ICBC Your Support Guide to Death Benefits User Guide

Your Support Guide to Death Benefits
User Guide Your support guide to death benefits

Introduction

We know the sudden, unexpected loss of a family member and loved one can be emotionally and mentally overwhelming. We’re here to help during this difficult time.
We will answer any questions you have and help you complete the necessary paperwork. As much as possible, we will work at a pace that suits you.
This guide explains the entitlements available to immediate family members under Enhanced Care, as well as the criteria used to determine the financial and other assistance available.
Your ICBC claim representative will review this information with you and explain the entitlements and support available. You can contact your claim representative if you have questions or need any more information.

Funeral expenses

Enhanced Accident Benefits provide up to $10,347 per deceased, including taxes, for funeral or burial expenses.
Funeral expenses can include the costs of transporting the deceased, funeral or burial services, cremation, a cemetery burial plot and a grave marker. Your claim representative can advise what other related expenses may also be considered under this coverage.
We can pay the funeral expenses directly or reimburse the person who incurred the expenses.
Reimbursement will be based on copies of invoices or receipts.

Grief counselling

Each family member is entitled up to $4,327 per deceased, for grief counselling. This could be provided by a counsellor, psychologist, psychiatrist, member of the clergy, or Indigenous elder, among others. Talk to your claim  representative about the types of counselling provider that are covered.
Accommodation and travel expenses may be pre-approved when a family member must travel more than 50 km (one way) from their home community to attend grief counselling. Financial support is available until the maximum  payment amount is reached.
Some providers can bill ICBC directly for the counselling sessions, or family members can pay and be reimbursed, based on receipts submitted.
Each session is reimbursable up to a maximum amount of $140 for counselling sessions and $228 for psychology sessions.

• Family of the deceased includes: spouse, partner, child, step-child, parent, step-parent, grandparent, guardian, siblings, step-siblings and others who had a family-like relationship with the deceased.

Payments to immediate family

Spouses, common-law partners, dependents and, in some cases, grown children and parents of a person who was fatally injured, may be eligible for lump-sum payments under Enhanced Care.
Payment to spouse or common-law partner
Enhanced Accident Benefits pay a lump-sum to a surviving spouse or common-law partner.
The amount paid depends on the age and income of the deceased at the time of the accident.
The minimum payment is $75,915.
A spouse is: Someone who was married to and residing with the person at the time of the fatal injury.
A common-law partner is: Someone who was living in a marriage-like relationship with the person for at least two years immediately preceding the fatal injury.
If there is no spouse eligible to receive this benefit, any dependent children will share the amount that otherwise would have gone to the spouse.
Determining the payment amount
If the deceased was employed at the time of the crash, the payment will be based on the person’s gross yearly employment income and age.
To calculate the amount that a spouse or common-law partner will receive, we multiply the gross yearly employment income by a number from 1 to 5, as shown in the chart below. The gross income used for this calculation is limited by the maximum yearly insurable income cap.
This chart shows the link between payment factors and age. If the deceased was unemployed at the time of the accident and would not have been entitled to income replacement benefits, the spouse or common-law partner will receive the minimum lump- sum payment of $75,915.
If the surviving spouse is disabled, different factors are used to determine the payment amount.
Talk to your claim representative for more information.

Payment to dependants
Enhanced Accident Benefits pay a dependant $36,057 to $67,996, depending on the dependent’s
age at the time of the deceased’s death. A dependant can be any of the following:

• A child who was under 19 at the time of the accident, for whom the deceased was legally liable and was dependent on for financial support
• A child 19 or older, who resided with and was financially dependent on the deceased because of a mental or physical disability
• A child 19 or older who was financially dependent on the deceased because of a mental or physical disability who was residing with the deceased before residing in a care facility
• A spouse who was not living with the deceased at the time of the accident
• A former spouse who is legally entitled to receive spousal support from the deceased
• A parent who resided with and was financially dependent on the deceased at the time of the accident
•  A parent who resides in a long-term care facility due to care needs and received the majority of financial support from the deceased  Dependents with disabilities
  A dependant with disabilities is entitled to an additional payment of $33,212.
  They are those who are unable to hold substantially gainful employment because of a physical or mental disability of indefinite duration. Their disability must have existed at the time of the death.
  Your claim representative will discuss the ways in which this entitlement can be confirmed.

Payment to dependents of a single parent
When a single parent is fatally injured, Enhanced Accident Benefits provide two payments to dependent children:

• The regular payment for a dependent child
• The payment that would have been made to a spouse or common-law partner, if there had been one, is divided equally among the dependent children
  This payment structure recognizes that dependents of a single parent could have limited financial resources and provides some additional financial support.

Payment in other situations

No spouse, common-law partner or dependents
If the deceased had no spouse, common-law partner or dependents, non-dependant parents and non-dependant children each receive a lump-sum payment of $16,906.
Caregivers
If at the time of the accident, the deceased’s main occupation was to care, without pay, for a child under 16 or a disabled person who is regularly unable to hold any employment, a caregiver weekly benefit may be available.
Your claim representative can advise you on how to apply for this coverage.
How to begin
We are here to help during this difficult time. As much as possible, we will work at a pace that suits you, asking only for information that is necessary to establish your claim and ensure you receive the appropriate entitlement.
Document checklist
The checklist below will help you gather the required documents. Your claim representative will identify documents relevant to your specific claim or expense and will let you know which documents or forms they will provide to you.
Copies of applicable documents have to be received before lump-sum payments can be made.
For payment or reimbursement of funeral expenses and grief counselling expenses, you will need to provide a copy of your invoices or receipts.

Documents you may need:

• Copy of invoices or receipts for funeral expenses
• Copy of invoices or receipts for grief counselling sessions
• Copy of proof of death certificate (from Pathologist, Coroner or Medical Examiner)
• Copy of funeral director’s certificate of death
• Copy of certificate of disability (from a physician)
• Copy of tax returns (for last three years if deceased was self-employed)
• Copy of marriage certificate
• Copy of child(ren)’s birth certificate(s)
• Documentation confirming relationship to the deceased
• Employer verification of earnings form

If you have concerns
Our aim is to treat all our customers fairly and consistently and we make every effort to explain how decisions are made. If disagreements about entitlements or payments arise, the first step in attempting to resolve the matter is to discuss the decision with your claim representative.
If the matter cannot be resolved with your claim representative, ask to speak to their manager.
The manager will review the circumstances of your claim. If the manager still cannot resolve the disagreement, they can escalate it to ICBC’s Claims Decision Review process. This process is independent of our claims handling department.
Other options
If you are still not happy with the outcome, you can file a dispute with the Civil Resolution Tribunal (CRT), a tribunal independent from ICBC. The CRT provides dispute resolution services if a claimant disagrees with an aspect of a claim,  such as the entitlement to certain benefits. For more information, see civilresolutionbc.ca.
Other options include raising your concern with the B.C. Ombudsperson, bcombudsperson.ca, who helps determine whether B.C. provincial or local public authorities have acted fairly and reasonably, or the Fairness Office, which will be responsible for reviewing fairness complaints about ICBC.
Your claim representative can explain your options. More information can be found at icbc.com under Claims — Disputes and appeals.
Benefit amounts in this document are effective April 1, 2024 and are adjusted annually for inflation.

CL756 (042024)

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