Bereavement

Registering a death

This must happen within five days of the person's death. You must register a death with the council of the place of death.

• Register a death in Islington
• Register a death in another borough

Appoint a funeral director

Please contact your local director to help you arrange the funeral. The funeral director will be able to guide and support you through the process.

Find a funeral director.

Financial Support

If you or your partner get any of the following benefits, you may be able to get help with funeral costs.

• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Pension Credit
• Housing Benefit
• The disability or severe disability element of Working Tax Credit
• Child Tax Credit
• Universal Credit

Emotional support

Experiencing bereavement and grief can feel painful and overwhelming. There is no right or wrong way to feel during this time. For more information on physical and emotional symptoms of grief, see the NHS website.

There are national charities listed below that specialise in bereavement support for children, or you can contact local social and emotional mental health services for children by calling the Children's Services Contact Team (CSCT) Tel: 020 7527 7400.

You don’t have to be alone with how you’re feeling. You can find support from local and national specialist services below.

Local sources of support and bereavement counselling

• Islington Bereavement Service can offer support and a listening ear for up to ten weeks. They will match you with a trained and experienced volunteer who will support you. You must live in Islington or be registered with an Islington GP.
• Islington Mental health support and advice. Find information about support and services for mental health issues and emotional wellbeing.
• Camden City Islington Westminster Bereavement Service provide bereavement and loss counselling delivered by trained counsellors and therapists. You can also contact them by phone on 020 7284 0090.
• Islington iCOPE (psychological therapies service) provide psychological treatment for common mental health problems.
• Nafsiyat can offer Islington residents psychological support and therapy, from therapists who work across different cultures and languages, delivering therapy in more than 20 languages.
• Maya Centre offers culturally sensitive, low-cost counselling and talking therapies for women.
• The Loss Foundation provides free bereavement support to those who have lost a loved one to cancer, including groups, events and workshops. 
• The Stress Project low-cost therapies and counselling.
• CARIS bereavement counselling for adults. 
• AMPARO Support after Suicide Service Support for anyone affected by suicide. Also support for staff or settings who may have been affected by suicide.
• St Joseph’s Hospice provide a bereavement service, with counselling and advice for those affected by the death of a loved one. They also have a bereavement support group and social club.

National advice and helplines

• CRUSE support, advice and information for children, young people and adults.
• SLOW Group support for bereaved parents or siblings.
• Childhood Bereavement Network for support for a child or young person.
• National Association of Funeral Directors for advice on arranging a funeral.
• Jewish Bereavement Counselling Service bereavement support and counselling for Jewish people.

• Death cafes offer a safe space and open discussion around death. Not a specific grief support or counselling service, but a space to share thoughts and normalise this topic.
• Grief encounter supports bereaved children and young people
• Child bereavement UK help children, young people, parents and families to rebuild their lives when a child grieves or when a child dies.
• The Good Grief Trust provide practical help and tips, stories from others, advice and helplines.
• Winston’s Wish help children, teenagers and young adults (under 25) to understand their feelings, process their grief and find ways to move forward with hope for a brighter future. They also help the adults who are caring for young grieving people including parents, school staff and healthcare professionals.

• Compassionate friends support the family, after a child dies. Provides support and resources, as well as events
• Hospice UK have a campaign called ‘dying matters’, creating a culture in which we’re comfortable talking about death, dying and grief. They have emails you can sign up to, explore resources and become part of the community.
• WAY (Widowed and Young) offers a peer-to-peer support network, for anyone who’s lost a partner before their 51st birthday.
• Sands offers support to anyone affected by the death of a baby, before, during, or shortly after birth.

• Untangle is a friendly, safe space for those who have lost loved ones to share their feelings, ask questions and meet others who relate. Also has a community and runs events.
• Together for short lives for parents and carers who looks after or knows a child or young person expected to have a short life.
• Survivors of bereavement by suicide offer peer-led support to adults impacted by suicide loss. They provide safe, confidential environments where people can share their experiences and feelings, giving and gaining support from each other.

Bereavement awareness training

Islington and Camden Councils fund bereavement awareness training, free for frontline workers, volunteers and anyone else who may meet a bereaved individual.

The training is a 75 minute webinar, delivered by Cruse Bereavement Care. 

The aim of the training is to:  

• Gain an overview of the grieving process by looking at current models and examples.
• Understand why people grieve differently and the factors that influence how they grieve.
• Explore the impact of loss and grief on individuals, friends, families and colleagues.
• Improve knowledge of how to provide simple emotional and practical support to someone who is grieving.
• Understand how to communicate effectively and compassionately with someone who is grieving.
• Build awareness of organisations that can provide emotional or practical support.
• Develop confidence in talking about a difficult and sensitive topic.
• Be aware of the impact of supporting someone who is grieving and how to look after yourself. 

Book your spot now, further details to be provided upon registration.