In order to assist with the administration of the estate, if a Coroner has begun but not yet completed or discontinued an investigation the Coroner may issue a Coroner's Certificate of the Fact of Death. This Certificate should be acceptable to banks and financial institutions unless it is important for them to know the outcome of the investigation (for example, for an insurance settlement). A grant of probate or letters of administration can be obtained using a certificate of the fact of death and it can also be used for benefit claims and National Insurance purposes. However, the certificate of the fact of death cannot be used to register the death, even if the medical cause of death is known.
The Government's Tell Us Once Service is available in most areas of England and the whole of Wales. After the death has been registered Tell Us Once lets you report it to most of the government organisations you need to tell in one go. The Tell Us Once Service can also be offered where the Coroner has issued a certificate of the fact of death. The service can be accessed face to face at your local council or online or over the phone (the Registrar of Births and Deaths will be able to give you the relevant phone number).
When the Coroner's investigation (including the inquest if one is to be held) has been completed the Coroner will notify the Registrar of Births and Deaths so that the death can be registered by the Registrar and a Death Certificate can then be purchased from the Registrar.
