Bereavement & Registration Services

In the light of the Coronavirus (COVID19) pandemic and current social distancing rules, we have had to change how we deliver our bereavement and registration services in Walsall.  To protect you and our frontline staff, service changes will be in place for the foreseeable future and will therefore affect:

• birth and death registrations,
• the number of people attending funerals
• notices for marriages and civil partnerships
• deferments of marriages, civil partnerships and citizenship ceremonies.

Registering deaths

The death of a loved one at any time is difficult and to avoid additional stress at an already challenging time, please be aware that appointments to register a death or still-birth are made remotely. Please  book online at Walsall.gov.uk.  and ensure you leave your telephone number for us to contact you.

The registrar will ring you within your appointment time to take the details of the registration.

You can contact us at walsallregisteroffice@walsall.gov.uk or by telephone on 0300 555 2847.

Attending a Funeral

We ask that people attending a funeral limit this to only the immediate family.  By this we mean “up to 10 people”.

During the COVID-19 crsis the number of people who can attend a funeral in Walsall is now greatly reduced. Although the government has limited all other gatherings to just two people, gatherings at funeral services are slightly different.

The 10 people attending should only be from the following group:-

• Spouse / Partner
• Parents / Carers
• Brothers / Sisters
• Sons and daughters (and their partners)

Please ask anyone else not to attend.

Also, if you, or anyone in the above categories fall into the vulnerable group, or have underlying health conditions, please prioritise your own safety. We advise that you do not attend the funeral.  

We appreciate this may be challenging – but it is for the safety of everyone.

We are aiming to reduce the transmission of the coronavirus through self-distancing. If you do attend a funeral, please stand or sit two metres or more away from anyone else.

We do appreciate your understanding at this difficult time. Please visit the Deaths and Funerals pages on our website for general funeral information. 

Registering a Birth

Birth Registrations are deferred until further notice. In order to claim Child Benefit, or Universal Credit, currently you do not need to have already registered the recent birth of a child. You can apply directly to Department of Work and Pensions.  This is now a national requirement and every citizen must comply with these new measures. Further details can be found at www.gov.uk/coronavirus

Marriage and Civil Partnerships

Our Register Office team have contacted couples who were planning to marry over the next number of weeks to make them aware that no marriage or civil partnership ceremonies will take place until further notice.

All appointments at the Register Office will be deferred until it is safe for them to be resumed and government restrictions are lifted.  For any further enquiries relating to a marriage ceremony that was due to take place in the district of Walsall please email walsallregisteroffice@walsall.gov.uk. 

 Citizenship ceremonies

All citizen ceremonies have also been postponed until further notice. For further information visit https://www.gov.uk/citizenship-ceremonies

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