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Information on bereavement
Being bereaved can be a very painful process. It can be reassuring to know that support is available.
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If you or someone you work with is bereaved and looking for support, familarising yourself with the below information can be helpful.
Here you will find signposting information for a range of support related to bereavement including free helplines, practical guidance such as funeral guides and legal advice, specialist support organisations and mental health support.
This page takes around 20 minutes to read.
Free bereavement helplines
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The links below will point you to helplines you can call if you need support.
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The Cruse Bereavement Care Freephone National Helpline is staffed by trained bereavement volunteers, who offer emotional support to anyone affected by bereavement. Visit this link for opening hours and more information.
Call 0808 808 1677
Cruse Bereavement Care Scotland
The National Bereavement Helpline is open to anyone in Scotland.
Call 0808 802 6161
Open Mon - Fri 9am-8pm and Sat/Sun 1-4pm
Alternatively email support@crusescotland.org.uk or use our webchat service.
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The Marie Curie Bereavement Service is for people who might want to have ongoing support, from the same person, over the phone. Callers can access up to six telephone sessions of 45 minutes. Note that this is not a counselling service.
Telephone number: 0800 090 2309
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Chat live to a specially trained GriefChat bereavement counsellor via the At a Loss website. It is a completely free service and available Monday-Friday, 9am-9pm.
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Sudden is an early intervention service providing emotional and practical support in the first ten weeks following an unexpected bereavement.
Call 0800 2600 400
10am and 4pm, Monday to Friday - immediate support -
The National Bereavement Partnership provides a support helpline, counselling referral and befriending service for all those suffering from anxiety, grief or mental health issues as a direct or indirect result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Call 0800 448 0800
helpline@nationalbereavementpartnership.org
7am - 10pm, seven days a week. -
The Bereavement Advice Centre is a free helpline and web-based information service provided by Co-op Legal Services.
Call 0800 634 9494
9am to 5pm Mon – Fri -
Grief Talk is a helpline supporting bereaved children and young people. They also have an instant web chat.
Call 0808 802 0111
Monday to Friday 9am - 9pm
grieftalk@griefencounter.org.uk -
Childline is a 24-hour confidential support to children and young people aged 18
Call on 0800 11 11
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PAPYRUS offers support for young people feeling suicidal.
For confidential advice and support, call 0800 068 4141.
(Weekdays from 10am-10pm, Weekends from 2pm-10pm and Bank Holidays from 2pm-5pm)
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Young Minds is for young people struggling to cope, or concerned friends and parents.
Contact 85258 for 24/7 crisis support. Text YM to 85258.
Texts are free from:
- EE
- O2
- Vodafone
- 3
- Virgin Mobile
- BT Mobile
- GiffGaff
- Tesco Mobile
- Telecom Plus
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Samaritans offer 24-hour confidential and urgent emotional support.
Call on 116 123
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CALM offer support for men anywhere in the UK.
Call on 0800 58 58 58 (5pm-midnight).
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The Silver Line is the only free confidential helpline providing information, friendship and support to older people, open 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
Call 0800 4 70 80 90.
Practical information and support
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Practical information and support can be very important following a death. It can be a confusing time, and signposting employees to information about what to do, how to register a death and how to arrange a funeral can alleviate some of the stress.
See below for step by steps of what to do, including a video version.
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- Government step by step guide on what to do when someone dies
- Bereavement advice: step-by-step checklist
- The Good Grief Trust: What to do when someone dies
- Cruse advice on what to do after someone dies
- National Bereavement Service
- Money Advice Centre – government website and helpline
- Moneysaving Expert: What to do after someone dies
- Video: What to do after someone dies
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When someone dies in another country, it can be very stressful to handle everything far from home. Keep in mind that the British authorities can help you.
Here are some helpful links for guidance and support if you need to bring a loved one back to the UK or take them abroad.
- What to do after someone dies: What to do if someone dies abroad - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
What to do if someone dies abroad - Citizens Advice
You can contact the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) about a death overseas 24 hours on 020 7008 1500.
What to do when someone dies abroad - Co-op Funeralcare (coop.co.uk) To speak to a member of the repatriation team, contact:
Email: cooprepatriation@coop.co.uk
- Dealing with Foreign Assets during the Administration of an Estate (co-oplegalservices.co.uk)
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- Down to Earth: funeral costs on a low income
- Digital legacy How to contact different digital services
- Informing companies and other people
- Informing council provided and national services
- Informing employment and education
- Informing financial organisations and asset holders
- Informing health services
- Informing insurance companies
- Informing local and other services
- Reducing unwanted mail
- Registering an overseas death
- Return of home care equipment
- What the registrar will give you
- What to do with a car
- What you need to register a death
- When and where to register a death
- Who can register a death?
- Gov UK: Registering a death
- Tell Us Once is a service that lets you report a death to most government organisations in one go rather than write, call or email individually. This can save a great deal of time and unnecessary stress.
- Stopping mail – Stop Mail is a free service to stop any unsolicited mail following a bereavement.
- The Bereavement Register - by registering with this free service, the names and addresses of the deceased are removed from mailing lists, stopping most advertising mail within as little as six weeks.
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Call the Bereavement Advice Centre on 0800 634 9494. Open from 9am to 5pm Monday – Friday.
Probate
- What is probate?
- Gov UK: Applying for probate
- Choices for probate and estate administration
- Confirmation in Scotland
- Confirmation in Scotland if the estate is small
- Confirmation in Scotland with a Will
- Confirmation in Scotland without a Will
- Dealing with insolvent estates
- Information and support for executors
- Insolvent estates
- Probate and estate administration
- Probate in Northern Ireland
- Probate on the Isle of Man
- Step by step guide to probate
- Useful contacts for completing probate
Wills
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- Memorials – memory boxes, keepsakes and other ideas
- Bereavement benefits – you can visit this Gov UK website for information about any entitled benefits including for widows, partners and parents.
0345 606 0265 (Monday – Friday 8am – 8pm)
Pets - If you are a relative and have been left with a pet to look after, please contact The Cinnamon Trust. The Cinnamon Trust provides long term care for pets whose owners have died or moved to residential accommodation which will not accept pets.
General support organisations
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There are a number of organisations you can turn to for advice, guidance, and information.
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Hospice UK is the national charity for death, dying and bereavement. Our website includes information for accessing bereavement support.
Local hospices
A number of local hospices offer bereavement services to support people in their communities. Find your local hospice to learn more about what is available in your area.
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At a Loss is the UK's signposting website for bereaved people, ensuring they and those supporting them find information and services appropriate to their loss.
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Cruse Bereavement Care is the leading national charity for bereaved people.
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The British Psychological Society provides information about the grief process and how to cope with grief.
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The Good Grief Trust exists to help all those affected by grief in the UK. This includes support for the newly bereaved, young people, older people and the LGBT+ community. Use their UK Map to find support near you or find pop-up cafes.
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Sue Ryder provide a range of online bereavement support, including:
- free video counselling delivered through trained bereavement counsellors
- an online community offering 24-hour peer to peer support
- a wide range of advice and resources for people who are grieving or supporting someone through bereavement
Specialist support
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There are also a wide range of specialist services that can provide information and guidance for anyone affected by bereavement.
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The Miscarriage Association was founded in 1982 by people who had experienced miscarriage. They offer support and information to anyone affected by the loss of a baby in pregnancy.
Call 01924 200799 Mon-Fri, 9am-4pm
info@miscarriageassociation.org.ukSands: The stillbirth and neonatal death charity provides bereavement support services both nationally through its Freephone helpline, mobile app, online community and resources, and locally through a UK-wide network of around 100 regional support groups.
Call 0808 164 3332
9.30am - 5.30pm Mon to Fri and 9.30am - 9.30pm Tues and Thurs evenings
helpline@sands.org.ukThe Lullaby Trust offers emotional support for bereaved families affected by sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
Bereavement support: 0808 802 6868
Information & advice: 0808 802 6869 -
The Compassionate Friends (TCF) is a charitable organisation of bereaved parents, siblings and grandparents dedicated to the support and care of other similarly bereaved family members who have suffered the death of a child or children of any age and from any cause.
Call 0345 123 2304
Open every day of the year from 10:00 – 16:00 and 19:00 – 22:00
Also by email at helpline@tcf.org.ukChild Bereavement UK helps families to rebuild their lives when a child grieves or when a child dies. They support children and young people (up to the age of 25) when someone important to them has died or is not expected to live, and parents and the wider family when a baby or child of any age dies or is dying.
Helpline 0800 02 888 40
Live Chat is also available
Email helpline@childbereavementuk.orgThe Child Death Helpline is a freephone service for all those affected by the death of a child. It is staffed by volunteers, all of them bereaved parents.
Call 0800 282 986
Monday to Sunday 19:00 to 22:00
Monday, Thursday and Friday 10:00 to 13:00
Tuesday and Wednesday 10:00 to 16:00Child Funeral Charity (CFC) assist families financially in England and Wales who have to arrange a funeral for a baby or child aged 16 or under.
Call 01480 276088
Email enquiries@childfuneralcharity.org.ukWinston’s Wish supports children and young people after the death of a parent or sibling.
Free National Helpline: 08088 020 021
They can also offer support to children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities when dealing with the death of a parent or sibling.
Hope Again is the youth website of Cruse Bereavement Support. It is a safe place where young people can learn from other young people, how to cope with grief, and feel less alone.
Freephone helpline: 0808 808 1677
Monday-Friday, 9:30am - 5:00pm -
Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide is the only national charity providing dedicated support to adults who have been bereaved by suicide
0300 111 5065
9am and 9pm, 7 days per weekCruse Bereavement Care and Samaritans also offer a support group for people bereaved by suicide.
Winston’s Wish offers specialist suicide bereavement support for families, children and young people (up to 25) when someone important has taken their own life.
Call: 08088 020 021
Email: ask@winstonswish.orgThe Support After Suicide Partnership (SASP) is the UK’s national hub for organisations and individuals working across the UK to support people who have been bereaved or affected by suicide.
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Sudden is a charitable service for people who have been bereaved by a death that happened suddenly.
Victim Support is available to help anyone affected by crime. Find help near you.
Call 08 08 16 89 111
SAMM (Support after Murder and Manslaughter) is a registered charity offering support to those bereaved by murder or manslaughter.
Call 0121 472 2912
Text 07342 888570After Trauma aims to provide a community for patients and families to rebuild lives and support each other after experiencing a traumatic injury.
RoadPeace is the national charity for road crash victims in the UK.
Call 0845 4500 355
helpline@roadpeace.orgThe Bead Project provides information and support for anyone bereaved through drug or alcohol use.
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Samaritans offer 24-hour confidential and urgent emotional support.
Call on 116 123
CALM offer support for men anywhere in the UK.
Call on 0800 58 58 58 (5pm-midnight)
The Silver Line is the only free confidential helpline providing information, friendship and support to older people, open 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
Call 0800 4 70 80 90
Mind's helplines provide information and support by phone and email.
Local Minds offer face-to-face services across England and Wales. These services include talking therapies, peer support and advocacy.
Side by Side is a supportive online community for anyone experiencing a mental health problem.
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Mencap offers advice for how to discuss death with a person with a learning disability.
Breaking bad news offers advice for easing the process of breaking bad news to people with intellectual disabilities.
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Grieving for the loss of a pet, whether through death or enforced separation, can be a sad and difficult experience. Life once filled with the love and friendship of a pet may suddenly seem very empty and feelings of despair and loneliness are not uncommon.
Sometimes it helps to share these feelings with someone who knows from personal experience how distressing the loss of a pet can be, and who will listen with compassion and without judgement.
Blue Cross – Pet Bereavement Support
Support line: Freephone 0800 096 6606Cats Protection – Paws to Listen Grief Support
Helpline: 0800 024 94 94Living with Pet Bereavement has been created to give pet carers information and guidance on every aspect of Pet Loss.
The Ralph Site is a not-for-profit website that provides support to pet owners around the loss of a beloved companion.
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Hospice UK's Just 'B' and trauma counselling helpline
The Hospice UK Just ‘B’ helpline sees specially trained Just ‘B’ staff and volunteers at St Michael’s Hospice offer emotional wellbeing, bereavement and trauma support nationally to NHS, care sector staff and emergency service workers. The helpline is available seven days a week, 8am-8pm.
Telephone number: 0300 303 4434
https://justb.org.uk/Our Frontline
Our Frontline is a partnership between Shout, Samaritans, Mind, Hospice UK and The Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. It offers frontline workers round-the-clock one-to-one support, by call or text, from trained volunteers, plus resources, tips and ideas to look after your mental health.
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The Muslim Bereavement Support Service is a registered charity, founded in 2012. They are a non-profit organisation serving the Muslim community by supporting bereaved women who have lost a loved one.
Call: 020 3468 7333
Contact via email: info@mbss.org.ukTalk about dying (Christian)
Practical and spiritual guidance to those facing the death of someone they care about, or their own terminal illness.The Jewish Bereavement Counselling Service offers dedicated counselling to the Jewish community.
Call 020 8951 3881
Email enquiries@jbcs.org.uk
Let us know if there are resources we should add
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Know a great resource or helpline that is not listed here? Please do let us know and we will update our list: CompassionateEmployers@hospiceuk.org.
