Dealing with the death of a loved one is never easy. The funeral director can assist with registering the death and obtaining Death Certificates but there are many other things to take care of during this difficult time. For instance, cancelling identification cards to make sure that nobody can open credit in the deceased’s name. In this blog, we will share some key logistical items (with links to checklists) that should be addressed following the death of a loved one.
Before we begin, while Consumer Protection BC does license and regulate the funeral industry, most of the content covered in this blog is not overseen by us. We would like to credit Service Canada and the Province of British Columbia websites for the information provided in this blog post.
1. Obtain a death certificate
After the funeral director registers the death, anyone can apply for a death certificate. A few different ways are listed here on the Province of British Columbia website.
2. Cancel government benefits and various IDs
Various links for these are listed on Service Canada’s website.
- Pensions and benefits including Old Age Security, Canada Pension Plan, Employment Insurance and tax-related payments
- Personal identification including passport, heath cards and driver’s licence
- Social Insurance Number
3. Check to see if you are eligible for benefits
You may want to find out if you are eligible to receive survivor or death benefits. The Government of Canada has information on this topic.
4. Manage personal finances
If you are acting as an executor or administrator, you are responsible for the deceased’s finances. If the deceased had a legal representative (for example, a lawyer or an accountant), this person may help you with the process. The Government of Canada has information about being an estate representative.
Service BC also has this bereavement checklist (PDF) as a tool to assist with identifying key federal departments and provincial ministries to notify of a death to terminate benefits and services or to initiate benefits for survivors.
We hope this information was helpful!
ADDITIONAL READING:
Cemetery and funeral services: do you know your rights?
Are you allowed to mail cremated remains?
Have you had “The Talk?” Top 5 things you need to know about funeral services
Please add a section dealing with the deceased social media accounts & how to close them.
I never even thought about these things having to be done.. thank you I am going to save this page and maybe print it and put it with our wills and PA’s.
Hi Donna, I’m glad to hear that you find the information here useful. Thank you for your feedback.
Would CP-BC be open to providing clear information about home funerals, which don’t require the services of a funeral director? CP-BC does have a link to the permit for families to transport their dead themselves, but it would be useful if they also acknowledged the family’s right to do all of the post-death care and paperwork.
Hi Pashta, thanks for your comment. There is nothing in the law that says that a family can’t do aspects of the post-death care and paperwork themselves. For example, the form you mention that must be filled out to transfer the remains of a loved one yourself. The law speaks to anyone who handles and transports human remains and there are clear laws in place that address the licensing of funeral providers. At this time, we don’t believe it would be appropriate for us to provide steps on how an individual could perform post-death care.
i have a question about cremation. My mother has a prepaid cremation service. I have read recent articles that some funeral homes will not cremate if the deceased has medical device. My mother has a pacemaker. What steps should I take to ensure I don’t have difficulty with cremation.
Hi Jacqueline, thanks for reaching out to us here. Have you had a chance to confirm with the crematorium on what their policy is? I would start there. We’ve heard that crematoriums can remove the devices themselves before cremation and others do not offer the service. I’s my understanding that it is up to the business to decide. Again, best to check with the crematorium directly and then go from there. I hope this helps and best of luck!