Filed on July 29, 2024, under the authority of section 52 of the Income and Employment Support Act, Regulation 49/24 has been established. This regulation outlines amendments to the Income and Employment Support Regulations, specifically concerning financial support to a relative for expenses related to deceased individuals.

The average cost of a funeral in Newfoundland and Labrador is approximately $7,775, which is based on the most common expenses associated with a traditional funeral, including items such as a casket and burial plot. Funeral directors typically charge a “professional service fee” that covers essential services such as transporting the deceased, obtaining the medical certificate of death, registering the death, and completing all necessary government forms. In addition to these basic costs, families may incur extra expenses for services like embalming, caskets, and cemetery burial plots. Other indirect costs can include fees for officiants, clergy, organists, obituary notices, and flowers. It is mandatory for funeral homes to provide a “General Price List” that itemizes all charges. For cremation, the average cost for a cremation with a service is around $6,000, while a direct cremation typically averages about $3,500.

The previous Section 27 of the Income and Employment Support Regulations has been repealed and replaced with new provisions addressing expenses incurred upon death. According to the new section, an officer may grant financial assistance of up to $5,000 to the relative or representative of a deceased person for specific expenses, which include cremation, aquamation, funeral services, and burial. Furthermore, in addition to the primary support, an officer can grant an amount of $1.25 per kilometer for the transportation of remains beyond the first 8 kilometers, with a cap set at $850. Additionally, an officer may approve up to $1,500 for other reasonable expenses related to the deceased and may also consider extraordinary out-of-pocket expenses arising from special circumstances, contingent upon authorization from a designated officer.

When determining the financial support amount, several deductions must be taken into account. These include any income the deceased was entitled to receive in the month of their death, any monies held in trust for the deceased’s expenses, funds in bank accounts or other financial institutions, and any death benefits to which the deceased’s estate is entitled. Additionally, officers are instructed to consider the income and assets of the deceased person’s spouse or cohabiting partner during this assessment. For deceased individuals who were recipients of income support at the time of their death, the regulations stipulate that only specific deductions will be applied, namely, the trust-held monies for funeral-related expenses and any applicable death benefits.

This amendment reflects the province’s commitment to providing necessary financial support during challenging times and aims to ease the burden on families dealing with the expenses associated with death.

Newfoundland and Labrador (49/24) July 31, 2024