The days and weeks immediately after losing a loved one can be extremely busy. At Bethel, we know that even after the funeral there are still many things that need to be done.
There are many accounts to close after a death, and a range of organisations and services will need to be notified.
We have composed this guide of post-funeral actions to help with your planning for the many tasks that need to be completed after a funeral.
Taking care of practicalities
Although many of these services can be contacted online, the task of notifying providers can be time consuming, and sometimes upsetting. You might like to consider sharing the task with family members.
Government Agencies
- Australian Taxation Office
- Australian Electoral Commission
- Local Council
- Medicare
- Health Benefits Card
- Centrelink*
- Department of Veterans Affairs*
* Bethel can notify these agencies on your behalf.
Legal Services
- Solicitor
- Public Trustee
- Executor of Will
Financial Institutions
- Superannuation company
- Bank or building society
- Insurance companies
Workplace
- Employer
- Colleagues
Household
- Landlord or real estate agent
- Body corporate
Utilities
- Gas
- Electricity
- Phone – home and mobile
Lifestyle
- Social media accounts – deactivate Facebook etc.
- Clubs
- Social organisations
- Driver’s licence
Service Providers
- Meals on Wheels
- Home care services – cleaner, gardener
- Hire purchase companies
- Newsagent – cancel subscriptions
Health Providers
- Doctor
- Dentist
- Specialists
- Chemist
Bereavement Register
The Australian Bereavement register relieves families from the burden of receiving unwanted direct mail after the death of a loved one. The central register of this free service removes the name of the deceased from customer mailing lists.
For further information, and to complete the simple online registration process, please visit www.tabr.com.au.
Saying thank you
After the funeral, there will be many people you will wish to thank for their support and understanding. Thank you notes to acknowledge flowers, food, spiritual remembrances, memorial donations or special services are always appreciated.
At Bethel Funerals, our memorial stationery is of the highest quality and can be customised with visuals, colours and fonts to reflect the personality of your loved one. Our graphic designers can customise a matching set of Orders of Service, Bookmarks and Thank You cards if you wish.
Taking care of your wellbeing
The experience of grief is different for everyone. As Bethel is committed to caring for families beyond the funeral itself we will have a member of our Pastoral Care team make contact with you over the next few months. There are a variety of pastoral care services available to support you after a funeral. Making an appointment with your GP, talking with your Minister or spending time with a close friend can be helpful ways of reaching out empathy and comfort.
Grief Line is a national, free and confidential, loss and grief telephone counselling service. The professionally trained counsellors of Grief Line are available 24/7. They are ready to listen to, care for and support people experiencing loss and grief, at any stage in life.
Sometimes talking about grief can be difficult. Our extensive collection of resources on coping with grief has been prepared to provide you with support and information during this difficult time.
We make a commitment to stay in touch with you after the funeral, and we want you to know that we are always willing to provide further assistance. Please refer to our Planning a Funeral Guide for further information.