Funeral Arrangements

At Surman & Horwood Funeral Services we offer a caring and respectful service for funeral arrangements. We will take care of all the practical arrangements during this difficult time. You can make an appointment with us by calling now on 01844 351323.

What to do when someone dies

It is important to know the practical steps you need to take when someone dies. These can be summarised in the following steps:

Get a medical certificate from a GP or hospital doctor. You’ll need this to register the death. Register the death within 5 days. The Registrar will need to see the medical certificate showing the cause of death, signed by a doctor. If they are available, it is also useful to take the person’s:

  • Birth certificate
  • Council Tax bill
  • Driving licence
  • Marriage or civil partnership certificate
  • NHS medical card
  • Passport
  • Proof of address (eg utility bill)

You’ll need to tell the registrar:

  • the person’s full name at the time of death
  • any names previously used, eg maiden name
  • the person’s date and place of birth
  • their last address
  • their occupation
  • the full name, date of birth and occupation of a surviving or late spouse or civil partner
  • whether they were getting a State Pension or any other benefits

You’ll then get the documents from the Registrar that you need for the funeral.

These will include:

  • a Certificate for Burial or Cremation (the ‘green form’) – gives permission for burial or an application for cremation
  • a Certificate of Registration of Death (form BD8) – you may need to fill this out and return it if the person was getting a State Pension or benefits (the form will come with a pre-paid envelope so you know where to send it)

If the cause of death is unknown, sudden or unexplained it may be reported to the coroner. The coroner will give you the documents you need, or they’ll send them direct to the registrar.

You can then arrange the funeral – this is where we can help you.

The first few days

The first few days after someone close to you has died can be very difficult, and you may still be in shock. At Surman & Horwood we will do everything we can to take care of all the funeral arrangements for you, making the process of arranging the funeral as easy as possible.

Useful numbers

If someone close to you has died, you can call us on one of the three 24 hour numbers, which are listed below
01844 351323
01844 274842
01844 217892