when the fuschia has died back and the leaves are dead is the plant completely dead or will it grow back new leaves.... can i re pot while they are like this.

it should grow back and i'd wait until it is starting to grow before repotting. then prune the shoots by 2/3rds to keep it bushy.

...but that depends on whether it was a hardy one. Some are not able to cope with winter fosts and die if they aren't taken into a frost-free place for the winter.

Watch for any new growth then take the advice above, Sadly, if it wasn't hardy, that won't happen.

to see if there are any live bits scratch the bark with your fingernail. if the stem is green underneath then it is still alive.

SBG,
Try getting in touch with Blodyn (Hywel) who's a fuchsia fanatic here on GOY. I believe he's written some blogs on care of fuchsias. If you have the name of it, maybe he can tell you whether yours will survive?
I have several here in pots and in the ground, all hardy, bcos I don't bother with non-hardies any more. They all look extremely dead too, but I'm waiting a bit longer before chucking them, bcos last year I nearly did, but then they sprouted again quite happily.
This winter's been much colder than the previous one, so it'll be interesting to see if mine have survived or died!

Thanks for the info there, should I cut back new shoots?