Death notifications receive digital makeover

OTTAWA• The path Canadians must take to inform their governments about a death in the family is getting a digital overhaul to avoid delays that have led to wrongful or missed benefit payments.

Federal, provincial and territorial governments turned to private consultants two years ago to offer a blueprint for a system where everything is handled electronically and family members don’t need to contact multiple government departments in an effort that can seem repetitive and unnecessary.

An 85- page consultants’ report from October 2016 called for the end of “multiple layers of administration” in provinces and territories, inconsistent sharing of information between jurisdictions, and paperbased processes that result in forms that aren’t legible or are incomplete.

The lack of electronic collection and sharing of information is “the greatest constraint” facing governments that need timely registration and notification of a death, the report said.

The consultants called on governments to make more information easily available for citizens because many don’t know what they need to do when a loved one dies.

Officials said some provinces and territories would reach the finish line sooner than others, partly due to resources, partly due to unique issues facing different jurisdictions.

In Ontario, for instance, municipalities play a role in the process, steps which the consultants noted “do not necessarily add value.”

In the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, the consultants said there were challenges validating the identity of a deceased because it is common for people to use aliases and have different addresses for different situations.

Yves Berthiaume, president of the Funeral Services Association of Canada, said a uniform, nationwide notification system would make life easier for families and funeral directors who often act as a key point of contact between the family and governments.

Provinces and territories are responsible for collecting the information about a person’s death and they pass on details to Service Canada, which notifies federal benefits programs to stop payments to the deceased and start payments to surviving partners.

Hiccups in the process can lead — and have led — to mistakes in benefits payments, followed by uncomfortable collection calls from Service Canada officials that the federal government would rather avoid happening in the first place.

“If we don’t receive the information in a timely manner, then it results in difficult situations for Canadians,” said Anik Dupont, director general with Service Canada.

“So either you get overpaid because the benefits continue to be dispersed to the people, or we don’t start benefits f or people who should be in receipt of benefits from allowances or other payments that stem from a death.”