Financial Assistance

Many times when a death occurs, families are not financially prepared for the expense. There are multiple areas of assistance available that we can help you with. If required, we will work on your behalf to verify if your loved one qualifies for any of these options as well as assist you with the application process.

This service is available to all Ontario residents (that qualify) to pay for funeral, burial, cremation or aquamation expenses for those who cannot afford it. Ontario Works may help to cover the cost of any funeral services including, but not limited to:

• The transfer of the deceased
• Aquamation, cremation, including scattering or burial of the remains.
• Burial plot, including plot purchase or opening/closing costs for pre-purchased plots.
• Casket

Approval for Ontario Works depends on the deceased's financial standing, not the financial standing of the executor or next of kin, and considers insurance policies and assets. Once approval is received from Ontario Works, you can begin making your arrangements. We then would deal directly with Ontario works to obtain payment for the arrangements. It is important to remember that Ontario Works will be entitled to any funeral funds available in the deceased estate.

Ontario Works applications for funeral benefits are handled through the local social service office of where the deceased person lived. We would contact that office on your behalf to initiate the application process. Some applications can be approved over the phone or online and some applications would require you to attend in person to that office.

The Canada Pension Plan (CPP) death benefit is a one-time payment, payable to the estate or other eligible individuals, on behalf of a deceased CPP contributor.  The amount of the death benefit is a single payment of $2,500. With both the lump sum death benefit and the monthly survivor's benefit, we will assist you with completing the application.

The Canada Pension Plan (CPP) survivor's pension is a monthly payment paid to the legal spouse or common-law partner of the deceased contributor. To qualify for the survivor’s pension, you must: 

• be legally married to a deceased CPP contributor
• be the common-law partner of a deceased CPP contributor

The amount you receive as a surviving spouse or common-law partner will depend on:

• whether you are younger or older than age 65
• how much, and for how long, the deceased contributor has paid into the CPP

We first calculate the amount that the CPP retirement pension of the deceased is, or would have been, if the deceased had been age 65 at the time of death. Then, a further calculation is done based on the survivor's age at the time of the contributor's death.

You will receive 60% of the contributor's retirement pension, if you are not receiving other CPP benefits.

You will receive a flat rate portion and 37.5% of the contributor's retirement pension, if you are not receiving other CPP benefits.

If you already receive a Canada Pension Plan (CPP) retirement pension or disability pension, the survivor's pension will be combined into a single monthly payment.

However, you cannot receive a full survivor's pension while also receiving a full retirement pension or disability pension. The combined benefit is not necessarily the sum of the 2 separate benefits.

The Last Post Fund is a benefit that seeks to provide Veterans with dignified funeral and/or burial arrangements, as well as a military gravestone if the deceased has insufficient funds at the time of death.

Service eligibility for the Funeral and Burial Program extends to:

• Canadian Armed Forces Veterans or any predecessor Naval, Army or Air Forces of Canada or Newfoundland
• Canadian Merchant Navy Veterans of the Second World War or the Korean War
• Allied Veterans who served with the Allied Forces during the Second World War or the Korean War

Depending on circumstances, assistance may be provided in one of two ways:

LPF makes the arrangements: Standard funeral services may be provided when the Last Post Fund is contacted, and eligibility determined before firm arrangements are made with a funeral home. In this case, the Last Post Fund will contract directly with the funeral home within the maximum amounts set out in the Veterans Burial Regulations.

Family / Estate makes the arrangements: When arrangements for funeral and burial are made by a Veteran’s estate, family or another person/organization, an application for reimbursement (partial or full) may be made within one year.