To Report a Bereavement
The standard opening hours of the Burial Society are:
Monday to Thursday – 9am till 5.30pm
Fridays / Erev Yom Tov – 9am till 3pm (summer) / 1pm (winter)
Sundays – 9.30am – 12pm
When contacting the Burial Society to report a death, please note the following:
- According to Halacha (Jewish law), funerals must be held as soon as possible after death.
- Please contact the Burial Society on 020 8202 3903 as soon as possible after the death of a loved one so that we can guide you through the process.
- To report a death out of hours, please call 020 4548 8563. However, please do not call on Shabbos or Yom Tov.
- The first step is to obtain a medical cause of death certificate from the doctor or hospital under whose care the deceased was receiving treatment.
- In the event that the deceased had not been examined by a doctor within the previous two weeks, in which case a referral to a coroner will be necessary, please call the Burial Society and we will guide you through the process.
- Please arrange to obtain the medical cause of death certificate as soon as possible. Under current circumstances, this is being sent directly by the doctor to the registrar of deaths.
- As soon as the certificate has been sent, contact the relevant registry office (preferably online) to book a telephone appointment to register the death legally.
- The registrar issues two certificates:
- Authorisation of Burial (Green Form) – this authorises us to conduct a funeral. Without it we are not allowed to proceed. Please note that this form can be issued even before the registrar has given you an appointment. It should be sent directly by the registrar to the Burial Society at burial@federation.org.uk
- Legal Death Certificate – this may be issued even after the funeral. There is no need to wait for its issuance.
Please do not telephone the out of hours emergency line unless you need to report a death. All other enquiries should be made within office hours.