In this instance it will normally be the NHS who will arrange for the funeral of any person who died in or whilst travelling to hospital.
If possible the cost of the funeral is met out of the estate of the deceased, or from a spouse or a parent. If details of family and friends are found they will be informed of the death and invited to make the funeral arrangements. If it is not possible to contact a spouse or a parent the cost will be met by us.
If the deceased left furniture or other personal effects arrangements will be made for the disposal of these items and any money recovered offset against the cost of the funeral.
When all costs are known and the value of the estate exceeds this, the Treasury Solicitor is informed.
This information can be found on the death certificate of the deceased. Certificates can be obtained from the Register Office at Devon County Council.
This information will not be published by us, nor is it published by the Treasury Solicitor. This is to reduce the risk of fraudulent claims being made against the estate. Those individuals who believe they are an entitled relative can find more information via the Bona Vacantia website.
A list of State Assisted Funerals is available to download from the Related Documents section on the right of this page. This list will be updated every six months
