Burial or Cremation Supplement

Effective: April 15, 2026

A burial or cremation supplement may be provided when the deceased person:

• Passed away in BC, or
• Was a BCEA recipient immediately prior to their death and passed away outside of the province but within Canada, provided ministry approval for the supplement is obtained in advance

To be eligible, the deceased person’s estate and the responsible person must be unable to pay the full cost of the necessary burial or cremation expenses. The responsible person may include a spouse, a parent if the deceased was a minor, or a sponsor of a sponsored person. Co-funding may be considered to cover remaining necessary costs if resources available to the estate or from the responsible person cannot pay the entire cost.

Preapproval for burial or cremation costs is required prior to services being provided. After approval, the ministry provides payment directly to funeral service providers.

The ministry does not pay for any burial or cremation costs if:

• Costs were incurred outside of BC, and the deceased person was not a BCEA recipient, unless the body is transported back to the BC at no cost to the ministry
• Costs were incurred outside of Canada

Effective: September 1, 2024

The ministry may consider pre-approving eligibility for the burial or cremation supplement to support advance planning for Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD). 

• The burial or cremation supplement may be provided in this circumstance if the deceased person’s estate or the responsible person cannot pay the necessary costs
• The supplement cannot be pre-paid or provided in advance of a person's death
• Pre-approval is subject to confirming eligibility at the time of death

Effective: September 1, 2010

A legal representative is the person who has the right to decide what happens with the human or cremated remains. Section 5(1) of the Cremation, Internment and Funeral Service Act (CIFSA) lists the legal representative, in order of priority:

1. the personal representative named in the will of the deceased;
2. the spouse of the deceased;
3. an adult child of the deceased;
4. an adult grandchild of the deceased;
5. if the deceased was a minor, a person who was a guardian who had care and control of the deceased at the date of death;
6. a parent of the deceased;
7. an adult sibling of the deceased;
8. an adult nephew or niece of the deceased;
9. an adult next of kin of the deceased, determined on the basis provided by section 23 (5) of the Wills, Estates and Succession Act;
10. the minister under the Employment and Assistance Act, or if the Public Guardian and Trustee is administering the estate of the deceased under the Wills, Estates and Succession Act, the Public Guardian and Trustee;
11. an adult person having a personal or kinship relationship with the deceased, other than those referred to in paragraphs (b) to (d) and (f) to (i).

If the person at the top of the list is unavailable or unwilling to give instructions for burial or cremation arrangements, the right to give instructions passes to the next person on the list. If there are no relatives to assume the responsibility to make decisions related to burial or cremation arrangements, ministry staff may assume the role and make arrangements for services and payment to the funeral home.

If more than one person has the same legal right to control the disposition of human or cremated remains (for example, if there are two adult children), the order:

• Is determined in an agreement between or among them, or
• If there is no agreement, begin with the eldest of the persons and descend in order of age

The legal representative is responsible for making decisions related to the funeral arrangements, as well as applying for the burial or cremation supplement. The legal representative may not be responsible for paying necessary costs unless they are the responsible person (a spouse, a parent of a minor, or a sponsor of a sponsored person) or have access to the deceased’s estate or financial assets which are responsible for paying burial or cremation cost.

Consumer Protection BC can assist you in determining who the legal representative is.

Effective: September 1, 2010

Ministry staff may take the decision-maker role and make final arrangements only if there is no other legal representative willing or able to make decisions about the human or cremated remains.

A ministry staff member, acting as legal representative, will choose immediate disposition and cremation where the ministry has control of disposition unless:

• The deceased person’s cultural, spiritual, religious, or personal beliefs, practices, and traditions related to the disposition of their remains are a factor

• The deceased person has indicated a preference with respect to disposition in a will or pre-need cemetery or funeral services contract as outlined under Section 6 of the Cremation, Internment, and Funeral Services Act (CIFSA)

The ministry will follow the written preference of the deceased in a will or pre-need cemetery or funeral services contract respecting the disposition of their cremated remains as outlined in the CIFSA and ministry policy. Where the ministry has control and chooses cremation, the ministry will follow cremation policy. 

Effective:  April 1, 2010

The ministry may pay a basic service fee up to the amount shown in: Rate Table: General Supplements – Burial or Cremation Supplement - Funeral Provider’s Basic Service Fee as part of a burial or cremation supplement. The basic fee covers the cost of an immediate disposition and the funeral provider must include, at a minimum, the following:

• Transporting a deceased person's remains 32 kilometers or less within BC
• Completing and filing the registration of death
• Obtaining a burial or cremation permit
• Professional and staff services including:
  • Counselling and co-ordination with the legal representative of deceased
  • Co-ordination with the crematorium and cemetery
• Preparing a deceased person's remains for burial or cremation including:
  • Basic sanitary care, and
  • Casketing
• Use of facilities and equipment of a funeral provider including:
  • Preparation room,
  • Refrigeration,
  • Parking, and
  • Service areas

Effective: April 15, 2026

If a person dies in BC, the ministry may pay the lowest reasonable cost for transportation of a deceased person’s remains within BC if all eligibility criteria for a burial or cremation supplement are met. Please see the Rate Table: General Supplements – Burial or Cremation Supplements - Transportation Fee for maximum transportation (mileage) and ferry fees within BC.

If a BCEA recipient dies outside of BC but still within Canada, meets eligibility criteria for a burial or cremation supplement, and obtains approval for the supplement in advance, the ministry may pay the cost of one of the following:

• Preparing the deceased person's remains for transport and transporting the remains to BC, if the burial or cremation is to take place in BC, or
• Transportation within the Canadian province or territory in which the death occurred, the burial or cremation is to take place within that province or territory

The ministry does not pay for the following:

• Transporting the remains of a non-BCEA recipient from outside of BC into BC
• Transporting remains from BC to a location outside of BC
• Transporting remains from outside of Canada to BC

Effective:  December 1, 2003

The ministry may pay for one or both of the following casket costs as part of a burial or cremation supplement:

• An Imperial #2 HP cloth-covered casket (or equivalent) at actual invoiced factory cost, plus a merchandising mark-up of up to 20 per cent, plus the cost of freight to the funeral home
• Additional cost of casket for oversized remains

A lower cost casket will be used when requested by the legal representative.

Effective: April 1, 2010

The ministry may pay the following burial costs in addition to the funeral provider’s service fee as part of a burial or cremation supplement:

• Cost of a burial plot in BC at the lowest reasonable cost, including grave opening and closing fees
  • The lowest priced burial plot will be used if cemeteries in the local area offer different price ranges
• The cost of a concrete grave liner, hermetically sealed rigid container, plastic body pouch, or outer grave box or liner if required by the cemetery
• Other items and services that the minister deems necessary 

The ministry may pay for burial outside the local area, but within BC, when the total burial costs (including transportation, plot, grave opening and closing fees, grave liner, container, pouch and box, etc.) are less than what a local burial would cost.

Effective:  April 1, 2010

The ministry may pay the following cremation costs in addition to the funeral provider’s service fee as part of a burial or cremation supplement:

• Cremation fees
• The cost of an urn up to the maximum shown in Rate Table: General Supplements and Programs – Burial or Cremation Supplements – Cost of Urn
• Cost of a cremation plot or niche option in BC at the lowest reasonable cost, including grave opening and closing fees
  • The lowest priced cremation plot will be used if cemeteries in the local area offer different price ranges
• Cost of a concrete grave liner if required by the cemetery
• Other items or services that the Minister deems necessary

Cremated remains may only be returned to the legal representative of the deceased.

The ministry may pay for burial of cremated remains outside the local area, but within BC, when the total burial costs (including transportation, plot, grave opening and closing fees, grave liner, etc.) are less than what a local burial would cost.

Effective: April 15, 2026

The ministry may only pay for items and services listed in Schedule F – Burial and Cremation Costs of the BC Employment and Assistance Regulation as part of a burial or cremation supplement.

Purchases or contributions made by individuals who are not responsible persons (e.g., extended family, friends, community members or organizations, etc.) to upgrade services or pay for additional items do not affect eligibility for the supplement amount. Examples of when eligibility is not affected include but are not limited to:

• The deceased person’s siblings pay for an upgraded casket or memorial service, eligibility for the supplement is not affected
• The deceased person’s religious organization pays for floral arrangements, eligibility for the supplement is not affected

Effective: April 15, 2026

If a person died before April 15, 2026, the burial or cremation supplement is paid according to the rates that were in place before that date.

This requirement ends on April 15, 2027.

Effective:  December 1, 2003

When the deceased is buried outside of the local area and two funeral directors provide services, the fees will be divided between the two directors as follows:

• 60 per cent of the funeral provider’s service fee will be allotted for preparation of the remains, certification of death, and casketing in the area where the death occurred
• 40 per cent of the funeral provider’s service fee will be paid to the funeral director in the burial area
• The cost of the casket will be paid to the funeral director in the area where the death occurred

Effective: September 1, 2024

The ministry may pay any or all of the following if burial/interment is to take place on a reserve within BC but the deceased person was not residing on a First Nations reserve at the time of death as part of a burial or cremation supplement:

• 60 per cent of the funeral provider’s service fee to a local funeral director for preparation of the remains and certification of death
• Cost of the casket to the local funeral director
• Transportation of the remains to the reserve
• Cremation fees
• An urn at a cost of up to the amount shown in Rate Table: General Supplements and Programs – Burial or Cremation Supplements – Cost of Urn

The balance of the burial or cremation costs will be the responsibility of the agency that issues assistance on the reserve.

The ministry does not provide burial or cremation costs for persons living on reserve at the time of death.

Effective: April 15, 2026

Ministry staff will initiate cost recovery whenever possible. The ministry may not recover an amount from any source more than the amount of the necessary burial or cremation costs paid by the ministry.

The assistance cheque for the month of death is property of the estate and any subsequent cheques are to be reclaimed from the estate if the deceased person was a BCEA recipient.

Ministry staff will request reimbursement from the legal representative for all burial or cremation costs paid by the ministry whenever possible. The legal representative may not be responsible for paying necessary costs unless they are the responsible person. The legal representative may have access to the deceased person’s estate and financial assets which are responsible for paying necessary costs.

Ministry staff may ask the legal representative to assist in locating and accessing the financial assets of the deceased and information needed to discharge the legal representative of financial responsibility including:

• Name and address of next of kin
• Statement of income and assets
• Location of any safety deposit boxes

Potential sources for payment or recovery of burial or cremation costs may include:

• Assets and bank accounts of the deceased person
• Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) or Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP)
• Canada Pension Plan (CPP) Death Benefit
• Alternative sources related to the cause of death, such as:
  • Insurance Corporation of BC (if motor vehicle accident)
  • WorkSafe BC (if related to the workplace)
  • Crime Victim Assistance Program (if a homicide)
• Last Post Fund for veterans

Canada Pension Plan (CPP) Death Benefit

A claim will be completed by ministry staff with the family's permission as soon as possible, and directed to the nearest Service Canada office if a deceased person may be eligible for the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) Death Benefit.

Last Post Fund

• The Last Post Fund (LPF) operates in co-operation with, and is financially supported by, Veterans Affairs Canada and provides funeral and burial services for war veterans or civilians who meet wartime service eligibility criteria.

Deceased veterans may be entitled to burial arrangements through the LPF. For more information see Contact – Veterans Affairs Canada.

Effective: April 15, 2026

You can request pre-approval for a burial or cremation supplement in one of these ways:

• Telephone: toll-free at 1-866-866-0800 and accessing the self-serve telephone system
• By mail: to any of the Ministry or Service BC offices
• In person: by attending a Ministry or Service BC office during office hours or dropping off using the outside drop box
• By fax: to 1-855-371-8050
• Online: Service Provider Portal, for Service Providers only. If you are not a Service Provider, please apply using one of the other application methods

You may need to provide the following to request pre-approval for a burial or cremation supplement:

• Name and address of the deceased
• Verification of income, assets, and available resources of the deceased person/estate
• Name, contact information, and relationship of the responsible person and/or legal representative
• Verification of income, assets, and available resources of responsible person and/or legal representative
• Funeral arrangement requested

The legal representative can work with funeral service providers to request payment and to provide information to the ministry. Funeral service providers cannot request payment without working with the legal representative. The ministry will pay the approved burial or cremation costs only after eligibility is confirmed in accordance with the BC Employment and Assistance Regulation and the legal representative has decided on final arrangements.

Reimbursement will only be considered in exceptional circumstances. In the rare situation that the legal representative has already paid for some or all burial or cremation arrangements, and the ministry can confirm they had no available resources (i.e. they borrowed the money), the ministry may consider paying the funeral service provider directly. The funeral service provider will be responsible for refunding any money that the legal representative paid.