If you wish to access information about a deceased person who has been under the care of the Council, you will need to put your request in writing and it will be treated in accordance with our Freedom of Information Request Handling Process. We would ask that you specifically state what information you require. This will help us in locating and extracting this information.
Before we can provide you with information about a deceased person, you will need to supply us with the following information:
Details of the deceased
- name
- date of birth
- date of death
- last known address of deceased
Please provide as much information about the deceased as you can. We need this information to identify if we hold records relating to the deceased. The more information you can supply, the easier it will be for us to locate records about the deceased.
Confirmation that the client has died (one of the following)
- grant of probate
- death certificate
Before we are able to release records about a deceased person, we will need confirmation that the individual is in fact deceased. If you wish to request information on behalf of a living relative, please see our guide to making Subject Access request on behalf of someone else.
Proof of entitlement (one of the following)
- grant of probate
- certified copy of the last will & testament
- power of attorney
We need to identify that you are the personal representative of the deceased person, or that you had Power of Attorney while they were alive, and are therefore entitled to information about them.
Please note that if you have only a Lasting Power of Attorney (property and financial affairs) or an Enduring Power of Attorney, this may limit the type of information you are entitled to.
If you are named ‘jointly’ in the relevant Power of Attorney, we will also require signed consent from the other named party to release the information to you. You may use our consent form for this purpose.
Identification from applicant (one of the following)
- drivers licence
- passport
- bank statement
- utility bill
Please supply us with one form of identification for yourself, showing your name and current address. This may not be required if your request comes via your solicitor. Acceptable examples of identification are listed.