What to do when
someone passes away.

At home or in a care setting

A calm first step,
when you feel able.

If the passing was expected at home

Contact your loved one’s GP, district nurse or palliative care team when you feel able. If it is outside normal working hours and you cannot reach their care team, call NHS 111.

A healthcare professional will visit to formally confirm what has happened. Once this has taken place, you can contact Everlay and we will arrange to bring your loved one into our care at a time that feels right for your family.

You do not need to make any funeral decisions during this first call. We will explain the immediate next steps and give you time for everything else.

If your loved one was in a care home

The care-home team will usually manage the immediate steps, contact the appropriate healthcare professional and guide you through what happens next.

When you are ready, you or the care-home team can contact Everlay. We will coordinate with them directly and arrange for your loved one to be brought into our care.

In hospital or hospice

Support is already
close at hand.

If your loved one passes away in hospital

The hospital team will take care of the immediate steps and give you time to be with your loved one.

The hospital’s bereavement or medical examiner’s office will contact you to explain what happens next. A medical examiner will review the circumstances and you will have an opportunity to ask questions or raise any concerns.

The hospital will arrange the necessary medical paperwork and let you know when you can register the passing. You may contact Everlay before this process is complete—we can begin listening to your wishes and liaise with the hospital when the paperwork is ready.

If your loved one passes away in a hospice

The hospice team will guide you through the immediate steps, provide support and explain what will happen next.

When you feel ready, contact Everlay. We will work directly with the hospice to arrange for your loved one to be brought into our care, allowing you to focus on your family and the time you need together.

Unexpectedly or away from home

Clear guidance in
unfamiliar circumstances.

If the passing is unexpected

The ambulance service and police may attend. This is a normal part of the process when the circumstances are unexpected and does not necessarily mean that anything suspicious has happened.

The passing may be referred to a coroner, who will decide whether any further examination is needed. During this time, your loved one will remain in the coroner’s care. Everlay can still support you and begin discussing the arrangements, but we can only bring your loved one into our care once the coroner gives permission.

If your loved one passes away elsewhere in the UK

The immediate steps will be managed by the local healthcare professionals and authorities. Contact Everlay when you feel ready. We can speak with the organisations involved, explain the process and help coordinate bringing your loved one closer to home once permission has been given.

If your loved one passes away abroad

Contact their travel-insurance provider as soon as possible, as the policy may cover repatriation and other associated costs. The local authorities, tour operator or British consulate can also help you understand the requirements in that country.

The passing must be registered in the country where it occurred. If you would like your loved one to return to the UK, an international funeral director will need to arrange the repatriation after the local procedures have been completed.

Everlay can help you understand the next steps and coordinate with the appropriate specialists so that the arrangements are brought together as smoothly as possible.

Registering the passing

Paperwork,
made clearer.

The official process is known as registering the death. You will not usually need to begin this immediately.

A doctor will first confirm the medical cause and contact the medical examiner. Their office may contact you to explain the cause, answer questions and confirm when the passing is ready to be registered.

Once you receive that confirmation, arrange an appointment with the register office. In England, registration must normally take place within five days of being told that you can register, including weekends and bank holidays. If a coroner is involved, their office will guide you through the different process.

Information the registrar may ask for

• Full name and any previous names
• Date and place of birth
• Last address and occupation
• Details of a spouse or civil partner, if applicable
• NHS number, if available

After registration, you will receive the certificate needed for burial or cremation—often called the green form. You can also purchase certified copies of the death certificate for banks, pensions, insurance providers and other organisations.

Tell Us Once and who to contact

One notification,
fewer calls to make.

Tell Us Once is a government service that allows you to notify several government departments about your loved one’s passing at the same time.

The registrar may complete it with you or provide a unique reference number so you can use the service online or by telephone. The reference number must be used within 28 days.

Information that may help

• National Insurance number
• Passport and driving-licence details
• Vehicle registration numbers
• Benefits, State Pension or public-sector pension details
• Local council and council services
• Details of a surviving spouse, civil partner or estate representative

Private organisations

Tell Us Once does not notify private organisations. You may also need to contact employers, banks, mortgage or credit providers, insurers, private pensions, utilities, landlords and subscription providers.

There is no need to contact everyone at once. Begin with accounts affecting the home, regular payments or immediate finances, then work through the rest when you feel able.