The hidden cost of doing nothing

The number of Public Health Act funerals arranged by local authorities has been rising year on year, from around 2200 in 2010 to 4400 by 2023 in England alone, according to research published by the Local Government Association (LGA) in 2024.

When someone dies with no known next of kin, the responsibility to arrange and fund a dignified funeral falls to the local authority. The LGA estimated that the total cost of these funerals is nearly £6m and in close to half of these cases (45%), local authorities were unable to recover the costs from the deceased’s families.

Each Public Health Act funeral represents not only a direct financial outlay, but hours of staff time, administrative complexity, and potential legal exposure if entitled relatives later come forward having been unaware of the death.

In many cases, that burden is avoidable. Effective next of kin tracing can reconnect families with their deceased relatives, allowing them to step in and take ownership of funeral arrangements before the council is required to act. The key is to act quickly.

When a person dies without an obvious next of kin, it may seem as if there are few options. The reality, however, is that most people do have living relatives, even if they are estranged, unknown to the deceased's immediate social circle, or living abroad. The challenge for local authorities is locating them quickly enough to make a difference.

This is precisely the gap that specialist probate genealogy firms are designed to fill. Finders International, one of the UK's largest firms in this field, offers a free next of kin tracing service to public sector organisations including local authorities, NHS trusts, care homes, housing associations, coroners, and police forces. Established in 1997 and operating from offices across the UK, Ireland, Australia and Canada, the company has over 150 staff and a global network of researchers capable of conducting searches across more than 69 countries.

Crucially, their research can begin with as little as a name and date of death - and they can often locate next of kin within 24 hours.

What Local Authorities should do when someone dies with no known next of kin

The process is straightforward. When someone dies and no next of kin can be immediately identified, council officers should first check the deceased's belongings for any reference to a family member or friend. No matter how limited that information, it can be passed to Finders International via a dedicated public sector referral email.

From there, the team takes over. They identify and locate next of kin, provide regular updates throughout the process, and, once family members are found, offer them the opportunity to take on the funeral arrangements. This not only removes the burden from the council but gives families the chance to grieve, handle personal belongings and to say goodbye properly.

For councils with outstanding invoices, Finders International also provides solicitor contact details so that any costs can be recovered from the estate at the earliest opportunity.

Verification Matters

Tracing next of kin is one thing. Verifying that those who come forward are who they claim to be is quite another. Finders International regularly encounters situations where individuals contact councils presenting themselves as relatives entitled to deal with a deceased person's estate only for thorough genealogical research to reveal a very different picture.

In one documented case, a person claiming to be a cousin of the deceased contacted a council's bereavement services team and offered to take over funeral arrangements. Finders International was asked to verify the family tree. Our research confirmed that the true entitled relatives were a living aunt, a cousin, and two cousins once removed, not the individual who had made contact. That person turned out to be a more distant relative with no legal entitlement to arrange the funeral or inherit from the estate.

This kind of due diligence protects local authorities from future complaints, potential legal disputes, and the risk of incorrect distribution of funds. Internet-sourced genealogical records are estimated to carry transcription errors in around 10% of cases, and relying on information provided by a single family member - who may have incomplete knowledge, or motives of their own - creates unnecessary exposure.

Finders International’s family tree verification service addresses this directly, providing independently researched, documented evidence of entitlement before any assets or arrangements are handed over.

Support beyond tracing

What distinguishes a professional probate genealogy firm from a simple people-tracing service is the breadth of support available. Finders International offers local authorities a genuinely comprehensive package.

Their Court of Protection services assist deputyship and appointeeship teams in identifying missing assets - including bank accounts, stocks and shares, and pensions - as well as tracing or verifying next of kin when a client passes away. All research costs can be recharged to the client's funds.

Finders International’s Empty Homes service helps councils bring vacant properties back into use by identifying and locating missing or deceased owners and their executors. This service has recovered tens of thousands of pounds in unpaid council tax.

And for cases where no entitled next of kin exists and a Public Health Act funeral is unavoidable, Finders International operates its own Funeral Fund, a charitable initiative established in 2016 that provides subsidies to public sector organisations to help cover funeral costs. The fund is funded from a portion of the company's annual profits and is exclusively available to the public sector.

For local authority officers, perhaps the most important detail is this: the core next of kin tracing service is completely free. Finders International is also a member of the International Association of Professional Probate Researchers (IAPPR), holds multiple ISO certifications including ISO 9001 for Quality Management and ISO/IEC 27001 for Data and Information Security, and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority for its insurance work.

Their team of over 50 regional representatives - the majority of whom are retired senior police officers, DBS checked and trained in sensitive communications - can deliver death notifications in person, with the care and professionalism that such moments demand.

Staff also receive CRUSE Bereavement Care training in Loss and Bereavement Awareness, alongside Dementia Friends sessions, ensuring that every interaction is handled with appropriate sensitivity.

Acting early makes the difference

The window between a death and a funeral is short. The earlier next of kin tracing begins, the greater the chance that family members can be found in time to be involved - saving the council the cost of a Public Health Act funeral entirely, or at minimum, enabling cost recovery from the estate.

Local authority teams who are not yet working with a specialist probate genealogy provider are likely absorbing costs and risks that could be significantly reduced. With a free referral process, a 24-hour response capability, and a team experienced in exactly these situations, there is little reason to delay.

To refer a case or find out more, contact Finders International at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit www.findersinternational.com/public-sector-services/.

Download our brochure here: https://www.findersinternational.com/brochure