Arranging a Funeral in Scotland

What to do when someone dies

• When someone dies in a hospital or nursing home, the doctor attending will normally issue the Cause of Death Certificate (Form 11). Make sure that the medical staff know as soon as possible that you are planning a cremation as there are additional forms that the doctors need to complete for cremation: Statutory Cremation Forms (Forms B&C).
• The Funeral Director can help organise the cremation forms for you and will also pay the Doctors fees if required (£147)

When someone dies unexpectedly

• When someone dies unexpectedly, it is normal for the Procurator Fiscal to be informed. The Fiscal will make enquiries into the cause of death and may decide to carry out a post-mortem examination. When satisfied, the Fiscal will then give permission to issue the Cause of Death Certificate (Form 11)
• Once a Death Certificate has been released by the Fiscal, the Funeral Director can request a Procurator Fiscal's Authority to Cremate (Form E1) There is no fee for this form.

Registering the death

• All deaths must be registered at a Registrar of Birth Deaths and Marriages by a relative of the person, anyone present at the death, or the deceased's executor. You need to take the Cause of Death Certificate (Form 11) and also, if available, the person's Birth Certificate and Marriage Certificate(s)
• The Registrar will issue the Certificate of Registration (Form 14), this is the document required by the funeral director to allow cremation to take place. In addition the registrar will issue the Social Security Notification (Green Form) for the DWP, an Abbreviated Extract of Registration for banks etc and (on payment of a fee) a Full Extract of Registration as required by insurance companies or Solicitors.

Arranging the funeral

• Once you have the Form 14 from The Registrars and the cremation documents have been completed the funeral can be arranged.
• The Funeral Director will agree a suitable time to visit you at home to:
  • complete the Application for Cremation (Form A),
  • discuss all the funeral arrangements such as who will conduct the service,
  • talk about any particular music requirements. (If you have a CD to play give this to the Funeral Director at this point.)
  • and also discuss your wishes for the cremated remains.
• If you select the Basic Service we will send you the necessary forms.

Once the funeral has been arranged

• Once the funeral arrangements have been completed, the Funeral Director will provide you with a full invoice, and payment will be taken at this point and the time of the funeral will be confirmed.
• The Funeral Director takes responsibility to deliver all the appropriate documents to the crematorium, collect the deceased, provide a suitable coffin and deliver the coffin to the crematorium.

Paying for the funeral

With all of our services, the funeral account must be paid at the time of making arrangements. The Funeral Director will provide you with a full invoice and receipt when finalising the arrangements.

Methods of payment:

• Direct bank transfer to our bank account
• Cash
• Bankers Draft or Cheque (please be aware that these can take 5 days to clear)
• Pay Pal offers a secure way to pay for a funeral, but we have to add 3.5% to our costs to cover their charges

DWP Funeral Payment £700

If you are eligible for a Funeral Payment you can apply for the following:

• The cost of Funeral Directors Services up to a maximum of £700
• The cost of Doctor's certificates
• The cost of the necessary removal of a pacemaker
• The fees charged by your local authority responsible for the cremation

You are eligible for a Funeral Payment if it is reasonable for you or your partner to take responsibility for the funeral costs and you are getting any of the following:

• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
• Employment and Support Allowance (income-related)
• Pension Credit
• Housing Benefit
• Council Tax Benefit
• Child Tax Credit at a rate higher than the family element.

How to claim

You need to make a claim within 3 months by completing a Funeral Payments from the Social Fund Form (SF200) and including our Invoice/Receipt. You will normally receive payment direct to your bank or building society account within 2-3 weeks. If you have selected our Basic Service you can expect to receive payment in full for the funeral. Basic Service »

Links

Click here for more information on help with funeral costs.