Site wide message

Castle Point Plan Consultation

We’ve set out a bold, community-led strategy for sustainable growth across the Borough. The Castle Point Plan will set out where new development will be allocated, how much affordable housing will be built and more up to 2043.

A further consultation is now open. Please give us your views 

Public Health Funerals and Exhumations

Help paying for a funeral

If you are a person arranging a funeral and are on a low income, you may be able to seek financial help from the DWP Social Fund. For further information, please visit Benefits and Financial Support When Someone Dies | GOV.UK

 

What is a public health funeral?

If somebody dies and they have no known relatives or any friends who are able to arrange their funeral, the Council may arrange a public health funeral. This is also known as paupers' burial and sadly often takes place for people who have no fixed abode.

The Council does not provide a funeral service. However, we have a statutory duty under the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984 to make arrangements for the funeral of somebody who has died or has been found dead in our borough where it appears that no suitable arrangements for the disposal of their body have been, or are being made.

The Council are usually notified of a public health funeral from the local Coroner's Office. If the person has died in hospital, then the responsibility for making the arrangements falls to the local authority where the hospital is based.
 

What happens?

After being notified of a death, the Council will collect the deceased person's belongings. If the address of where the deceased person lived or stayed is known, we will search their home and try to find a will or any other documents to tell us if they have any relatives.

If the person's death had not been registered, the Council will arrange this.

If a will is found, the executor will be asked to arrange the funeral and the Council will take no further action.
 

Paying for a public health funeral

Where possible, the Council will pay for the funeral using money from the deceased person's estate. The funeral will be very basic but respectful. Any money from the estate left over after paying for the funeral will be referred to the Government Legal Department. 

What happens to the deceased's belongings?

If the deceased lived in rented accommodation, the landlord will be responsible for clearing the premises after the Council has satisfied themselves that there are no items of value. Similarly, if the deceased lived in a residential home, the home is accountable for the remaining belongings. 

 

Exhumations

Exhumations are very rare and can take a long time to arrange.

Exhumations can occur for various reasons such as:

  • To open an inquest
  • To cremate a buried body
  • Public health reason
  • To recover items
  • To establish the identity of a body
  • Medical reasoning
  • Criminal investigation

A licence from the Home Office is generally required and may require an Environmental Health Officer to be present at the exhumation of a body to ensure that public health is protected.

 

List of funerals arranged by the council

The funerals list is updated on a monthly basis.

Freedom of Information Act 2000 Section 31 (1) (a)

Castle Point Borough Council will no longer disclose address details into the public domain in relation to a public health funeral case. The council does not believe it to be in the public interest to disclose this information.

Public Health Funerals list [pdf] 103KB

Further information can be found in our Public Health Funeral Policy [pdf] 229KB