It can be a particularly difficult and stressful time when you lose someone close to you. The Ipswich Bereavement Services team are dedicated to providing a sensitive and caring service to the bereaved at all times. By providing information on the choices and services available to you, it is hoped that the sad task of making funeral arrangements will be made a little easier.
There are many different websites that exist to help you understand the decisions that need to be made and people that need to be contacted in the event of a death. In particular we would recommend the Bereavement Advice Centre website (opens in a new window) which includes support and advice on what to do when someone dies.
Registering a death
Unless the Coroner is dealing with the case, the first thing that the next of kin will need to do is to register the death.
The Ipswich office is managed by Suffolk County Council and is open from 9.00am - 4.00pm, Monday to Friday. It operates an appointment system. The Office can be contacted on 01473 583050 and further information can be found in the relevant section of the Suffolk County Council website (opens in a new window).
Planning a Funeral
A funeral can be either a burial or a cremation. In some cases the deceased may have made plans for their own funeral in advance but otherwise it would usually be arranged by a relative or close friend.
The majority of people will seek the assistance and professional expertise of a Funeral Director. If you do choose to employ a Funeral Director to manage the arrangements we would recommend that you ensure they belong to one of the professional associations, in order that they adhere to codes of practice and complaints procedures. A full listing of local funeral directors can be found in the Yellow Pages (opens in a new window).
Ipswich Borough Council is also supportive of those wishing to make their own funeral arrangements and staff in the Bereavement Services team are pleased to give advice should it be required. You can contact the team direct to discuss your questions further.
Costs
A funeral can be very expensive and it is important to think about the finances carefully. Sometimes the deceased will have taken out a pre-paid funeral plan to cover the costs of their own funeral or, when this is not the case, the costs will normally be met from any money that the deceased has left or by friends and family.
In some cases, if the person organising the funeral receives a means-tested social security benefit such as income support, they may be able to claim a 'Funeral Payment' from the social fund to cover the cost of a simple funeral. However, even when a payment is received from this fund it is not guaranteed to cover the full cost of the funeral and the organiser may still need to pay the difference. More information about social fund payments can be found on the Direct Gov website (opens in a new window).
For further advice on how to plan for the funeral please either contact the team or use the websites in the Useful Links section for further information.