Something Missing

[David Annis]

I ordered a marriage certificate and then the next day a death certificate from GRO. The marriage certificate arrived around the time it was supposed to. I waited and waited for the death certificate to turn up. Two weeks after the MC I phoned GRO. It appears I had missed off some piece of information required and the nice lady said I should have had an email telling me I had been refunded my £7. This I never received.
I asked the lady what I had missed off.
I had given the full name, the month, page, volume and the district.
The lady said that because the death took place in 1999, there was another requirement and that A.......Y did not supply it.
So now I'm getting GRO to do a search for me at a cost of £11.50.
Because I was in a bit of a hurry I failed to make a note of this missing requirement. Could someone tell me what it is and when did it get added to the death certificate as I have previously ordered and received an earlier dated one without any problem.

Cheers.
Dave.

[v.wells]

I think that with recent deaths GRO requires you to fill in the relationship to deceased box that is on the online order form. I have forgotten once on a death cert order but it was for the 1870's and wasn't queried. I believe it is a fraud prevention thing but I could be wrong.

[AnnB]

From the GRO certificate ordering site (now part of the Home Office Identity and Passport Service):-
"Age at death must be given for applications where event was registered in last 50 years."

Best wishes
Ann

[Guy Etchells]

You have given all the details the law requires you to give.
You have supplied the GRO reference number that and the name is all that is legally required, you could be wanting a death certificate to trace the birth and want the age at death for this.

If the GRO refuse to supply the certificate at the £7 fee they are breaking the law.
If they ask for £11.50 they are guilty of extortion.
Refuse to pay and demand that they supply the certificate as required by the law.

This asking for relationship is not a legal requirement but simply office policy.

It is a breach of the legal duty the GRO have to supply a certificate to anyone in the world for whatever reason that person wants that certificate.
Cheers
Guy

[Peter Goodey]

From the GRO web site (my emphasis)...

If you do not have the exact date of the event or are unable to complete the mandatory fields, then you will not be able to apply online. See Ways to Apply for details of how to make an application via telephone, post or fax.

Therefore you can order by phone. Since you have the GRO reference you should only be charged £7.

Be prepared to be insistent if necessary.

[David Annis]

Hmmmm. I must phone them again.
I gave them everything you all have mentioned and my relationship to the deceased.
The lady said that I could get this missing bit from F---myp---. This would cost me £7 for ex amount of credits.
What ever it was , was added to later certificates past a certain date but was not shown on certificates previous to this date, whatever it is.
Very odd.
Cheers.
Dave.

[Ladkyis]

David, go with what Guy has said - he really knows what he is talking about.

[v.wells]

You have given all the details the law requires you to give.
You have supplied the GRO reference number that and the name is all that is legally required, you could be wanting a death certificate to trace the birth and want the age at death for this.

If the GRO refuse to supply the certificate at the £7 fee they are breaking the law.
If they ask for £11.50 they are guilty of extortion.
Refuse to pay and demand that they supply the certificate as required by the law.

This asking for relationship is not a legal requirement but simply office policy.

It is a breach of the legal duty the GRO have to supply a certificate to anyone in the world for whatever reason that person wants that certificate.
Cheers
Guy

Excellent stuff Guy! Now I know what is legally required! Good job. Now there's no confusion

[David Annis]

One small snag, I have already paid them the £11.50 and it wont be untill next week that I can get to phone them.
Having to work certainly gets in the way of the important things like genealogy and fishing.
Cheers.
Dave.

[Ladkyis]

and you have to work to get the money to pay for the genealogy and fishing ... Life's a beach sometimes LOL