Last Post Fund Funeral & Burial Program

VETERANS AFFAIRS CANADA FUNERAL & BURIAL PROGRAM

The Canadian Government has traditionally assumed responsibility for the burial of Canadian Armed Forces members who died during battle and, later, those who died as a result of war-related injuries. In the years following the Second World War and Korean War, benefits were expanded to Veterans who died without the financial means to provide for a dignified funeral and burial. The Last Post Fund (LPF) has been mandated to deliver the Veterans Affairs Canada Funeral & Burial Program on behalf of Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC). The Program is governed by criteria set out in the Veterans Burial Regulations, 2005. An application may be approved for assistance when three criteria are met: 1) Service Criteria; 2) Financial Criteria; and 3) Timing of Application (within 1 year of death).

Eligibility
To be eligible for the Program, Veterans must meet both military service and financial criteria.


Service Criteria
Under the program, funeral and burial assistance may be provided to: - A former member of the Canadian Armed Forces or any predecessor naval, army or air forces of Canada or Newfoundland (who dies anywhere in the world); or - A Canadian Merchant Navy Veteran of the Second World War or the Korean War; or - An Allied Veteran who served during the Second World War or the Korean War who lived in Canada for at least 10 years (or lived in Canada prior to enlisting) and is buried in Canada.

Financial Criteria
Once service criteria has been met, financial eligibility can be established in one of two ways: Matter-of-Right A Veteran who dies while in receipt of benefits from Veterans Affairs Canada who is deemed by a VAC medical authority to have died either from a pension condition related to military service may be entitled to full funeral and burial benefits as a matter-of-right (no means-test is performed on the estate of the deceased).
Matter-of-Right
A Veteran who dies while in receipt of benefits from Veterans Affairs Canada who is deemed by a VAC medical authority to have died either from a pension condition related to military service may be entitled to full funeral and burial benefits as a matter-of-right (no means-test is performed on the estate of the deceased).

Means Testing
Assistance is not based on annual income, it is based on the net assets (assets minus debt) available at the time of death. If the estate of the deceased and financial resources of any surviving spouse are not sufficient to pay funeral and burial expenses (as determined by the means test described below) then assistance may be provided to cover all or part of the cost.

Where the deceased is survived by a spouse or dependent children the following assets in the deceased's estate will not be included in the means-test calculation:

Assets to a value of $12,015 where the deceased left a surviving spouse;
Assets to a value of $700 for each dependent child (as defined by legislation);
The family home and family automobile;
Regular income cheques (Old Age Security, Guaranteed Income Supplement, War Veterans Allowance, etc) issued to the deceased for the month of death.


Where the deceased is not survived by a spouse or dependent children, all estate assets are examined to determine financial need.

Funeral and burial expenses of the deceased, as well as other debts, are considered when determining the value of the estate. If it is determined that there are insufficient finances to provide for a funeral and burial, assistance may be approved.

APPLICATION FOR ASSISTANCE
An application for funeral and burial assistance can be made through the Last Post Fund within one year following the death of a Veteran. An application to pre-approve funeral or burial arrangements cannot be made prior to death.

Before approving assistance, the Last Post Fund will conduct a short interview with the Veteran’s next-of-kin, executor or other responsible person to establish eligibility. When contacting the Last Post Fund it recommended to have military service and financial information on hand to facilitate the application process.

Application by Telephone or Mail

The Last Post Fund may be contacted by telephone or mail to request an official application. Our offices are open Monday through Friday, from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm.

Toll Free: 1 800 465-7113

Last Post Fund | Fonds du Souvenir
401-505 René Lévesque Blvd W
Montreal QC H2Z 1Y7

Online Request for Application

This Online Form may be used to supply preliminary information to initiate an application. Once submitted, a Last Post Fund representative will contact you. An official application form will follow by mail


ARRANGEMENT OPTIONS
Upon the death of a Veteran, two options to proceed with services are available, depending on circumstances and family preference:

Type 1: Standard Service

If the Last Post Fund is contacted after death but prior to finalization of funeral arrangements (and service and financial eligibility can be determined) the Last Post Fund may contract directly with a funeral home based on the coverage outlined in the Veterans Burial Regulations, 2005.

Note: Should the estate or net assets of a Veteran be greater than the value initially declared, resulting in an overpayment, costs may be recovered.

Type 2: Assisted Service

When arrangements for funeral and burial are already made by an estate, family or another person/organization, an application for reimbursement (partial or full) may be made within one year of a Veteran’s death.  The reimbursement is subject to the maximum rates outlines in the Veterans Burial Regulations, 2005.

Note: If the deceased has no family available to assist with arrangements, an administrator at a nursing home, social worker, hospital staff or another agency may initiate arrangements.

In both cases listed above, the family can order a grave marker through the Last Post Fund.

ASSISTANCE PROVIDED

The Maximum Funeral Service Rate (MFSR) for the Veterans Affairs Canada Funeral & Burial Program is maximum $7,376 plus tax.

Funeral Benefits

Items and services that may be covered under the MFSR are the professional services of a funeral director, a solid wood (or wood veneer) tiered-top casket, use of facilities, preparation of the deceased, use of vehicles for family/transfer of deceased, visitation, death registrations, death certificates, staff attendance at cemetery, and disbursements (i.e. flowers, reception, stationary and musicians, clergy, etc).

Cremation Benefits

In addition to funeral benefits, the actual cost of cremation and coroner fee may be covered, if applicable.

Burial Benefits

Cemetery services/items that may be covered in addition to the MFSR include the cost of a single grave or niche (priced within the Last Post Fund established guideline), single-depth interment for casket burials or inurnment of ashes and a grave liner (up to legislated maximum) if required by the cemetery authority. Other cemetery services such as a lowering device, overtime charges, winter storage and any other reasonable burial charges may be considered.
GRAVE MARKING

Once approved for funeral and burial assistance, a military gravestone (conforming to the standards of Veterans Affairs Canada) may be offered as part of the benefit package offered under the Veterans Affairs Canada Funeral & Burial Program when no other gravestone has been placed or ordered. A family or estate must request a gravestone, they are not automatically ordered. If a military-style marking is not desired, partial reimbursement toward a privately arranged inscription may be offered in lieu of a military gravestone.

More information on grave marking is offered here: military-style grave marking. (Jump to separate tab for Grave Marking)

For more detailed information about the Veterans Burial Regulations, 2005 please visit the Department of Justice web site: Veterans Burial Regulations (external)

Privately purchased grave markers or monuments are not reimbursed under the Veterans Burial Regulations 2005. However, partial assistance may be offered toward a military inscription on such markers showing proper rank and unit. Please contact your Provincial Office for full details.

Second Commemoration or Inscription
To accommodate a second interment in a Veteran’s plot, commemoration on the same gravesite as the Veteran is allowed. In instance of such requests, we recommend commemoration by means of a foot marker (subject to cemetery permission). If only one grave marker is allowed on a gravesite, space may be left on the marker for a second inscription. The family, estate, or person requesting the second commemoration or inscription is responsible for all associated costs.
Ownership of Grave Markers
Once a marker is placed upon a grave, both the grave and the marker become the property of the survivors of the deceased. However, subject to Section 5(2) of the Veterans Burial Regulations 2005, if the survivors wish to make alterations to or replace the marker, prior consent of Veterans Affairs Canada and the cemetery authorities is required.

Maintenance of Veterans' Grave Markers
In accordance with Section 12 of the Veterans Burial Regulations 2005, if the deceased has been buried at the expense of the Government of Canada, or if the deceased’s grave has been marked by the Government of Canada with a military-style grave marker, then those graves and markers will be cared for in perpetuity by Veterans Affairs Canada.

Veterans Affairs Canada will continue to coordinate all inquiries with regards to the care and maintenance of Veteran graves and grave markers. The Department has established an e-mail address specifically for cemetery maintenance inquiries and complaints. As of 1 April 2011, all such inquiries should be sent to cm-mc@vac-acc.gc.ca or by telephone to (902) 626-2440.

http://www.lastpostfund.ca/EN/funeral.php