East Suffolk Council
Public health funerals
Under the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984, we are obliged to organise a funeral for any person who has died in their area where it appears that no suitable arrangements have been or are being made for a funeral to take place.
We will deal with all aspects of the organisation of a State assisted funeral including:
- Registering the death
- Dealing with the undertakers and organising the details of the funeral
- Involving friends and relatives of the deceased in the process
- Paying for the funeral and cremation or burial in an unmarked grave
- Recover our expenses from any estate left by the deceased
We will not:
- Accept part payment for funerals organised by us
- Erect a headstone or other memorial to the deceased
- Contribute to the costs of funerals organised by other persons
- Administer estates on behalf of others
If any estate remains after we have recovered our expenses and the deceased has no living blood relatives, the council will refer the estate to the Government's legal department’s Bona Vacantia Division for final administration.
Which funeral directors do we use?
Due to the size of East Suffolk’s district, we currently use two funeral directors on a case by case basis.
The ‘south’ of the district currently uses the East of England Co-operative Funeral Services, 183 Hamilton Road, Felixstowe | 01394 583010
The ‘north’ of the district currently uses Gordon Barber Funeral Directors, 13 Carlton Road, Lowestoft | 01502 573632
However, if you think you may need to refer a case to us, in the first instance you should always contact us before contacting a funeral director to prevent incurring any unnecessary charges.
If you have any queries relating to a funeral which we have dealt with please email ep@eastsuffolk.gov.uk quoting the name and reference of the deceased.
Public Health Funerals Policy
Nursing homes/care homes
We have devised a resident intake form for nursing homes and care homes, to print and complete for each resident. This document will be especially helpful in the event that you do have to make a referral to the council for a Public Health Funeral.
Records and Freedom of Information requests
Information about public health funerals carried out by this authority is no longer provided in the form of a Public Register, due to estate fraud and government advice. Data can be requested under the Freedom of Information Act, however we reserve the right to withhold information where we:
- consider that the information sought is exempt from disclosure under section 31(1)(a) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 on the basis that disclosure of the information would be likely to prejudice the prevention of crime by enabling or encouraging the commission of offences; or
- consider that the information sought is accessible elsewhere (section 21 of the Freedom of Information Act) or is intended for future publication by the Treasury Solicitor’s Department (of the Freedom of Information Act section 22)
Each request will be considered on its own merits.