CARP supports bill that will benefit bereaved Canadians

thumbnail_houseJanet Gray, Chair of CARP’s Ottawa Chapter, represented CARP before the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills, and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities on October 30, 2014 to urge the government to adopt Bill C-247, An Act to expand the mandate of Service Canada in respect of the death of a Canadian citizen or Canadian resident. The bill aims to make Service Canada the single-point of contact for Canadians to notify the federal government about the death of a loved one.

Currently, Canadians must contact multiple federal government departments to notify the government of a death, a process that also often requires multiple forms of documentation for the proof of death. Due to a lack of coordination and communication across government departments, bereaved Canadians are obligated to take unnecessary measures, creating additional stress during an already difficult time in their lives. In some cases, some people have to notify over 30 different departments and programs, such as CPP, OAS/GIS, Social Insurance Number, Passport Canada, GST/HST payments, Veteran’s Disability Program, Death Benefit, Elections Canada, Citizenship card, Earning Loss benefit, Canada Child Tax benefit “ just to name a few. Furthermore, the family survivors may not be aware of all the programs and benefits/supports that the deceased was receiving, and as a result, they may risk facing requests for repayments or other government penalties years later as a consequence.

CARP welcomes this private member’s bill that will streamline the currently uncoordinated fragmented system and remove unnecessary stress and burden that Canadians experience from repeatedly notifying multiple government departments. Many Canadians would be surprised that a single point of contact does not already exist to notify the government of a death and would not accept that government is unable to share information across its own departments. In addition to benefiting Canadians, the bill will also remove unnecessary costly inefficiencies for government.

Bill C-247 is a low hanging fruit that benefits all Canadians, and therefore, government should enact right away. CARP will be monitoring to see that this bill is passed.

A sample list of possible government departments that people would currently need to notify upon death:

Service Canada/Employment and Social Development

Old Age Security (OAS)

Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS)

Canada Pension Plan “ (Survivor’s Pension, Children’s Benefit, Disability Benefits, Death Benefit)

Employment Insurance Benefits

Social Insurance Number (SIN)

Wage Earner Protection Program

International Benefits/Social Security Agreements

Federal Income Support for Parents of Murdered or Missing Children Grant

 

Canada Revenue Agency

Filing of Deceased Tax Returns/Clearance Certificates

GST/HST Payments

Canada Child Tax Benefit (CCTB)

Universal Child Tax Benefit (UCCB)

Working Income Tax Benefit (WITB)

 

Passport Canada

Cancellation of passport

 

Veterans Affairs Canada

Veteran’s Independence Program

Benefits for Survivors of Disability Pension Recipients

War Veteran’s Allowance

Death Benefit

Earning Loss Benefit for Survivors or Children

Supplementary Retirement

Education Assistance Program

Last Post Fund – Funeral, burial and grave marking assistance

 

Elections Canada

Remove Elector from voters list

 

Public Works and Government Services

Public Service Pension Survivor Benefits

Supplementary Death Benefit

 

Citizenship and Immigration Canada

Citizenship Card

Permanent Resident Card

Citizenship Application

Deceased Applicant or Sponsor of Immigration Application

 

Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada

Decedent Estates Program

Secure Certificate of Indian Status (SCIS)

 

RCMP

Firearms Registration/Transfer of Ownership

 

National Defence

Survivors Benefits

Death Benefit payable under the Canadian Forces Superannuation Act (CFSA)

Casualty Support

 

Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada and International Trade

Notification if Canadian deceased abroad

 

Fisheries and Oceans

Fishing License