Public funerals
In circumstances where there are no friends or relatives willing or able to make funeral arrangements, your local Council may be able to help under guidance of the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984. If an individual passes away and there are no friends or relatives in a position to organise a funeral, the Council can handle the process as a last resort. Under our current agreement, unless there is a clear written wish left by the deceased, a public funeral will consist of an unattended cremation.
You will need to contact your local council before any arrangements are made. Any costs from arrangements made before our involvement will not be our responsibility.
Arrangements for public funerals are made with a local funeral director in line with a contracted agreement and involve an unattended cremation, as stated above. Where possible, the Council will recover costs from the deceased’s estate. The charges reclaimed are:
- Funeral director fee
- Death certificate fee
- Administration fee
View public funeral registers for South Norfolk and Broadland.
To contact your local council about a public funeral, please email us using the links below.
What do I do if the Council is closed?
If a death occurs out of office hours and you cannot keep the deceased in your care, please contact our agreed Funeral Directors directly. You will then have to contact the Council for further instructions when we re-open. You should then contact the Council on the next working day (Monday - Friday, 8.30am-5pm).
Funeral Director contact number: 01603 515571