Death Certificate ? Price To Rise Hot On The Heels Of The Recent Increases Announced For Probate

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Probate increases : https://www.carersuk.org/forum/support-and-advice/carer-disability-benefits/probate-massive-increase-in-charges-on-the-way-for-some-sneaked-in-through-the-back-door-36309

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Death certificate to treble in price.

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**_The price of a getting a death certificate will nearly triple from this weekend in England and Wales.
Families registering a death will be charged £11 from Saturday for each certificate, up from £4.

Costs for birth and marriage certificates are changing as well, but pricier death certificates will have the most serious impact.

Relatives sometimes require up to 20 certificates to prove to different authorities their loved one has died.

Certificates might be needed to prove a death to a life assurance company, or send to banks, building societies and investment firms.

Where shares are held, you can be asked to send in a Certificate of Registration of Death to get ownership transferred.

[u]Even if the deceased person’s affairs are fairly simple bereaved families may well require five or 10 certificates.

If the latter, the cost will rise from £40 to £110 for bereaved relatives at a testing time.[/u]

Some local authorities have already posted the increases on their websites, including Wigan, Gloucestershire and Kingston.

Kingston Council in London told BBC News that the increase was set by the General Register Office, which answers to the Home Office.

“The increase to £11 is mandatory,” said a council spokesperson, “and is effective across England and Wales from 16 February 2019.”

While the price of marriage and birth certificates are rising by a similar amount, people seldom need more than one copy. Ordering extra copies retrospectively can also cost more.

More than half a million people die each year in England and Wales, so the price increase is likely to bring in millions of pounds.

The Home Office said the price rise was the first increase since 2010.
“The fees are set at cost recovery levels only, and registration officers have power to waive or reduce fees on grounds of compassion or hardship,” a spokesman for the Home Office said.

Terry Tennens, chief executive of the National Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors, said the trebling in price of a death certificate was “highly inappropriate” in the current economic climate.

The price of a death certificate ordered online from the General Register Office will go up from the current rate of £9.25 to the same higher cost of £11._**

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“The fees are set at cost recovery levels only, and registration officers have power to waive or reduce fees on grounds of compassion or hardship,” a spokesman for the Home Office said

Nothing further on this VERY important aspect known … as I type !

The banks will be happy bunnies … probate fees risen as well … increases in bridging loans pending probate / letters of administration … in a different life , I granted a fair few of those myself.

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As Dad has just died, I thought worth posting on this. My SIL used to work in a job centre and she said that you can get certified copies of the death certificate from Job Centre Plus? I don’t have time to research if this is still the case, but will have a look when I get a chance!

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After I’d bought multiple death certificates after Mum died last May, I was told of an organization that can notify up to ten organizations of a person’s death and requires you send them a single death certificate which they then send back to you. I used that service to notify banks, building societies and utilities of mum’s death. I think I found the service through the Registry of Births, Marriages and Deaths. Had to be done within a month after the death. The banks, etc., ,then contacted me. Saved time and would have saved money, had I not already had bought the certificates!

I found the name and website: it’s Tell Us Once

You give Tell Us Once the names of the banks etc over the phone.

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I had a similar experience to Rosemary at the registry office, my Sister had told me about the “Tell Us Once” scheme so I took Dads driving licence etc. along all prepared. It did work really well, although being a softy it upset me seeing them cut the invalid corner of Dads licence.

Within a week Mum came to me in tears as the L/A had re-issued Dads Council tax bill in her name. But at least things were being done and less phone calls for me.

At the registry office I asked for five death certificates, the lady accidentally printed out six but as she was so kind I said fine, I’ll pay for six. But I only ever used one, purely as it was a complicated case, no will, lack of capacity on Mums behalf we had a solicitor acting on our behalf who copied the original and had them stamped.


So be aware, if using a solicitor, they have the authority to copy originals and stamp as “Original seen and verified” so no need to buy multiple certificates.