When we can arrange a funeral

Where we are told when people have died with no next of kin or where there may not be enough funds to carry out a funeral service, we may be asked to arrange the funeral.

It is our duty, under the Public Health Control of Disease Act 1984 section 46(i), to arrange a burial or a cremation for a person who has died within our area where no suitable funeral arrangements have been, or are being, made.

We are then entitled to recover the funeral costs from the estate of the deceased, in the form of a civil debt recoverable within three years.

In cases where there are assets that exceed the cost of the funeral, and where there are no other bills outstanding, any money left will go to the Estates Group within the Bona Vacantia (small receipts) Division of the Treasury Solicitor, in accordance with the rules set down by the Secretary of State.

We will not become involved if any funeral arrangements have already been made or the funeral has already taken place. The council will not part-fund a funeral or contribute to the cost of a funeral which has already been organised by someone else.

Public Health Funeral Referrals (June 2020 - Present)

Name of Deceased	Date of Death	Outcome	Next of Kin?	Referral to Treasury Solicitor
Guy Anthony Bacon	23/11/22	Burial	Yes	No
Antony Ernest Irving	17/09/22	Burial	Yes	No
George Gooding	09/05/22	Cremation	Yes	No
Richard “Alan” Angwin	14/08/22	Passed to Executors	No	NA
Donald Chalmers	08/05/22	Passed to NOK	Yes	NA
Noel McGrath	23/01/22	Burial	Yes	No
Keith Rooke	20/02/22	Passed to NOK	Yes	No
Diane Caroline Shaddick	14/01/22	Burial	Yes	No
Eve White	10/01/22	Cremation	Yes	No
Boris Bujula	17/11/21	Burial	Yes	No
Charles Gardner	17/09/21	Referred	Yes	NA
Steven Monroe	16/03/21	Burial	No	No
John Latham	25/02/21	Burial	Yes	No
David Reed	22/02/21	Unrecorded*. Funeral plan in place.	No	No
Leslie Clements	27/12/20	Burial	No	Yes
Rodger Garrick-Steele	10/12/20	Passed to NOK	Yes	NA
Jennifer Alfreda Handscombe	03/08/20	Burial	Yes	No
David William Baker	11/07/20	Passed to NOK	Yes	NA
Michael Joseph Ohara	17/06/20	Burial	Yes	No

When we will not get involved

We will not undertake funeral arrangements if the deceased died in hospital or in an ambulance on the way to hospital. Under these circumstances the hospital authorities will take responsibility.

We will not normally undertake funeral arrangements if the next of kin were in receipt of benefits, as the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will pay.

Getting help to pay for a funeral

Visit gov.uk or call 0800 731 0469.