The way governments learn someone has died is getting a digital makeover
OTTAWA — The path Canadians must take to inform their governments about a death in the family is getting a digital overhaul to avoid delays that have led to wrongful or missed benefit payments.
Federal, provincial and territorial governments turned to private consultants two years ago to offer a blueprint for a system where everything is handled electronically and family members don’t need to contact multiple government departments in an effort that can seem repetitive and unnecessary.
An 85-page consultants’ report from October 2016 called for the end of “multiple layers of administration” in provinces and territories, inconsistent sharing of information between jurisdictions, and paper-based processes that result in forms that aren’t legible or are incomplete.
The lack of electronic collection and sharing of information is “the greatest constraint” facing governments that need timely registration and notification of a death, the report said.