Government of Canada
Death Benefits & Financial Assistance
Death Benefits & Financial Assistance
Employment and Social Development Canada
The Canada Pension Plan (CPP) provides contributors and their families with partial replacement of earnings in the case of retirement, disability or death. Almost all individuals who work in Canada outside Quebec contribute to the CPP. If you die and are a CPP contributor, the Death benefit provides a one-time payment to (or on behalf of) your estate.
Learn More About Canadian Death Benefits
Veterans Affairs Canada – Last Post Fund
The Veterans Affairs Canada Funeral and Burial Program ensures that eligible Veterans receive dignified funeral and burial services. To be eligible for the Program, Veterans must meet both military service and financial criteria. To meet the military service criteria, the Veteran must have been:
Learn More About the Last Post Fund
- a former member of the Canadian Forces or any predecessor Naval, Army or Air Forces of Canada or Newfoundland; or
- a Canadian Merchant Navy Veteran of the Second World War or the Korean War; or
- an Allied Veteran who served with the Allied Forces during the Second World War or the Korean War and has also lived in Canada for at least 10 years, or lived in Canada prior to enlisting and was living in Canada at time of death.
National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces
Financial assistance is available to assist in defraying the cost of a dignified funeral and burial for members of the Regular and Reserve forces. You many also want to reference The Guide to Benefits, Programs, and Services for CAF Members and their Families
See Available Financial Assistance
Download the Guide to Benefits, Programs, and Services for CAF Members and their Families
Indigenous Services Canada:
On-reserve Income Assistance Program
The Income Assistance Program provides funds to individuals (known as clients) and families (clients and their dependents) who are ordinarily residents on reserve or Status First Nations living in the Yukon territory, as a last resort where all other means of generating income to cover basic needs have been exhausted.
Canada Benefits Finder
Answer the questions on the Canada Benefits Finder and get a customized list of benefits for which you may be eligible. The Benefits Finder may suggest benefits from federal, provincial or territorial governments, and does not collect or track your information.
NEW! Canadian Benefit for Parents of Young Victims of Crime
The Government of Canada is committed to supporting the families of young victims of crime. To ensure parents get the help they need, the Government recently introduced the Canadian Benefit for Parents of Young Victims of Crime. This enhanced benefit replaces the former Parents of Murdered or Missing Children (PMMC) grant. The benefit provides income support to eligible parents who suffer a loss of income as they take time away from work to cope with the death or disappearance of their child under 25 years of age, as a result of a probable Criminal Code offence. For more information on the benefit and eligibility criteria, or to apply, please read more online here or download the brochure.
Additional Government Resources
Find information about the Death Benefit and Survivor Benefits for children, answers questions on how to apply, who is eligible etc.
Information about deceased loved ones and the information they will need in regards to survivor pensions, death benefits etc.
HRDC Homepage has information about the department and its programs, links to job searches, SIN applications and other useful information.
