abuse Expand Looking after yourself following the death of friend, colleague or family member through drug use Losing a loved one through drug use is a terribly difficult experience. Perhaps you didn’t know that your relative/friend was using drugs or perhaps it’s a problem you’ve been fighting for years. Whatever your situation, it might be that you feel you cannot cope with all that it entails, but please be assured there is support for you, and when you feel ready, do everything you can to access it. You will find details of organisations offering help by following the links on this website. Speaking or being with others who understand can be very helpful. Bereavement is often experienced as a very isolating and lonely event and loss through drugs is no exception. If anything, feelings of loneliness and isolation are often more severe, because you find yourself in a situation which not many can relate to, and you wonder who will understand the depth of pain you are feeling. It is possible that you are afraid your loved one will be judged for having made poor choices, or that you yourself fear being judged for having failed as a parent, partner, sibling or friend. Maybe you are judging yourself. Many of us have struggled with anxieties like these. Sadly, feelings of shame and stigma which attach to the bereaved are only too common after deaths through drugs, and is a sign that society has so far failed to grasp the complexity that lies behind drug use and addiction. You will know from your experience that there are no quick fixes, and if there were, you would have done anything you could to prevent this outcome. A few suggestions to help yourself. + Look for support as soon as you can. Don’t be alone with this pain. FIND SUPPORT HERE + Talk about your loved one with trusted people who will listen well. Tell your story, share your memories, happy or sad. Your loved one matters just as much as any other person who has died. You can also help yourself do this through writing poems or letters or through painting or drawing. Whatever works for you. +Show yourself kindness and compassion. You are living through a deeply traumatic life event and you will feel all sorts of physical manifestations, as well as emotional ones. You might find it hard to eat, experience pain and heaviness or extreme weariness, sleep badly or have nightmares amongst other physical effects. Your emotions are likely all over the place as well: anger, guilt, fear, disbelief, doubt, despair, anxiety and more. So there is an extra need for you to look after yourself and take it easy. Try not to expect too much of yourself. +If you’re able, take some daily exercise, walking or running or whatever works for you. Go outside into the garden or park and draw on the resources of the natural world. +It is likely that you will need to deal with police investigations and the coroner’s court. Most of us have no prior experience of this and there are websites which can help us with information. Ask questions and know what to expect, prepare yourself. +Don’t be surprised or frustrated if you find the struggle to cope goes on a long time. You can and will go on to live a fulfilling life again, though it won’t be the same life. The process of learning to live without your loved one after this severe body blow takes as long as it takes, so try not to heed the voices that suggest you ‘ought to be doing better’. And if that voice is your own, do your best to let the thought go and instead, listen to the voice of wisdom and kindness. Supporting a person who has been through drug addiction or Overdose A person bereaved by drugs needs the same support as anyone else, but it can be very hard for them to access that support. The reasons for this are complex. Sometimes the bereaved person feels deeply ashamed of what has happened, as if they, or the one who has died, is to blame. This sense of shame is very powerful and might prevent them from looking for help, for fear of the judgement of others, and a misplaced sense of being undeserving. They might feel stranded, wondering if they can risk going to general bereavement services, or who they dare tell about what has happened. Such feelings can lead to a sense of extreme isolation and abandonment. Bereavements by drugs are often complicated because + In many cases the person who dies is young. + Often the death is sudden and there is no chance to say goodbye. + It is possible that a relationship has been damaged, and trust broken by a person’s drug habit. Alternatively, the bereaved person/people may have known nothing about drug use, and it will likely come as an extra blow on top of the bereavement itself. + The distressing possibility that your loved one died alone and in fear, with no help to hand. + The stress of police involvement and an inquest at the coroner’s court. All of this might take months, which draws out a deeply painful experience. The Coroners Courts Support Service offer invaluable support to grieving families and friends caught up in inquests. FIND OUT MORE HERE + The interest of media may be an additional, intrusive factor. + However they happen, these kinds of deaths are frequently deeply shocking to loved ones, who may go on to suffer flashbacks, nightmares, panic attacks and other distressing symptoms indicative of post-traumatic stress. A death by drugs remains a highly stigmatised event in our society, often provoking lurid headlines in the local press, and those who are affected can feel marked by it. You, as a supporter, have a vital role in coming alongside them and extending kindness in just the same way as you would after any other death. The bereaved person needs to know that you value the person who has died, and that you are non-judgemental and accepting of them, whatever the circumstances of their death. Author: Philippa Skinner
Cancelling Mail How to cancel marketing and other unwanted mail sent to someone who has died Expand Receiving post for the person who has died can be very difficult. Depending on the type of mail, there are a variety of practical measures you can take to deal with the problem. There is another very important reason why it is good to deal with mail as it helps to prevent identify theft. If the property they lived in will be empty while the estate is dealt with or it was rented and must be cleared and returned to the landlord, the first step is to redirect mail to the person dealing with the practicalities. The Royal Mail has a form specifically for this purpose which you can download here. Even if someone is still living in the property, if they are not the person who is dealing with the practical issues after the death, you may still want to use this service to reduce the burden on them if they are in agreement. However, a great deal of what comes through letterboxes is direct mail (commonly called junk mail), i.e. advertising from companies that the person who died has never had contact with. The following two services are designed to deal with this direct mail and will not affect important correspondence from banks and other organisations. The Bereavement Register is a service that was created specifically to deal with this problem, considerably reducing the amount that arrives. The service is provided by the REaD Group and is funded by the companies who sent out the advertising information. It is completely free to use for bereaved people. It usually takes about 4-6 weeks for you to see a result from using this service as massed mailings are prepared well in advance. The companies who pay for the service benefit by not wasting resources and experiencing the reputational damage resulting from sending post to people who have died A similar service is provided by Deceased Identity Protection Service. This is also a free service for bereaved people so you may choose to use both. Informing government organisations and financial institutions of the death are dealt with elsewhere on this site. Organisations of which the person who died was a member will need to be informed individually of the death. If you are doing this by post, you may want to create a brief letter with the essential information of their name and address with a space for a membership number or other key information. You can then print this off as many times as you need it and just add in the specific information for that organisation and your signature by hand. Unfortunately there is no service that stops all mail because not all companies use The Bereavement Register or the Deceased Preference Service. Some of these are based overseas and some charities cannot afford the subscription. There is very little one can do about companies overseas but a phone call to UK charities, or putting the post back in the mail box marked ‘return to sender, recipient has died’ should help. Information provided by TOP TIP Along with making a will, making a list of details of memberships, insurance policies, utility providers and other matters that will need to be informed after your death can make life so much easier for our loved ones after our death. Everyone should do one! Don't forget to KEEP IT UP TO DATE!
Coroners and Inquests: What to expect If your loved one died unexpectedly, by suicide, in an accident or in unexplained causes, the death will be referred to a Coroner. Find out everything you need to know about this process here. Expand This section applies mainly to England & Wales and Northern Ireland (where there are small differences). In Scotland the law on the investigation of deaths is quite different and will be described briefly below with links to further information. Why are some deaths investigated? In all of the UK, each individual is considered to be of such importance that there must be an explanation of why they have died. When a doctor knows why someone has died and the cause is known to be from a natural disease process, they will issue a Medical Certificate of the Cause of Death which allows the death to be registered and a funeral to be held. However, it is quite common for people to die unexpectedly and there is no known cause. In the majority of these deaths, the cause is a natural disease process that was not known to the person or their doctor. Other people die as a result of accidents of various kinds, violence against them by others and also suicide. The coronial system has been in place for many centuries to investigate unexplained and unnatural deaths and continues to provide an essential means of understanding why someone has died. Coroners are a type of judge and all are trained in the law and some are also qualified doctors. Recent reforms have changed the way they work a little but in most cases they are responsible for geographical areas of the country. They are supported by coroners’ officers who carry out most of the day to day investigations and other administrative staff. How are deaths investigated by the coroner? Deaths are mostly referred to the coroner by police or a doctor, but anyone can report a death if they have concerns about the circumstances. The coroner’s team will gather essential information about the person who died and the circumstances of the death and this will include talking to the next-of-kin if at all possible as well as any doctor who has been treating the deceased person. Once it is clear there is no obvious cause of death, the coroner will ask for a post-mortem examination to be carried out. This is a careful external and internal examination of the body. The examination is carried out by specially trained doctors called histopathologists assisted by anatomical pathology technicians. The person who has died is treated with respect throughout and the body is carefully repaired so it is usually possible to visit the person in the funeral home after a post-mortem examination. If necessary, small samples of body tissues may be kept for examination under a microscope and the next-of-kin will be told if this has been necessary. Post-mortem examinations of babies and children are carried out by specialist paediatric pathologists. In some parts of the country it may be possible for the post-mortem examination to be carried out by a specialised scan. This is at the discretion of the coroner and may not be possible depending on the circumstances of the death. If a cause of death is not identified by the scan, there has to be a traditional post-mortem examination. Provided the cause of death has been found to be from a natural disease process, the coroner’s office will inform the family of the results and forward the information to the registrar of deaths. The death can then be registered in the usual way. All of this is normally completed within a few days so there is no major delay to registration or holding a funeral. However, it is wise not to confirm a date for the funeral without checking with the coroner’s office. If the investigation of the death is to be more prolonged or there is be an inquest, the coroner will issue a Certificate of the Fact of Death. This enables who-ever is dealing with the estate to contact banks and other organisations and start the probate process if needed. You should also then be able to contact the registrar of deaths to obtain a unique code to use the Tell Us Once service. The coroner will usually also issue documents that allow the funeral to take place. Deaths that are not caused by natural disease People sometimes wonder why there has to be a post-mortem examination if it seems obvious that someone has died as the result of injuries sustained in a road traffic collision. Firstly, it is important to ensure that no natural cause contributed to the collision e.g. a driver losing control of their vehicle following an unexpected heart attack. The second reason is that careful documentation of the injuries can help explain how the accident happened, such as which part of a pedestrian was hit first and how they were moved by a vehicle. Often the pathologist is able to reassure the family that the nature of the injuries meant that the person who died lost consciousness very quickly and was not in pain for any length of time. If a death is found to be from a non-natural cause, the coroner will hold an inquest. This is a formal court hearing where the coroner calls witnesses to give evidence on oath. It is different from other courts in that there is no prosecution or defence or contesting parties. The inquest has to determine who has died and how they came by the death. An inquest cannot attribute blame for a death but a coroner can require that organisations report to him or her on improvements in their procedures. One of the main reasons for an inquest is to learn from it and to help prevent future deaths in similar circumstances in the future. Although an inquest is a formal court hearing, a coroner and his or her team are very aware of how difficult this can be for a family. There may be a delay of a few weeks or months before the inquest is held and it can feel like the clock has been turned back to the day of the death itself. However it is also a chance for the family to hear and understand, as far as is possible, what happened to their loved one. Some courts are old and traditional in layout but others are in modern buildings. No-one wears wigs or gowns and the coroner will try and ensure that witnesses use plain English when giving their evidence or explain technical terms when they are necessary. The immediate family have the right to ask questions at an inquest but it is often easier to submit the questions you have to the coroner in advance of the inquest and the coroner will try and make sure they are answered if they are legally admissible. Information or questions not relevant to the death are not allowed. Many courts use the Coroners’ Courts Support Service which helps care for families during inquests. There are traditional ‘verdicts’ at the end of an inquest such as accident or misadventure but many coroners will now use a longer sentence to describe the circumstances of the death. The coroner will forward all the information needed for registration of the death to the registrar and the family will be told when they can purchase death certificates if they require them. The government has a very helpful guide for bereaved people coming into contact with Coroner Services which you can download. Deaths where the police are investigating If police or other agencies such as the Health and Safety Executive have been involved in investigating the death, they will report their findings to the coroner. The post-mortem examination will be carried out by a pathologist with specialist forensic expertise. If the Crown Prosecution Service is to prosecute someone for causing the death, the coroner will not hold an inquest, to avoid two courts examining the same death. However, if no-one is charged in connection with the death, an inquest will be held and the finding may be that the person who died was killed by a person or persons unknown. If someone is to be prosecuted, they have the right to request an independent post-mortem of the body. If a coroner believes that someone may be prosecuted at a future date, they may order a second independent post-mortem examination so that this is available for the defence in the future. One of the reasons for doing this is so that the coroner can allow the family to make funeral arrangements. A useful guide to Coroner's services can be downloaded Coroner Services Booklet Information provided by
Dying overseas: What to do if your loved one dies abroad Death overseas Expand If your loved one dies abroad there are a whole set of considerations to take into account. However, there are people to help you and you should seek their advice if you find yourself in this situation. If you are with your loved one when they die abroad Contact the nearest British Embassy, High Commission or Consulates They will be able to offer advice and help you with arrangements. If you are on a package holiday, tour operators or reps should be able to put you in touch with the right authorities. If you are at home in the UK when a loved one dies abroad Contact the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) to seek help and advice. FCO bereavement packs provide comprehensive information on legal processes and services available after a death in any country in the world. Death caused by natural disaster, an accident, serious crime or terrorism or sudden causes The Lucie Blackman Trust (LBT Global) is a British charity that assists families when a relative dies abroad in sudden o tragic circumstances or goes missing. An unexpected death, whether through the acts of another in murder, manslaughter, even terrorism, through natural disaster such as an earthquake or freak weather incident, through sudden illness, a tragic accident, a death on the roads or even suicide can have a long and profound effect of those left behind. The process of dealing with affairs and coping with the loss at home is hard enough, but when the death occurs overseas there are a whole lot of new concerns and considerations. Practical matters, such as whether to have the body brought home for burial, can be fraught with underlying concerns such as whether the police in the country will allow the release of the body. LBT Global have many years of experience in helping families in these situations, and unique knowledge gained from years of professional service helping victims and their families They have been providing a revolutionary level of care to families of British murder or manslaughter victims since 2008 and can offer advice, logistical support, repatriation assistance, problem solving, fundraising support and much more to victims of any serious crime overseas. See our listing HERE to read more about how to contact and get help from LBT Global. Registering the death You must register the death in the country where your loved one died. The British Consul can help you do this. You will then need to register the death with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office as well. When you register a death, you will need to provide personal information for yourself (to prove who you are) and your loved one, including passport number, date of issue and place of issue. Repatriation - Bringing the body home To bring the body home you must have: - a certified English translation of the death certificate – without a translated document your loved one cannot be buried or cremated in the UK Permission from the coroner (or equivalent) Inform a coroner in UK if the death was violent or unnatural Seek advice from the British Embassy, High commission or Consulate about re-patrition. TOP TIP The government provides A STEP BY STEP GUIDE on what to do if your loved one dies abroad. Click here to download
Estate Planning in a digital age BEFORE You Die Register a life or a death - Life Ledger provides an easy-to-use service that helps families simplify the death notification process before death and a free service for anyone registering a death. Expand AtaLoss.org doesn't recommend companies or services. However, we would always encourage everyone to plan ahead for their own death and make the lives of your loved ones a little easier when they are bereaved of you. There are several new ways of doing this and it is worth exploring which one suits you best. The advice offered is good - we are living in a digital age and during our lifetime we will subscribe or set up accounts many times over- far more than we realise. Unless we keep track of these, our loved ones will have a difficult time trying to close them down after we die. Life Ledger is one company that you could check out. Life Ledger’s easy to use estate planning tool is intended to give you peace of mind and ensure that when you die everything is in order for your family to deal with. The platform allows your family to notify all of the businesses associated with you in your life from one place at the same time, quickly and simply. This is a charged for service based on an annual subscription. You can also use the platform to notify companies about the death of a loved one. Registering a death is free. Life Ledger encourages everyone to think about their digital life as well as the more obvious things we need to think about when we die. For example, here are a few that you may be able to relate to: Voicemail Bank or investment accounts Loyalty cards and memberships Online gift cards Social Media, for example Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc. Cloud storage for photos, data, music, etc. Online shopping accounts, for example with Amazon, Paypal and iTunes Subscriptions that are managed online Electronic storage of data or information There are many more than we realise. Registering the accounts you use in your life will help your loved ones when you die. A nice touch is that Life Ledger plants a tree for every death registered on the platform. They say "For us this combines a way to celebrate the life of someone that has passed and helps protect world for the living." Note: Life Ledger charges a £12 annual subscription for its register a life service to hold data on your behalf. Registering a death is free. The services it provides are described as follows; We are a facilitating platform only. We facilitate a means for you to easily and efficiently contact companies to notify them of a death. However, we cannot and do not control what that notified company does with the information. We will only facilitate notification of a death to the companies listed on the drop down menu on our platform.
Find bereavement support wherever you live Let us help you find support in your area Expand We cover all four countries of the UK and currently list over 1400 support organisations. We work with other organisations, local authorities and bereaved people themselves to capture services that will be helpful to you. We know that every bereavement is different and that there is no 'one size fits all' when it comes to bereavement support. So, we list many different types of service so that you have the full range to choose from including:- one to one counselling support and other 'talking therapies' peer support groups and programmes where you can talk to others who have had a similar experience specialist services for different bereavement circumstances such as baby loss or suicide befriending groups where you can find someone to just listen groups for particular ages such as young adults or children groups that support men and the LGBTQ community support that is culturally sensitive and offering spiritual support social media groups for bereaved people. Support includes paid for services and free support. We list services to help individuals find them and explore for themselves. Listing doesn't mean we endorse the service. Use our directory to avoid a waiting list. If you know of a bereavement support service that has been helpful and isn't listed please contact us on [email protected]. You can go straight to find bereavement support by clicking the button below. TAKE ME TO FIND SUPPORT
Funeral etiquette in different faiths Information about different faith funeral traditions and rituals Expand Lasting Post is an organisation committed to giving free independent advice to bereaved people following the death of a loved family member or friend. If you are attending the funeral of a someone of a different faith you can get advice here on, for example, what to expect, how to pay your respects, how to send condolences and what to wear to the funeral. Buddhist Church of England Church of Scotland Hindu Humanist Jewish Muslim Orthodox Roman Catholic Sikh
Funerals : Find an independent Funeral Director near you SAIF represents hundreds of independent funeral directors across the UK, many of them family firms. They exist to enforce standards and ensure bereaved people receive a quality service. Expand THE NATIONAL SOCIETY OF ALLIED AND INDEPENDENT FUNERAL DIRECTORS (known as SAIF) was established in 1989 to represent and support independent, mostly family owned funeral directors. With almost 1000 members across 1,800 sites, and as well 100 Associate members who supply products or services to the funeral profession, SAIF's primary role is to; To promote best practice to ensure bereaved families and their loved one receives the best possible care. To represent the views of members at a national and local level, including influencing at all levels in government To provide training and education programmes to funeral directors meet the highest of standards. Through its own directory of members, SAIF enables bereaved families to find an independent funeral director that meets its professional standards. Find a SAIF Funeral Director Read the SAIF code of practice
Funerals : How to plan one Everything you need to know about funerals Expand Please note that much of the following relates to funerals in the Christian tradition. Information about funeral etiquette in other faiths is available HERE Discussion about a funeral has to happen very soon after the death of your loved one - quite likely in the day or so after the death. This is made easier if your loved one has left instructions. However, there are people to help and you should never be afraid to ask. Your Funeral Director will guide you and if you are involved in a church, the minister will also be able to talk you through the service which follows a format called a 'funeral rite'. If you would prefer to have a non religious service, you can use a Civil Celebrant. You can search for a civil celebrant in your area here. A funeral is an opportunity to create a special tribute to your loved one and whilst painful, can also be memorable and a positive experience. If you have young people in your family, try to involve them in some way, however small. Give them the option to attend or not and change their mind later. You can find some very helpful advice about how to support bereaved young people and how to help them prepare for a funeral on this page. How to support a bereaved young person Discussing burials and cremations You will probably discuss with the funeral director whether a burial or cremation is more appropriate. Be aware that if you choose a burial, the site can become a bit of a physical fixation, if not for you then other family members; if you are likely to move they can feel that they are leaving their loved one behind. Cremations, however, can cause issues around the scattering of the ashes, with family members having different views on what should happen. Collectively, it can be very hard to decide, and as time goes on it becomes a bigger deal. If they wish to discuss the topic with you, help them decide upfront – before the funeral – how they wish to deal with the ashes so that it is a less painful decision after. The service When preparing for the service, you can be imaginative: what do you and the family need at this time? It’s important to have a positive experience as this will make you and the family feel that the person has been honoured. For people of faith, a place of worship is often the venue for a funeral service although if there is a cremation involved, you will also have to pay both church and crematorium fees. A minister of your religion can hold the service in the crematorium if that is your choice. The range of songs and music available is likely to be wider and there are fewer restrictions on readings in a crematorium service. Try to include appropriate music that your loved one liked, even if some of these are secular. If few people are likely to know the hymns, keep them short and only pick one. The minister or celebrant can advise you about this. Funeral Directors Funeral directors are required to provide full information about funerals and costs on their websites. Funeral directors have a great deal of experience, and can provide you with information but please do your own research to find the funeral director that best suits your needs and financial circumstances. If you are struggling to cover the cost of a funeral please visit Down to Earth, a Quaker Social Action project that helps individuals with financial challenges cover the cost of a funeral.
Funerals: How to be involved if you can't attend Suggestions for being part of a funeral even if you aren't present on the day Expand Saying goodbye at a funeral is a significant part of our relationship with the person we have lost, whoever they are. We may dread it, of course, but we still want to be present and to get it ‘right’ as a fitting tribute to all that they were to us. A funeral also plays a very important part in accepting the reality of their death, so it is helpful to be involved and/or to mark the moment however we can. There may be good reasons why you are unable to attend such as illness or the death happened in a different country. If you find yourself in that position, there are still things you can do that will bring you comfort and help you accept your loss and start your bereavement journey. Here are some things you may be able to do i. Choose music It may be possible to choose the music you or your loved one would have liked for the service. ii. Live stream the service Ask the funeral director if the crematorium can live stream the service. This would enable those who can’t attend -perhaps if they live abroad or are ill - to feel part of it (yourself perhaps, included). iii. Audio or video record the service It may be possible for a relative who is attending or a member of the funeral director staff to record or video the event. Permission will be needed from the crematorium, but the funeral director will be able to advise. iv. Send a message for reading out You may be able to write or record a message to be read out or played at the funeral by the celebrant or minister. Contact your funeral director for advice. v. Place a message in the coffin You can still place special messages for your loved one in the coffin if you wish. vi. Ask about the funeral If others were able to attend, ask them to call you afterwards so that you can hear their account of the event, and take the time to share your memories of the person. vii. Hold your own memorial at home. Set aside the time while the funeral is taking place (or later) to hold your own act of memorial at home. Perhaps look at pictures, play some of the person’s favourite music, write a message to them, light a candle or follow any of your own cultural rituals. The Church of England website offers a place for lighting and keeping an on-line candle alight for your loved one. There are some helpful suggestions about holding your own memorial service here.
Get legal advice AtaLoss partner Irwin Mitchell has been providing legal advice and support for over 100 years on a range of topics that could help bereaved people. Expand When you are bereaved and need support, the first thing people think about is emotional support through grief counselling. However, bereavement impacts on many areas of our life, not least of which is the mountain of 'sadmin' which often follows a death. We're pleased to be partnering with Irwin Mitchell - a national firm of solicitors - to raise awareness of the extensive support you may need following the death of someone close, especially if you are a partner of the deceased or a will executor. Irwin Mitchell explain further: "The death of someone close can be traumatic and cause one’s life to go into free fall. Our expert legal and financial teams are here to help. Alongside grief, you might be completely overwhelmed by having to deal with the estate of a loved one and be unsure where best to start. Equally, you might be left with feelings of anger and blame where the death has been caused – or is perceived to have been caused – by the actions of others. As a national full-service law firm, our specialist teams offer advice and support on an array of services for people following the bereavement of a loved one, including: · Wills, Trusts & Estates Solicitors Medical Negligence Solicitors - Claim No Win No Fee Serious Injury Compensation Claims Coping With Bereavement Inquest Lawyers Employment Solicitors, Personal Employment Legal Services, Employee Lawyers Family Law Solicitors Real Estate Lawyers Financial Planning Contact us for expert advice." The links above take you to a third party website where you can find more information and decide if their service is appropriate to you. We strongly advise you to check this is appropriate to your requirements. Inclusion of Irwin Mitchell services on the AtaLoss.org website does not imply any endorsement by AtaLoss.
Government advice when someone dies Government advice when someone dies Expand The Government has a very useful website to help you follow the official processes when someone dies. Government Advice This includes advice on benefits you may be entitled to. You can also find a little more information on this HERE on this website. For information on how to register a death and how to inform all Government Departments at local and national level, please visit our page called 'How to register a death and deal with all the official stuff'. To instigate any action on behalf of the deceased, you need to be the deceased's next of kin- related by blood or marriage-and in all cases will need to provide; the date of death and national insurance number of the deceased your date of birth, national insurance number and contact details (if you are next of kin) contact details of the person dealing with the deceased person's estate and belongings TOP TIP Before giving the deceased's next of kin details to the Tell us Once service you need to get their permission.
Government Departments you need to notify about a death Useful links to Government departments to notify them about a death Expand Official departments you may need to contact in the event of the death of your loved one if you don’t use the Government’s Tell Us Once service. Official matters they need to know about include pension, benefits, passports, driving licenses and others. A comprehensive list of advice and contact information for GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS can be found HERE You will need to notify the local council for council tax, electoral roll and other services. A reduction in council tax will be made if a household consists of a single occupier or if a house is left unoccupied for any length of time. FIND A LOCAL COUNCIL
How to cope when you lose a pet. VIDEO: Qualifed counsellor for over 25 years Pete English provides some advice on how to cope when you lose a pet. Expand Video from the Headstrong Website. How to cope with the lose of a pet, with Pete English. WEBSITE LINK
How to deal with someone's belongings after they have died Most of us value our relationships far more than our possessions. When a death robs us of an important relationship, their belongings can assume great significance for us and others. Here are some helpful tips if you are needed to help sort them out. Expand Most of us value our relationships far more than our possessions. But when a death robs us of an important relationship, their belongings can assume great significance for us and others as tangible reminders that we can touch and hold as evidence of the reality of their former existence. Very sadly, disagreements and disputes about who should have what after someone has died can become very entrenched and be the cause of long-term family breakdowns. In some instances, these disagreements are the visible evidence of pre-existing underlying tensions that have been held in check for the sake of the person while they were alive. This may happen especially where there has been a second marriage or long-term relationship of someone with adult children after the first marriage came to an end. If the new partner inherits (through a Will) or assumes they have inherited what was once the family home of the children, which contains items that hold precious childhood memories of their own parents, there is the potential for conflict and great residual bitterness. How to deal with belongings in a lawful way The following is a suggested step by step way of dealing with belongings, which includes reference to a Will (if there is one) and if the estate is being dealt with under the Rules of Intestacy. Some people never face the perhaps daunting task of sorting out wardrobes, drawers and cupboards after someone has died, leaving it to their next-of-kin to deal with after they too have died. However if someone lived on their own and especially if the property is rented, this is usually a task that needs to be completed sooner rather than later. If the person who has died was getting support with housing costs due to a low income, this stops on the date of death and any landlord will expect full rent to be paid until the property has been cleared. A. High Value Items e.g., pictures, precious gem jewellery, designer watches, collections If the total value of possessions does not exceed £1,500, you can use information from the internet to calculate the value of possessions. Professional valuations should be used if the total is higher than this amount. Are there items of high value that will be left in an unoccupied property? Small items of high value e.g., jewellery and also important documents should be removed from an unoccupied property for safe-keeping. Seek advice from your legal professional if you are using one. If necessary, these items can be stored by a bank. Also ensure these items are appropriately insured. Any insurance in the sole name of the deceased person will become invalid on their death and new insurance for high value items of the deceased can be taken out in the name of the administrator/executor of the estate. Do you know the monetary value of high value items for calculating the value of the estate? Look for insurance valuations or receipts to identify any high value items. Please be aware that this should also include collections e.g., porcelain, stamps or similar. If necessary, seek valuations from specialist sales houses. Note that for the purposes of calculating the value of the estate, you need to know the amount an item might reasonably sell for on the open market so this is not the same as an insurance or replacement valuation. Even if there is a Will, specifying what items are bequeathed to whom, please do not hand over these items to the named beneficiaries. Until the administration of the estate is completed, you cannot guarantee that some items may need to be sold to enable repayment of debts or payment of inheritance tax. B: Ordinary Belongings If the total value of belongings is less than £1,500 you can make an estimate of their open market value if you need to go through the probate process for the estate. This will normally be if there is a property which is part of the estate or there are financial institutions which require probate before releasing any funds to the estate. Even if there is a Will, specifying what items are bequeathed to whom, please do not hand over these items to the named beneficiaries.Until the administration of the estate is completed, you cannot guarantee that some items may need to be sold to enable repayment of debts or payment of inheritance tax. If there is no Will and there is a surviving spouse or civil partner, ordinary belongs pass to them by survivorship, or if there is no surviving spouse or civil partner, they pass equally to the children of the deceased person. If the relationships are more distant, please call the National Bereavement Service or obtain professional help, especially if there is more than one entitled person. Without a Will, a co-habiting partner is not entitled to assets in the estate that belonged solely to the deceased person. However jointly held assets do pass to them by survivorship. If a co-habiting partner was sharing a home with the person who died, it is potentially difficult to prove that ordinary house contents were not jointly owned without proof of the deceased person having solely purchased everything. Where there is a Will, possessions specified in the Will can be passed to beneficiaries once probate is obtained and all debts have been paid. If probate is not needed, the executor should still ensure all debts have been paid before passing on items that have been left to named beneficiaries. Beneficiaries should be asked to sign a receipt for items they receive under the terms of a Will. If there is no Will, it is worth attempting to negotiate with family members to ensure they receive what they wish, if at all possible, by mutual agreement.Try and discover if the person who has died ‘promised’ certain items to particular individuals during their life. This may be items of jewellery, household objects such as pictures or clocks or even items of furniture that were significant to the proposed beneficiary. If the deceased person left a ‘letter of wishes’ this can be used as a guide but does not have legal force.If you have to seek legal advice on how to deal with these issues, the costs will almost always far outweigh the monetary value of the disputed items. General Ways to Pass on Belongings It is not uncommon for a Will to instruct that possessions should be dealt with at the discretion of the executor(s). This usually means that there are no individual high value items. In some cases, family and friends may be permitted to choose possessions if they pay the appropriate value of the item into the estate for a nominated charity. Where there is no Will and no risk of dispute, family members and then friends may voluntarily agree to such an arrangement. When items are large e.g., furniture, it is the recipient who should arrange and pay for transport. Furniture and white goodsThere are many charities which will take items in reasonable condition and refurbish them to donate to families in need or to sell. Not all are able to take white goods and not all are able to collect. Soft furnishings such as mattresses and sofas cannot normally be taken unless they have the original fire safety certificate that was supplied attached to the item. Many parts of the country have ‘Free in xxxxx’ or ‘For sale in xxxxx’ internet sites where items can be offered or there are sites such as eBay.co.uk, Gumtree.com and Preloved.co.uk. It is always important to check the rules of these sites as they operate in different ways and also for any commission charges. ClothingHostels providing services for homeless people may welcome clothing that is in reasonable condition, especially in non-average sizes. Check with them what items they will accept. Some may accept clean and in good condition underclothes. Most high streets have charity shops that will accept clothing in good condition that is clean and in good condition. It is strongly recommended that clothing is taken somewhere away from the area where the person who died was living, especially if there are surviving close relatives and friends in the same area. Very good condition items of good quality clothing may be taken to a dress agency where it can be sold less the commission charged by the agency. RecyclingIt does take some effort but try and recycle as much as possible of items that cannot be sold or given away. Enlist the help of other family and friends with this. Council recycling sites take a wide variety of goods that have been pre-sorted for safe disposal. Destroy the hard drives of any computers that cannot be upcycled before disposing of them. House Clearance servicesIf you cannot cope with clearing a property of belongings there is the Association of Professional Declutterers and Organisers. It sets standards for its members work so that you know you are getting a professional who knows what they are doing, and is experienced in working with bereaved people. To find a member of the APDO near you go to their search website HERE. This may also be helpful if you live at a distance or are physically unable to take this on for any reason. However, if a property is unlikely to contain items that you may want or of some value, it may be more appropriate to use a local house clearance company though an internet search. They should still check with you before disposing of items such as paperwork that might have important information. Forensic Cleaning ServicesSometimes people find themselves dealing with a property where someone has died and not been found for some time or has been the scene of an incident resulting in blood stains and other traumatic evidence of what has happened. There are companies who are equipped and qualified to deal with these situations. Find them using the search terms of forensic cleaners, crime scene cleaners, trauma cleaners. Some companies are geographically based and others offer national services. They will have all the necessary licences to deal with property affected by biological material which has to be disposed of by safe means. Information provided by
How to hold your own memorial Some ideas to celebrate the life of a friend, relation or colleague if you can't attend the funeral Expand There may be any number of reasons why you may not be able to attend a funeral at any time. If the person who died is important to you, you may wish to try some of the following ideas to help you navigate the feelings of loss and disappointment if you are unable to join other mourners. Prepare In preparation, take the time to think about simple things that would be meaningful both to you and to the person who has died. Is there something that they really enjoyed that you could include: a piece of music, a treasured photo or memento of happier times, even the scarf from the football team they supported? Perhaps you could write about them and have it ready to read out? Select a place where you will sit and be still and decide on the length of time you will be there. If you know when the funeral is to be you may like to hold your memorial at the same time. If you are alone, call a family member or a friend and let them know at what time you will be observing the funeral. They may be willing to ‘join’ you at the same time either with technology, or in spirit wherever they are situated. Block out the time to coincide with the funeral At the designated time, you could light a small candle to mark the beginning of your ‘presence’ at the funeral. If there are children in the household, do involve them. Let them prepare drawings or things to say, let them see tears and also laugh at the quirky memories. Answer their questions as truthfully as you can for their age. When you reach the end of your allotted time, say something in conclusion and blow out the candle. There will not, of course be the usual gathering of friends over a cup of tea or a glass of beer, but you could nonetheless make yourself something nice to eat and drink and perhaps toast the life of the friend you have lost. Creating a memorial Finally, begin to think of what you might do to say goodbye with others in the future. You might like to plant a tree, bury or scatter ashes, put up a plaque, create a memory album or hold a service in church. You may not have been able to be at the actual moment of the funeral but your goodbye and marking of their life can be just as meaningful and special. If you are a friend or colleague, suggest to others that you do something together to mark the life lost and ask for ideas. They may have been unable to attend the funeral themselves and will be grateful for the opportunity to do something and help you create something memorable.
Official documents: How to easily cancel official documents How to easily cancel your loved one's official documents Expand Using the Government's ‘Tell us once’ service will ensure all government departments are informed about the death in one go. This includes passports, driving licenses, pensions, benefits, national insurance, tax and blue badges. This service is highly recommended and will save you time and stress at a difficult time. To instigate this you need to be the deceased's next of kin- related by blood or marriage-and will need to provide; the date of death and national insurance number of the deceased your date of birth, national insurance number and contact details (if you are next of kin) contact details of the person dealing with the deceased person's estate and belongings When you register the death the registrar will: let you know if the service is available in your area give you the phone number or website address give you a unique reference number to use the service on-line or by phone TOP TIP Before giving the deceased's next of kin details to the Tell us Once service you need to get their permission.
Pets - What to do if you or a loved one dies and can no longer look after a pet The Cinnamon Trust and Dogs Trust can help. Expand If your loved one had a pet and you or other family member or friend are unable to adopt it, The Cinnamon Trust is a charity that may be able to help. The Cinnamon Trust can help with temporary care if your loved one is going into hospital, help you find a home that will accept pets, or help you make arrangement after your loved one dies. Find out more about how the Cinnamon Trust supports elderly people and their pets HERE TOP TIP If at all possible, it is good to encourage elderly relatives with pets to make arrangements for their pet before they die so as not to worry about the future. If arrangements can be made between owners (or next of kin) and the Trust whilst your loved one is alive so much the better as then the owner will have peace of mind in the knowledge that their beloved companion will have a safe and happy future. Emergency cards are available on request. The Dogs Trust has introduced a free Canine Care Card to enable people to make arrangements for their pet should they die, become seriously ill or no longer able to look after your dog. You’ll never have to worry about what’s next for them – because they’ll be safe with Dogs Trust. We will provide the best possible care for your beloved four-legged companion while doing our utmost to find them a loving new home. The Dog's Trust. This works by appointing a Dog Guardian who has agreed to make decisions for your pet should the worst happen. If you pass away, become seriously ill or move into a care home, you or your Dog Guardian will be able to contact Dogs Trust and arrange for your dog to come into one of their local rehoming centres. The team of experts will use all the information you give the Trust to get to know your dog, and make sure they stay happy and healthy. Under the scheme, the Dog's Trust do all they can to find a responsible, caring new owner for your dog, who can give them all the love and care that you currently do. In the unlikely event that a suitable home cannot be found, the Trust will look after them for the rest of their life because they never put down a healthy dog. They treat every one of their canine residents like a beloved family pet and ensure they get all the loving care they need in our state-of-the-art facilities. Find out more about the Canine Care Card
Protecting Against Identity Fraud Protect yourself and your loved one's estate against identity fraud Expand Protect your loved one's estate from identity fraud We all know that thanks to the wide availability of personal information online identity fraud is increasing. But what happens when an identity is stolen after a person has died? Often, no one notices due to the natural grieving process and the sometimes overwhelming responsibilities that come with settling a person’s estate. Unfortunately, posthumous identity theft is a real problem. It’s important to know how to protect the estate of your loved ones so their data is not exploited by criminals. How Do Criminals Find the Information? Criminals are often well-organised and work diligently to identify potential targets for posthumous identity theft. Databases of details such as full names, birthdates and addresses exist online for purchase. It’s possible that only small amounts of additional detail are required for identities to be stolen. People who have died make tempting targets as the theft can go unnoticed for a long time. The next section outlines how you can reduce the amount of personal information available in the public domain for criminals to scavenge. Prior to the invention of the internet, criminals were known to crawl through rubbish bins to steal documents with personal details listed. This is still a concern when grieving relatives are required to clear a deceased relative’s home. So any documents that need to be discarded should first be shredded or destroyed before disposal. See below for more information on shredding documents. With enough personal information in hand, thieves can use the deceased’s identity to open new accounts and lines of credit, take over existing accounts, and/or collect benefits in the victim’s name. How to limit personal information in the public sphere Losing a loved one is very difficult, and often emotions can be overwhelming. Unfortunately, it’s critical that one family member is made responsible for managing the estate of the deceased family member. This may be the nominated executor of the estate. Here is a list of things that should be taken care of promptly. Some of these actions can only be undertaken after an official death certificate is secured, so make it a priority to have the paperwork completed. Create a list of known bank accounts, credit cards, financial involvements and insurance policies. Get in contact with each provider and close or cancel the accounts and ask them to note that the cardholder is deceased. Use the government’s Tell Us Once service to notify multiple government departments of a death. This will cancel the person’s passport, driver’s licence and social benefits, and remove them from the electoral roll, along with notifying other relevant departments. If you have access to them, edit any social media accounts to remove personal information, or delete them. Some networks allow people to ‘memorialise’ the accounts so they cannot be altered but accessed by previous contacts. There are also physical things you can take care of. Secure the person’s wallet as soon as you’re able. It’s not unheard of for identity documents to be stolen by unscrupulous support staff, Host the wake in a location anywhere except the person’s home. Unfortunately some thieves target wakes to steal valuable items and documents while the families are distracted, Ask the post office to hold the mail if the person lived alone or in supervised care. This prevents sensitive information from sitting in an unsecured mailbox, Restrict the information you include in any public obituaries. Omit details such as their maiden name, birthdate and full address so the public can’t use the information to their own ends, As mentioned above, shred and destroy any documents that contain personal details or NI number. Do not throw them out without first making them unusable by thieves. What document shredding should you do? If your loved one lived alone, as soon after the death as possible, put all their papers and files together in boxes and take them away from the empty property. Before you shred anything, ensure all personal documents are secured and kept together to enable you to go through them and identity which need to be kept and which destroyed. This is not an easy task - it can feel as if you are removing all trace of your loved one's existence, so do this with a friend or other member of the family. What to shed? The easy answer – anything that has a signature, account number, NI number, or medical or legal information (plus credit offers). The complete answer – Ensure you keep legal documents that relate to your loved one's estate together (including leases, investments, pension details) and give these to the Executor. However, you should shred the following; Address labels from junk mail and magazines ATM receipts Bank statements Birth certificate copies not originals Canceled and voided cheques Credit and charge card bills, carbon copies, summaries and receipts Credit reports and histories Documents containing the maiden name (used by credit card companies for security reasons) Documents containing names, addresses, phone numbers or e-mail addresses Documents containing passwords or PIN numbers Driver’s licenses or items with a driver’s license number Employee pay stubs Employment records Expired passports and visas Un-laminated identification cards Items with a signature (leases, contracts, letters) Luggage tags Medical and dental records Papers with a NI number Pre-approved credit card applications Receipts Resumés or curriculum vitae Tax forms Transcripts Travel itineraries Used airline tickets Utility bills (telephone, gas, electric, water, cable TV, Internet) once property bills have been paid. Credit bureau details You should consider contacting a credit bureau individually to place a ‘deceased alert’ on their credit file. This should stop all lenders from issuing new loans in your loved one’s name. Use secured or registered mail to post a certified copy of the death certificate, and a letter including the person’s full name, any past names including previous married and maiden names, NI number, dates of birth and death, and last 5 years of addresses. Contact credit bureau Experian by phone 0344 481 8000 or online at www.experian.co.uk Of course, we would advise everyone to create a list of account, pension and policy details and keep it up to date throughout your life. This will help your executors and family deal with your affairs more easily after your death.
Registering a death How to register a death and deal with the official stuff Expand The following information applies to normal conditions. During Covid19 restrictions most face-to-face services have been suspended. Doctors, registrars and coroners are communicating by telephone and electronically and you will probably be asked to register the death by telephone or online. Your local council will advise what arrangements are in place in your area. Registering the death of someone is the official record that their life has ended and is the formal government record of that fact. A variety of people can register the death but it is usually done by the closest relative, someone from the immediate family or it can be someone who was present at the time of death. If the person has died of a known illness for which they were being treated by a doctor, in the majority of cases, the doctor will issue a Medical Certificate of the Cause of Death (MCCD). This is usually done by a hospital or hospice doctor if the person who died was an in-patient or by the general practitioner (GP) if the person died in a home or care home. An exception would be a condition such as mesothelioma which is an industry associated condition which must be referred to the coroner. There are certain checks which take place before the MCCD is issued. Do not be worried if you receive a telephone call from a doctor called the Medical Examiner. This is normal and ensures that you understand why your loved one has died and are in agreement with the cause of death given. This is gradually being introduced throughout England & Wales but has not yet been fully implemented. Different arrangements are in place in Scotland & Northern Ireland. A hospital/hospice will give you information about when and how to obtain the MCCD. Call the GP surgery to ask when the MCCD will be available if the GP will issue the MCCD. You must make an appointment with the Registrar of Deaths. You can contact them via your county or city council website or switchboard. Deaths have to registered in the area in which the death occurred. It is possible to attend a registrar in another county but the process takes considerably longer. Most councils have arrangements in place for rapid registration or an alternative which allows the funeral take place if this is urgent for reasons of faith. The registrar requires the MCCD which they retain, and the following information: full name of the person who has died, former names and any aliases or known astheir place of birth (town or county or country if not UK as it is known now e.g. Bangladesh not East Pakistan marital/civil partner status and if married/in a civil partnership or widowed, the name and occupation of their spouse/partner the occupation of the deceased person and whether or not they were retired their address the name, address and relationship to the deceased person of the individual registering the death You do not need documentary evidence of any of this information though if you have birth and marriage certificates it can be helpful to have them, or to make a note of the information before the appointment. Memory can be unreliable in the early days following a significant bereavement. If you have the NHS Medical Card of the person who died you can give this to the registrar but it is not essential. There is a statutory fee for death certificates which must be paid to the registrar. Further certificates can be obtained at a later date but they are often considerably more expensive. The registrar will issue: as many certified copies of the entry in the register of deaths as you need – this is commonly called the death certificate and what banks and other organisations mean when they ask you for an ‘original death certificate’ rather than a photocopy. They are all individually signed by the registrar. a free form which allows the funeral to go ahead which should be given the funeral director (or the burial ground/crematorium if you are arranging the funeral yourself). In some cases this may be replaced by a form issued by the coroner direct to the funeral director if they have had involvement following the death (see below). there is also a free form which you can use to notify the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) of the death. It has a form to complete on the reverse side but it is better to use the Tell Us Once service to notify all government departments for which the registrar will give you a unique code. This must be done within 84 days of receiving the code. Registering a death where the cause of death is unknown or uncertain If the coroner initially investigates because the cause of death is not known or the circumstances are uncertain, you will be told by the coroner’s office when you can make an appointment with the registrar. You will need the information listed above but the coroner contacts the registrar directly with information on the cause of death. Permission to hold the funeral is issued to the funeral director by the coroner. If the coroner decides an inquest is needed because of the circumstances of the death, it is not registered until after the end of the inquest. This is part of the formal process and you will be able to obtain certificates from the registrar. However, the coroner’s office will issue you with a Certificate of the Fact of Death, commonly referred to as an Interim Certificate. You will normally be able to obtain probate and deal with the majority of the estate using this certificate but depending on their terms and conditions, some insurance policies may not make a payment until the inquest is concluded. Once you have the interim certificate you should also be able to obtain a Tell Us Once Code from the registrar. More information about steps to follow when someone dies, including benefits you may be entitled to, can be found on the Government's website HERE TOP TIP We advise you to get several copies as many organisations will require a certified copy as proof of death including pension and insurance companies etc. They are cheaper to buy at the time of registration than going back later. Information provided by
Settld End of life 'sadmin' made simple - a free service to help you close the accounts of your loved one after they have died. Expand When someone dies they leave behind a number of accounts which need to be closed — utilities, banking, broadband, insurance, the list goes on. Settld was born out of our team's personal experience of loss, and their frustration at spending hours contacting each company and waiting weeks for confirmation of account closure. Settld has one simple goal: cut the bereavement red tape and remove the stress for others, free of charge. Settld promises that: The service is safe, secure, and free They will keep you regularly updated They will close accounts as quickly as possible To read more about the Settld service and explore their new website click on the link below. WEBSITE LINK
Wills What to do about wills Expand You might have to deal with the will, money and property of the person who's died if you're a close friend or relative, or the executor of the will. The person who died should have told all the executors where to find the original will and any updates, for example, it could be: at their house with a solicitor at the London Probate Department - you’ll need the death certificate and evidence you’re the executor Contact the solicitor concerning the will and inform him or her about the death. They will advise you or another executor what to do next. If the deceased has a will, the executor or administrator will apply for a Grant of Probate. The grant is a legal document which confirms that the executor has the authority to deal with the deceased person’s assets (property, money and belongings). This is called 'administering the estate'. The Executor uses the grant to show they have the right to access funds, sort out finances, and collect and share out the loved one’s assets as set out in the will. If there’s more than one will, only the most recent will is valid. Do not destroy any copies of earlier wills until you’ve received probate. An executor only receives assets if they’re also named as a beneficiary. If your loved one didn't leave a will, a close relative of the loved one can apply to the probate registry to deal with the estate. In this case they apply for a 'Grant of Letters of Administration'. If the grant is given, they are known as 'administrators' of the estate. TOP TIP The Government has helpful advice about death and bereavement on its website. Click here to download its document on dealing with wills and probate.
Your Last Gift - Getting Your Affairs in Order BOOK: A practical guide to making life easy for your family and friends after your death. It will help you rest easy too knowing you have done everything to help them. A great book to read during 'Dying Matters' Week Expand Your Last Gift is a practical step-by-step guide to getting your paperwork together, to help your loved ones deal easily with the sadmin after your death. It has received excellent reviews. "Preparing for Death is not a happy subject and one should not expect an easy read especially as the author is both a lawyer and a priest. Prepare to be surprised. This book is light hearted, anecdotal, amusing as well as being informative, factual, practical and useful. We have all got to die. The lesson of this book is: Don’t make a mess of it. Sadly, most of us do.” Lord Prior of Brampton - former MP and former Chairman of the National Health Service At the heart of this Book is a comprehensive downloadable set of structured forms, for you to fill in the digital versions at your own pace. You will find them set out in the Appendices. The forms bring together all the information which you would want to leave as Your Last Gift. So, no need to put off the process any more – it’s time to start. The book is available to buy in hard form or digitally. e advise the digital version which is more likely to be up to date. Buy hard copy on Amazon Buy electronic version here