Who to Notify When Someone Dies in Alberta: A Government Checklist

After a death, a surprising number of government offices need to hear about it. Some are told automatically, and others only know if you call. If you are the executor or a close family member, it helps to know which is which, so you can act on the ones that need a call from you.

This checklist covers the main federal and Alberta bodies, what each one needs from you, and what you can safely leave alone. It does not replace advice on your own estate, and a lawyer or accountant can confirm anything that depends on the facts.

This article covers the law of Alberta.

Start with the registration of the death

A death certificate cannot be issued until the death is registered. The Registration of Death form is usually completed at the funeral home when arrangements are made, and the funeral home registers the death and sends the original documents to Vital Statistics.

Registering a death in Alberta is free within one year of the date of death. After one year, a delayed registration process applies, which needs evidence and additional fees.

Many of the offices below will want proof of death at some point. Who can order a certificate, and how, is covered in our separate article on Alberta death certificates.

Service Canada: CPP and OAS

Report a Canada Pension Plan or Old Age Security recipient's death to Service Canada as soon as possible, by phone at 1-800-277-9914 (have the SIN ready) or by mail to a Service Canada office.

Have these details ready:

• The deceased's full name and date of birth
• The date and place of death
• Marital status
• Social Insurance Number, if known
• The deceased's address

Proof of death is only needed if Service Canada asks for it. Accepted documents include an official death certificate, a funeral home certificate, or a letter from an estate administrator or court-appointed trustee.

The estate keeps CPP and OAS payments for the month of death. Payments issued after that month must be returned, and any that were cashed must be repaid, either by asking the bank to return direct deposits or by a cheque payable to the Receiver General for Canada. The one-time CPP death benefit and the survivor's pension are separate from this and are covered in our CPP death benefit article.

The CRA, the SIN and credit and travel documents

Contact the CRA as soon as possible after a death, because money received after death may need to be returned. When you call, you report the date of death, and the representative can then prepare the final returns and close any business accounts.

Before distributing cash or assets, apply for a clearance certificate so the representative knows whether tax is still owing. Filing deadlines for the final return depend on the date of death and the person's circumstances, so confirm them with the CRA or an accountant.

For a death in Alberta, the Social Insurance Number is cancelled automatically as provincial vital statistics reports the death. Reporting it yourself is needed only for deaths in a territory or outside Canada.

You should also notify Equifax and TransUnion, and mail a valid passport to the Passport Program with a copy of the death certificate. If the person received or may have been eligible for Employment Insurance, call 1-800-206-7218.

Alberta programs: Seniors Benefit, AISH/ADAP and health care

The Alberta Seniors Benefit stops the month after a recipient's death. Contact the Alberta Supports Contact Centre at 1-877-644-9992, Monday to Friday, 7:30 am to 8 pm.

If the person was an AISH or ADAP client, call Alberta Supports at the same number. AISH is moving to ADAP, so the details of reporting a death may differ. Where an overpayment arises, the person is notified and has 30 days to request a waiver or appeal.

For Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan (AHCIP), the cancellation step applies to a death outside Alberta. In that case, notify AHCIP in person at a registry agent or at the AHCIP office with the person's full name, date of birth and date of death, then securely destroy the health card.

Funeral costs are paid by the estate, and if funds are insufficient the funeral home can apply for Alberta government funeral benefits.

A simple order of work and what to do next

• Confirm with the funeral home that the death has been registered
• Order death certificates if you are eligible to do so
• Call Service Canada about CPP and OAS, and note the date of death
• Call the CRA and ask how to get a clearance certificate
• Notify Equifax and TransUnion
• Mail the passport with a copy of the death certificate
• Call Alberta Supports about the Seniors Benefit, AISH or ADAP
• Notify AHCIP if the death was outside Alberta
• Keep a log of every call, date and reference number

Keep records of every call and every payment received after the death. If you are unsure whether an amount must be returned, or whether it is safe to distribute estate property yet, a lawyer or accountant can confirm before you act.

Frequently asked questions