How to cope with bereavement and grief during the coronavirus outbreak
Bereavement, which is a difficult experience under any situation, is taking place under very challenging circumstances during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Both those who experience loss as a consequence to COVID-19, or loss through another cause may experience increased trauma and may be cut off from some of their usual support network.
Bereavement during this time
Very sadly, some families may not have had the opportunity to say goodbye to their loved ones before they died, which can be particularly upsetting. The observance of other practices and traditions which normally occur after someone has died may also be affected. Those who are already struggling with bereavement, or whose relatives or friends die through other causes will also be affected.
When you are bereaved you should stay in touch with other people, however because of COVID-19, this may need to be by telephone, video, and online.
Bereavement services and support
Grief is a natural process, but it can also be very difficult and isolating – particularly so under the current circumstances. It is important to know that there is support and advice available.
Support After Sudden Bereavement resource includes information on where you can get further support and specialist advice appropriate to your circumstances. This is not an exhaustive list and you might also like to search for bereavement services in your area by finding out what your local council offers.
For further signposting, websites providing additional services to ensure that every bereaved person in the UK can find the support that they need,
It is more important than ever to look after your mental health and wellbeing through challenging circumstances. In London, there are a range of free resources, online tools, and helplines available to help you cope and stay mentally health.
Below are a list of organisations providing support:
Thrive LDN
Provides an online resource, created with leading charity partners for those grieving the death of someone close or supporting someone going through sudden bereavement, including bereavement by suicide. Additional tools and resources to help your mental health and wellbeing also available.
Contact details:
- Email: [email protected]
Cruse Bereavement Care
Cruse offers a helpline, webchat, and local services. Bereavement support, advice and information to children, young people and adults. Calls are free to the Helpline. Ongoing telephone support is available when needed following helpline support.
Contact details:
- Telephone: 0808 808 1677
- Email: [email protected]
Child Bereavement UK
Assist children, parents and families to rebuild their lives when a child grieves or when a child dies. Support children and young people up to the age of 25 who are facing bereavement, and anyone affected by the death of a child of any age.
Contact details:
- Telephone: 0800 028 8840
- Email: [email protected]
Winston’s Wish
Supports bereaved children, young people, their families and the professionals who support them.
Contact details:
- Telephone: 0808 802 0021
- Email: [email protected]
Grief Encounter
Offers free counselling to children and young people up to the age of 25 who have lost a parent or sibling. With the high number of referrals at the moment, it may take up to a month for us to make contact with a family on receipt of the referral. There will then be an assessment and the child/ren will then go on our waiting list.
Contact details:
- Telephone: 0808 802 0111
- Email: [email protected]
BAMEStream
Offers free bereavement support, through alliance member Nafsiyat Intercultural Therapy Centre, including therapeutic support in over 20 languages, to people from Black, Asian and other minority ethnic (BAME) communities.
Contact details:
- Telephone: 0207 263 6947
- Email: [email protected]
Muslim Bereavement Support Service
Registered charity serving the Muslim community. Works closely with Child Bereavement UK to provide child services relevant to the Muslim community.
Contact details:
- Telephone: 0203 468 7333
- Email: [email protected]
Jewish Bereavement Counselling Service
Provides one to one bereavement counselling and support groups to the Jewish community. A service that understands the specific issues raised by bereavement within a Jewish context. A Jewish service can be sensitive, aware and knowledgeable about social, cultural and religious needs.
Contact details:
- Telephone: 0208 951 3881
- Email: [email protected]
Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide
Supports those that have been bereaved or affected by suicide including understanding how a bereavement by suicide is different, how it affects people, ways to support, and some practical issues to be aware of.
Contact details:
- Telephone: 0300 111 5065
- Email: [email protected]
Widowed and Young
The only registered charity in the UK to provide peer-to-peer emotional and practical support to people aged 50 or under when their partner died, married or not, with or without children, whatever their sexual orientation – as they adjust to life after the death of their partner. WAY operates with a network of volunteers who have been bereaved at a young age themselves, so they understand exactly what other members are going through.
Contact details:
- Email: [email protected]
The Compassionate Friends
Charitable organisation of bereaved parents, siblings and grandparents dedicated to the support and care of other bereaved parents, siblings, and grandparents who have suffered the death of a child/children.
Contact details:
- Telephone: 0345 123 2304
- Email: [email protected]
Child Death Helpline
National charity supporting bereaved families after death of child. Calls are answered by bereaved parents.
Contact details:
- Telephone: 0800 282 986
- Email: [email protected]
The Support After Sudden Bereavement resource from Thrive LDN is for anyone who is grieving the sudden death of someone close to them, or those supporting someone going through sudden bereavement. The resource outlines what might happen in the coming weeks and months; practically, around what processes and actions need to happen and emotionally, looking at the many different feelings you may experience.
It is more important than ever to look after your mental health and wellbeing through challenging circumstances. In London, there are a range of free resources, online tools, and helplines available to help you cope and stay mentally healthy – find out more here.
If you provide bereavement services and wish to be added to this page, please contact us.
Practical support and guidance when someone dies
Bereavement, which is a difficult experience under any situation, is taking place under very challenging circumstances during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Practical information on registering a death, impact on funerals and financial support for funerals can be found below. Step by step information can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/when-someone-dies
Registering a death in the capital
Despite the current Covid-19 outbreak and the unprecedented challenges the pandemic has presented, it remains a legal requirement to register a death when it occurs.
Following government advice, and a change in legislation, deaths are to be recorded remotely for the duration of the outbreak.
Deaths in London, and across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, should be registered as soon as possible.
As register offices are currently closed to the public, the registrar will post the ‘Certificate for a Burial’ to the affected family to pass to the funeral director. Alternatively, an application for cremation will be disseminated to forward to the crematorium.
Further details and a step-by-step guide about how to register a death can be found via www.gov.uk.
Registering a death in the community
When a death occurs in the community (at a home address or care home) a doctor – working remotely – will receive the information to confirm the death.
They will sign a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) or, where the circumstances are not clear, refer to the Coroner. The doctor will send the MCCD to the registrar along with details of next-of-kin to formally register the death.
Registering a death in a hospital setting
If the death occurs in a hospital the doctor who certified the death will sign a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) or, where the circumstances are not clear, refer to the Coroner. The doctor will send the MCCD to the registrar along with details of next-of-kin to formally register the death.
In support of Government guidance, London’s Strategic Coordination Group (SCG) has released a set of Funeral Standards to provide clarity and reassurance to families facing the burial or cremation of a loved one during the current pandemic.
It is recognised that in these hugely challenging times it may not be possible to conduct funerals and cremations in the usual way. This situation impacts on Londoners of all and no faith and belief.
The Standards, which were developed by the Faith and Belief Cell of the SCG for Londoners of all faiths, beliefs and none, respond to the need for families to not delay funerals after someone has died whilst being able to shape some aspects of how they say goodbye. They offer a set of criteria to apply in all circumstances wherever public safety and operational capacity allow.
It is important to stress that the Standards set out below:
- reflect the advice of the Faith Cell of the Mortality Management Group, on behalf of the Strategic Coordination Group (SCG), as to how to apply Government guidance in London and are specific to London at the point of issue.
- may evolve on the basis of feedback from the Faith and Belief Cell Advisory Panel and Contact Group
You may be able to get help with the cost of the funeral of a close friend or relative if you are claiming certain benefits. Read the Government guidance here.
Anyone can get help with the cost of paying for the funeral of a child aged under 18. Read the Government advice here.
Funerals should remain as normal as possible for as long as possible in line with social distancing regulations. When this cannot be sustained the following minimum standards should be maintained:
- The family’s choice of burial or cremation for their loved one should be respected, in line with the requirements and conditions set out in the Coronavirus Act 2020.
- A celebrant (minister) of the family’s choice of faith/belief should always be present if the family wish at the funeral even if there is no congregation at all, recognising that this may not be the individual of their choice.
- As far as possible, name and contact details for the family should be given to the celebrant by the funeral director a minimum of one day before the funeral to allow contact with the family.
- Funerals can take place in venues as set out by the Government and should be managed in accordance with the latest guidance.
- Ceremonial words should be said in line with the family’s choice of faith or belief but these may be truncated from usual funeral rites.
- An offer to facilitate livestream via social media should be made. However it is recognised that not all Crematoria /Cemeteries have adequate WiFi/signal to achieve this. Where this is known to be the case (and where it is not), the family may prefer the funeral to be filmed so that it can be shared afterwards.
- Faith and belief communities should, within their understanding of what is possible, offer memorial services and subsequent commemorations to bereaved families.
- Bereavement support should be offered. Government bereavement advice and downloads in multiple languages are available. Theis video may also help "What to do when someone dies". There is also this COVID-19 toolkit from Thrive LDN which contains other helpful bereavement advice.
- When organisations charge fees (funeral directors, celebrants, crematoria, cemeteries etc), they are asked to work together to achieve transparency in what they charge in these circumstances.
Need a document on this page in an accessible format?
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of a PDF or other document on this page in a more accessible format, please get in touch via our online form and tell us which format you need.
It will also help us if you tell us which assistive technology you use. We’ll consider your request and get back to you in 5 working days.