Death Certificate Qualification of Informant

Qualification is the last on the list and indicates the person is
organising the funeral (instructing the undertaker if using one) but
is not a close relative of in-law (see list at
https://www.ealing.gov.uk/info/201036/deaths/743/register_a_death) or
one of the other categories (see
http://theprobatedepartment.co.uk/registering-a-death/who-can-register-a-death/)
so might be a distant family member, an executor, a friend, a council
official.......

I have a death certificate issued in England in 1999, from a case
where cremation was intended, which says "Causing the body to be
cremated."

Charles Ellson

2017-01-06 22:45:47 UTC

Qualification is the last on the list and indicates the person is
organising the funeral (instructing the undertaker if using one) but
is not a close relative of in-law

Not quite correct. You can be one of various close relatives but not
otherwise entitled to inherit (an intestate could have a closer
relative entitled to everything but not wishing to deal with the
matter personally) thus relying on the later qualifications in the
list to deal with the estate and funeral.
It could also be the relevant local authority employee who has dealt
with the matter where a person has died alone with no other person
immediately able/available to arrange the burial/cremation.

Post by cecilia
(see list at
https://www.ealing.gov.uk/info/201036/deaths/743/register_a_death) or
one of the other categories (see
http://theprobatedepartment.co.uk/registering-a-death/who-can-register-a-death/)
so might be a distant family member, an executor, a friend, a council
official.......
I have a death certificate issued in England in 1999, from a case
where cremation was intended, which says "Causing the body to be
cremated."

cecilia

2017-01-07 21:43:36 UTC

[...] death certificate and the
qualification of the informant is stated as "causing the body to be buried".
Please can someone advise me who would use this qualification - doctor,
undertaker?
[...]

Qualification is the last on the list and indicates the person is
organising the funeral (instructing the undertaker if using one) but
is not a close relative of in-law
(see list at
https://www.ealing.gov.uk/info/201036/deaths/743/register_a_death) or
one of the other categories (see
http://theprobatedepartment.co.uk/registering-a-death/who-can-register-a-death/)
so might be a distant family member, an executor, a friend, a council
official.......

Being an heir and/or the personal representative
(executor/administrator) of the deceased, or not, has nothing to do
with being qualified to register a death.

My understanding is that if the informant were one of the
accepted-as-close-enough relatives, the relationship would be entered,
whether or not the informant was also organising the funeral. If the
informant were not in the close-enough list of relatives, but had a
different qualification that appears earlier in the list than "Causing
the body to be...", that qualification would be entered, again
regardless of whether the informant was also organising the funeral.

For instance, I, the informant for the registration of my father's
death, was described as
Daughter
Present at the death
but not (although I was)
Causing the body to be cremated

If the qualification is simply "Causing the body to be buried" (or
"cremated"), one can assume that the informant did not fit a category
earlier in the list, but one has no other guidance as to the informant
was. (The list in my previous message "distant family member, an
executor, a friend, a council official....." was not intended to be
exhaustive, rather, to indicate some possibilities)

Charles Ellson

2017-01-08 03:23:56 UTC

[...] death certificate and the
qualification of the informant is stated as "causing the body to be buried".
Please can someone advise me who would use this qualification - doctor,
undertaker?
[...]

Qualification is the last on the list and indicates the person is
organising the funeral (instructing the undertaker if using one) but
is not a close relative of in-law
(see list at
https://www.ealing.gov.uk/info/201036/deaths/743/register_a_death) or
one of the other categories (see
http://theprobatedepartment.co.uk/registering-a-death/who-can-register-a-death/)
so might be a distant family member, an executor, a friend, a council
official.......

Being an heir and/or the personal representative
(executor/administrator) of the deceased, or not, has nothing to do
with being qualified to register a death.

If instructions regarding the funeral have been left in a will then
the executor becomes one of the persons qualified to register the
death if they carry out those instructions. The "person causing the
disposal of the body" IME seems to include anyone in the chain from
the person giving the original instruction in accordance with the
deceased's instruction down to the undertaker. A relative (however
close) not present at the death and who is not resident in the same
sub-district is not immediately qualified to register the death as a
relative.

Being the most immediate relative and only heir (e.g. the only child
of a widow/er) of an intestate can cause an obligation (distinct from
merely being "qualified") to register the death if that person was
present at the death or in attendance.
[ss.16-17 Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953]

Post by cecilia
My understanding is that if the informant were one of the
accepted-as-close-enough relatives, the relationship would be entered,
whether or not the informant was also organising the funeral. If the
informant were not in the close-enough list of relatives, but had a
different qualification that appears earlier in the list than "Causing
the body to be...", that qualification would be entered, again
regardless of whether the informant was also organising the funeral.
For instance, I, the informant for the registration of my father's
death, was described as
Daughter
Present at the death
but not (although I was)
Causing the body to be cremated
If the qualification is simply "Causing the body to be buried" (or
"cremated"), one can assume that the informant did not fit a category
earlier in the list, but one has no other guidance as to the informant
was. (The list in my previous message "distant family member, an
executor, a friend, a council official....." was not intended to be
exhaustive, rather, to indicate some possibilities)

cecilia

2017-01-09 02:18:21 UTC

[...] death certificate and the
qualification of the informant is stated as "causing the body to be buried".
Please can someone advise me who would use this qualification - doctor,
undertaker?
[...]

Qualification is the last on the list and indicates the person is
organising the funeral (instructing the undertaker if using one) but
is not a close relative of in-law
(see list at
https://www.ealing.gov.uk/info/201036/deaths/743/register_a_death) or
one of the other categories (see
http://theprobatedepartment.co.uk/registering-a-death/who-can-register-a-death/)
so might be a distant family member, an executor, a friend, a council
official.......

Being an heir and/or the personal representative
(executor/administrator) of the deceased, or not, has nothing to do
with being qualified to register a death.

If instructions regarding the funeral have been left in a will then
the executor becomes one of the persons qualified to register the
death if they carry out those instructions. The "person causing the
disposal of the body" IME seems to include anyone in the chain from
the person giving the original instruction in accordance with the
deceased's instruction down to the undertaker. A relative (however
close) not present at the death and who is not resident in the same
sub-district is not immediately qualified to register the death as a
relative.
Being the most immediate relative and only heir (e.g. the only child
of a widow/er) of an intestate can cause an obligation (distinct from
merely being "qualified") to register the death if that person was
present at the death or in attendance.
[ss.16-17 Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953]

Post by cecilia
[...]

I think we may be dealing with different questions - I was trying to
get across that if the only qualification listed is "Causing the body
[...]" then one has very little guidance as to who the informant was.
It might have been simpler if I had given a link to the Act earlier -
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Eliz2/1-2/20 (start at section 15
for deaths) which makes clear the difference between being qualified
to inform and when it is a duty to inform. and also the circumstances
where a relative should be a local resident.

As for being an heir, at the time of registration it may not be clear
whether there is a will or not. and therefore who inherits.

As for "anyone in the chain" dealing with the disposal of the body, I
know of a case where the registrar declined taking information from
"the person giving the original instruction in accordance with the
deceased's instruction" (the executor), but accepted his wife because
she was the person that had actually instructed the funeral director.

Charles Ellson

2017-01-09 03:08:21 UTC

[...] death certificate and the
qualification of the informant is stated as "causing the body to be buried".
Please can someone advise me who would use this qualification - doctor,
undertaker?
[...]

Qualification is the last on the list and indicates the person is
organising the funeral (instructing the undertaker if using one) but
is not a close relative of in-law
(see list at
https://www.ealing.gov.uk/info/201036/deaths/743/register_a_death) or
one of the other categories (see
http://theprobatedepartment.co.uk/registering-a-death/who-can-register-a-death/)
so might be a distant family member, an executor, a friend, a council
official.......

Being an heir and/or the personal representative
(executor/administrator) of the deceased, or not, has nothing to do
with being qualified to register a death.

If instructions regarding the funeral have been left in a will then
the executor becomes one of the persons qualified to register the
death if they carry out those instructions. The "person causing the
disposal of the body" IME seems to include anyone in the chain from
the person giving the original instruction in accordance with the
deceased's instruction down to the undertaker. A relative (however
close) not present at the death and who is not resident in the same
sub-district is not immediately qualified to register the death as a
relative.
Being the most immediate relative and only heir (e.g. the only child
of a widow/er) of an intestate can cause an obligation (distinct from
merely being "qualified") to register the death if that person was
present at the death or in attendance.
[ss.16-17 Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953]

Post by cecilia
[...]

Until the will turns up it will be the person(s) specified by
intestacy laws. On occasion that can force an executor into action if
for one reason or another they have not so far dealt with the estate.

Post by cecilia
As for "anyone in the chain" dealing with the disposal of the body, I
know of a case where the registrar declined taking information from
"the person giving the original instruction in accordance with the
deceased's instruction" (the executor), but accepted his wife because
she was the person that had actually instructed the funeral director.

cecilia

2017-01-09 12:13:54 UTC

Post by Charles Ellson
[...]

Post by cecilia
As for being an heir, at the time of registration it may not be clear
whether there is a will or not. and therefore who inherits.

The informant may be the personal representative but that, in itself,
is not a qualification for being an informant.

Charles Ellson

2017-01-10 00:14:43 UTC