Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped Act, sections 3(1)(a) and 3.2; Schedule 1, section 7
Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped General Regulation, sections 2(c), 2.01(1)(d)(ii), 2.01(2)(b), and 8; Schedule 3 section 12
General Regulation (Funeral Services Act), section 20 and 36(2)
Cemeteries Act, section 12
General Regulation (Cemeteries Act), sections 12 and 13
Fatality Inquires Regulation, the Schedule, section 3(1)
Ministerial Order 2023-028 - Funeral Benefits

INTENT

To describe what funeral benefits may be provided by AISH, the eligibility criteria for funeral benefits, the applicable benefit rates, and the delegated authority for decisions.

POLICY

To receive a funeral benefit, the eligibility criteria as outlined in the Personal Benefits policy must be met.

If the Personal Benefits criteria are met, funeral benefits are available to assist with funeral costs when a client, their cohabiting partner, or a dependent child has passed away.

Funeral benefits may be provided for burial or cremation and funeral in Alberta, including:

• Funeral expenses for burial or cremation;
• A funeral ceremony;
• Embalming, when necessary;
• An additional transportation rate when transportation is required outside the funeral service providers municipality, within Alberta; and
• A cemetery plot or other resting place.

 
Or, funeral benefits may be provided for expenses related to transporting the deceased individual to another province or territory, within Canada, for burial or cremation.

Funeral Benefit Categories

Funeral Expenses for Burial or Cremation

The following are examples of potential funeral expenses for burial or cremation in Alberta, but it is not a complete list:

• Removal of the deceased individual from the place of death;
• Completion of documents for cremation or burial;
• Providing shelter for the deceased individual until disposition;
• Basic preparation of the deceased individual for identification;
• Professional services;
• Cremation fees;
• A casket and/or an urn;
• Transportation within the funeral service provider’s municipality;
• Administrative costs; and
• Alberta Funeral Services Regulatory Board fee.

Note: If the funeral expenses for burial or cremation are below the maximum amount provided, other funeral expenses can be included in this category, up to the maximum amount (e.g., additional funds for a ceremony, a headstone).

Funeral Ceremony

Funds may be provided for families and loved ones of the deceased individual to host a basic, dignified funeral service for religious, cultural or spiritual purposes.

The following are examples of potential ceremony expenses, but it is not a complete list:

• Facility rental (e.g., community hall, religious facility, funeral home chapel, cemetery or crematorium);
• Honorarium for a religious, cultural or spiritual leader;
• Printing an order of service;
• Funeral staff;
• Equipment;
• Refreshments;
• Flowers;
• Preparation of public notices; and
• Vehicle to transport the deceased individual to a ceremony or graveside.

Note: The funds provided for a ceremony can only be used for ceremony expenses. If there is not a ceremony or the cost of a ceremony is below the maximum amount, these funds cannot be used for other funeral expenses (e.g., a more expensive casket).

Embalming

Funds may be provided for embalming, when deemed necessary by an embalmer who is licenced under the General Regulation to the Funeral Services Act, Section 20.

Note: The funds provided for embalming can only be used for embalming expenses. If embalming is not required or the cost of embalming is below the maximum amount, these funds cannot be used for other funeral expenses (e.g., additional funds for a ceremony, a headstone) .

 Additional Transportation within Alberta

 Funds may be provided, per trip, for transportation and attendant services:

• After 20 kilometres, when travelling outside of the funeral service provider’s municipality, and
• When it is required to transport a deceased individual to a funeral service provider, a ceremony, and/or a crematorium or cemetery.
  

This rate is based on the additional kilometre section of the Fatality Inquiries Regulation, section 3(1) of the Schedule.

Cemetery Fees

Funds may be provided for the following cemetery expenses:

• A single cemetery plot;
• Cemetery perpetual fees;
• A grave liner, when required by a cemetery;
  

 

Note: grave liners may be provided by a funeral service provider or a cemetery. This cost is included in cemetery fees.


 

• Grave opening and closing fees; and
• Winter fees, if applicable.

Note: In accordance with the Cemeteries Act, section 12, cemetery plots are paid at 50 per cent of the amount that would ordinarily be charged.

Alternatively, funds up to a maximum rate, may be provided to place the deceased individual’s remains in an alternate resting place within a cemetery, including a single columbarium niche or a mausoleum crypt.

Transportation of the Deceased Individual to another Province or Territory, within Canada, for Burial or Cremation

Transportation expenses may include, but are not limited to:

• Preparing the deceased individual prior to shipping;
• Hermetically sealed casket or other approved container; and
• Transportation by road and/or by airfreight to another province/territory for burial or cremation.

Definitions for the Relationships to the Deceased Individual

Depending on the relationship to the deceased, an individual may be expected to contribute financially towards the expenses for a burial or cremation and funeral in Alberta or transportation to another province.

Responsible Survivor

A responsible survivor is expected to financially contribute toward the cost of funeral services.

A responsible survivor is defined as:

• The cohabiting partner of the deceased individual (providing that the deceased individual and cohabiting partner were not separated);
• The legal parents of a deceased dependent child; or
• The legal sponsor of a sponsored immigrant.
  

AISH does not provide funeral benefits if the responsible survivor has non-exempt assets over $5,000 and refuses to pay or refuses to provide the information required showing their inability to pay or their financial situation. If the client/cohabiting partner was/is in a situation of financial hardship, a personal benefit may be approved when a client and their cohabiting partner have non-exempt assets over $5,000.

Non-Responsible Survivor

A non-responsible survivor is not required to contribute financially toward funeral expenses. A non-responsible survivor is any family member, friend, or organization, who is not considered a responsible survivor, who may assist with making funeral service arrangements for the deceased individual.

Depending on who is available to make the arrangements for the deceased individual, the application for funeral benefits may be submitted by a non-responsible survivor.

Other Available Programs or Sources

AISH does not provide funeral benefits if the costs are covered by another program or source. Other programs may include, but are not limited to:

• Workers Compensation Board benefits, if the deceased individual died due to a work-related accident or occupational disease;
• Victims of Crime Assistance Program, if the deceased individual is eligible under the Victims of Crime and Public Safety Act;
• Motor vehicle accident victim benefits for funeral expenses, if the deceased individual is eligible under the Automobile Accident Insurance Benefits Regulation;
• The Last Post Fund, if the deceased individual was a Canadian Forces veteran; or
• Any other program where the deceased person meets program eligibility criteria to receive a benefit for funeral expenses for burial or cremation and funeral or transportation.
  

AISH also does not provide a funeral benefit if there is a prepaid funeral where arrangements have been made and paid for prior to the individual passing away.

Notes:

Contributions to the funeral provided by non-responsible survivors including family members who are not responsible survivors, friends, religious or community organizations or groups, and crowd sourcing accounts, are not considered when determining eligibility for a funeral benefit.

The Canada Pension Plan Death Benefit and life insurance are exempt as income for the AISH program as per Schedule 1.1 of the Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped General Regulation.

Client Passes Away Outside of Alberta

AISH clients must be ordinarily resident in Alberta as described in the Ordinarily Resident in Alberta policy. The policy also outlines situations where the client is able to be absent from Alberta and continue to receive AISH benefits.

If the client, cohabiting partner, or dependent child passed away while outside of Alberta in one of the situations allowed in the policy, the client is eligible for funeral benefits if all other eligibility criteria are met.

If the deceased individual will be interred or permanently laid to rest in Alberta, the funeral benefit for burial or cremation and funeral services in Alberta may be issued.

If the deceased individual will be buried in a Canadian province or territory other than Alberta, a transportation benefit will not be provided for the deceased individual to be transported from the place of death to another province or territory other than Alberta.

APPLICATION PROCESS FOR FUNERAL BENEFITS

The applicant should be the person who is responsible for making arrangements based on their relationship to the deceased individual, in accordance with section 36 of the General Regulation to the Funeral Services Act. This list is in order of priority, with the highest listed person having the right to make funeral arrangements. If the person who has the right to make arrangements is not available, or is unwilling to make arrangements, the right passes to the next person on the list.

An applicant may or may not be a responsible survivor, depending on the relationship to the deceased.

All funeral benefits applications are processed by the Health and Funeral Benefit Unit (HFBU). The application for funeral benefits is located on the Funeral Benefits website.

The application guide linked on the website provides guidance to the family and friends of the deceased individual to assist with determining who is responsible for making arrangements.

The available individual or organization who is making arrangements, in accordance with section 36 of the General Regulation to the Funeral Services Act, is generally the person responsible for submitting the application for funeral benefits.

Preapproval of funeral benefits, where the applicant is informed of the deceased individual meeting eligibility requirements, is encouraged prior services being completed. This ensures the individual making the arrangements on behalf of the deceased individual is fully aware of whether the deceased will be eligible and what is covered.

To receive preapproval, the applicant should submit the application, along with the Official Death Certificate or Funeral Director’s Statement of Death, and the quotes or unpaid invoices, so that staff can determine if the eligibility criteria have been met and notify the applicant of the approval or denial.

Note: If approved, an email with a letter will be sent to the applicant indicating the type of funeral benefit that has been approved up to the maximum rates.

Reimbursement Requests

Reimbursements will be considered if the invoice was paid in full, for up to 6 months after the expenses were incurred, if all eligibility criteria would have been met at the time of the expense.

The invoice is considered paid if it was paid in full or if an amount equal to or exceeding the total benefit amount requested was paid prior to the application being submitted.

Consent to Disclose Personal Information

The application form includes a consent section to allow the applicant to name people and organizations, such as a family member or a funeral service provider, to receive information about the status of the funeral benefits application, via a telephone inquiry.

The consent is valid for the period of time that the funeral benefits application is being processed and expires when the final payment has been made, the benefit is denied, or the application is withdrawn. The consent can be revoked, at any time, in writing.

Directing Payment

Typically, benefits will be issued directly to the service provider(s) as a third party payment.

If the applicant is the spouse/partner of the deceased individual or the parent of a deceased dependent child, the benefit payment may be issued directly to the applicant, at their request. In this situation, the applicant will be responsible for arranging payment to service providers.

Cemetery fees are generally paid directly to the cemetery as the entity providing the service and should be invoiced separately from funeral service provider fees. In cases where a cemetery does not have the ability to collect these fees and relies on the funeral service provider to collect on their behalf, a funeral service provider may be paid the cemetery fees to coordinate payment.

RATE

When the deceased individual is being buried or cremated in Alberta, the rates for funeral goods and services and cemetery expenses are:

• For funeral expenses for burial or cremation, the actual cost up to $4,421;
• For a funeral ceremony, the actual cost up to $1,000;
• For embalming, the actual cost up to $750;
• For additional transportation and attendant services, the actual cost up to $1.13 per kilometer, after 20 kilometers, when transportation is required outside of the municipality where the funeral service provider is located;
• When an exception request is approved for safe sheltering (storage) after 10 days, the actual cost up to $35 per day; and
• Actual cemetery costs for:
  • A single cemetery plot, plus cemetery perpetual fees, a grave liner, when required by the cemetery, grave opening and closing fees and winter fees.
  • For an alternate resting place, including a single columbarium niche or mausoleum crypt, the actual cost up to $3,000.

Note: In accordance with the Cemeteries Act, section 12, cemetery burial plots are paid at 50 percent of the amount that would ordinarily be charged.

When the deceased individual is being transported outside of Alberta to another province or territory in Canada for burial or cremation, the rates for preparation and transportation are:

• Actual cost of preparing the deceased individual for transport prior to shipping, including embalming, a hermetically sealed casket (if required) or other approved metal container; and
• Actual reasonable cost of transportation by road and/or by airfreight. Least cost alternative will be considered when determining the mode of transportation.

Exception Requests

Ministerial Order 2023-028 outlines the maximum rates that have been set by the Minister for funeral benefits. Typically, these rates cannot be exceeded.

In exceptional and necessary circumstances where the maximum benefit rates are insufficient, additional amounts may be provided based on the reasons for the request and related substantiation.

The applicant must complete the Funeral Benefits – Request for an Exceptional Amount form. Requests to exceed the benefit maximums will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the appropriate delegated authority. Examples of exceptions may include:

• Additional costs due to health and/or safety reasons, such as bioseals
• Safe sheltering (storage) of a deceased individual for more than 10 days. An exception for safe sheltering may be provided starting the 11th day that safe sheltering is provided for the deceased individual; or
• Alternate resting places above the rate limit.
  

The following criteria are considered for these requests:

• The burial or cremation and funeral expenses cannot be met by the maximum rate due to extraordinary circumstances;
• The expenses are considered necessary and essential for cremation or burial and funeral services;
• There are no other means to pay; and
• The least cost alternative is considered.

A decision for a benefit in excess of the rates is not appealable.

DELEGATED AUTHORITY

HFB Assessor – eligibility for a funeral benefit, including reimbursement for expenses not authorized in advance.

Senior Manager, AISH Delivery Services – for a financial hardship asset limit exception.

Senior Manager, Common Service Delivery (CSD) – for funeral expenses exceeding the maximum funeral benefit rate.

Substantiation

Required documentation

• Proof of identification of the applicant
• Official Death Certificate or Funeral Director’s Statement of Death.
• Quotes or unpaid invoices for:
  1. Funeral and burial or cremation expenses, including a breakdown of the funds for a ceremony, embalming, additional transportation within Alberta, and cemetery fees; or
  2. Quotes or unpaid invoices for transportation expenses to another province or territory in Canada.

Documentation depending on situation

• Proof of denial from a program if the deceased may have been eligible for funding from that program.
• Documents identifying the deceased had a prepaid funeral.
• 30-day bank statement for the Responsible Survivor(s) as proof of the source of income, the amount of income and their assets.

Required documentation if requesting an exceptional amount

• A completed Funeral Benefits – Request for an Exceptional Amount form.
• Funeral Director’s Statement of Death or Official Death Certificate
• Quotes/invoices and other relevant documents showing all the funeral costs, as well as any additional fees, associated with this request.