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Program directory · Veterans Affairs Canada

Funeral and Burial Program

Program code
BWJ02 (VAC)
Core responsibility
Commemoration
In Departmental Plans
2018-19 – 2026-27 · New since an earlier plan

What it does

In recognition of their service to Canada, the estates of eligible Veterans have access to financial assistance for a dignified funeral and burial. Under the Veterans Burial Regulations, assistance is available for Veterans whose deaths were a result of their service or whose estates do not have sufficient funds for a dignified funeral, burial, and grave-marking. The Funeral and Burial Program is administered by the Last Post Fund Corporation, an independent, non-profit organization, on behalf of Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC). This program is delivered through operating and maintenance funds and the Last Post Fund Grant.

Source: the department's Program Inventory, via GC InfoBase.

History and lineage

First appears in GC InfoBase's actual spending by program in 2018-19. The data does not record when a program was created; it may be older than its first appearance here, which is limited by the sources (program spending starts in 2010-11, Departmental Plans in 2018-19).

2018-192019-202020-212021-222022-232023-242024-252025-262026-272027-282028-29Funeral and Burial Program 2018-19: $9MFuneral and Burial Program 2019-20: $7.3MFuneral and Burial Program 2020-21: $6.1MFuneral and Burial Program 2021-22: $5.9MFuneral and Burial Program 2022-23: $5.9MFuneral and Burial Program 2023-24: $6.5MFuneral and Burial Program 2024-25: $6MFuneral and Burial Program 2025-26: $7.4MFuneral and Burial Program 2026-27: $6.9MFuneral and Burial Program 2027-28: $7.1MFuneral and Burial Program 2028-29: $7.1MFuneral and Burial Program
Bars: spending by fiscal year (dark: actual; light: actual restated on the 2017-18 program structure; outlined: the latest plan's forecast; grey: related programs). Bands: each program in the lineage over the years it has data.
ProgramRelationYears with dataActual spending over those years
Funeral and Burial ProgramThis program2018-19 – 2028-29$46.7M

No earlier or later program in the same department has a similar name.

Significant changes in scope and budget

Detected from the data: renames between plans, programs it appears to replace, merge with or split into (matched by name), year-over-year changes in spending of at least 25% and $5M, or in employees of at least 20% and 25 FTEs, linked budget measures, and results indicators added or dropped.

No significant changes detected.

Success criteria

The program's indicators from its department's Departmental Results Framework: the target set in each year's plan, and the result reported the following year. Source: GC InfoBase.

Historical: targets against results

% of Veterans Affairs Canada clients who are satisfied that the estates of Veterans have access to financial assistance through the Funeral and Burial Program
Expected result: Estates of eligible Veterans have access to financial assistance for a dignified funeral and burial.
75%2018-19✓ met70%2019-20– no result67%2020-21✗ not met81%2024-25✓ met

Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.

Report yearTargetDueResultStatus
2018-19≥ 70%201975%
This result was captured in the 2017 VAC National Survey and carried over from the 2017–18 result. Due to varying circumstances, a follow up survey is pending and the Department continues to work towards updated results for 2019–20.
Met
2019-20≥ 70%2020—
The results for the 2020 VAC National Survey have not yet been determined as all field work for this project (including data collection) was suspended on March 20, 2020 after the decision was reached to temporarily halt all VAC Public Opinion Research projects as a result of COVID-19 Public Health measures. The project’s field work and data collection will resume at a later date (TBD).
No result reported
2020-21≥ 70%202167%
The Department is reviewing what next steps can be taken to determine why the result is not meeting its target and ways to improve.
Not met
2024-25≥ 70%202581%Met

Current: the 2026-27 plan's targets

% of Veterans Affairs Canada clients who are satisfied that the estates of Veterans have access to financial assistance through the Funeral and Burial Program
Expected result: Estates of eligible Veterans have access to financial assistance for a dignified funeral and burial.
70%2026-27

Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.

Report yearTargetDueResultStatus
2026-27≥ 70%2027—Planned

Future goals: targets due after 2026-27

No targets with a later due date.

Spending and employees: planned against actual

Spending

2018-19: $12.4M2018-19: $9M2018-192019-20: $9.5M2019-20: $7.3M2019-202020-21: $9M2020-21: $6.1M2020-212021-22: $8.3M2021-22: $5.9M2021-222022-23: $7.4M2022-23: $5.9M2022-232023-24: $7.7M2023-24: $6.5M2023-242024-25: $8.1M2024-25: $6M2024-252025-26: $7.4M2025-262026-27: $6.9M2026-272027-28: $7.1M2027-282028-29: $7.1M2028-29
Outlined bar: planned in that year's Departmental Plan (dashed: the latest plan, for years not yet reported). Filled bar: actual.
Show the numbers
Fiscal yearPlannedActual
2018-19$12.4M$9M
2019-20$9.5M$7.3M
2020-21$9M$6.1M
2021-22$8.3M$5.9M
2022-23$7.4M$5.9M
2023-24$7.7M$6.5M
2024-25$8.1M$6M
2025-26$7.4M—
2026-27$6.9M—
2027-28$7.1M*—
2028-29$7.1M*—

Employees (FTEs)

2018-19: 32018-19: 22018-192019-20: 32019-20: 22019-202020-21: 32020-21: 12020-212021-22: 32021-22: 32021-222022-23: 32022-23: 32022-232023-24: 32023-24: 32023-242024-25: 32024-25: 32024-252025-26: 32025-262026-27: 32026-272027-28: 32027-282028-29: 32028-29
Outlined bar: planned in that year's Departmental Plan (dashed: the latest plan, for years not yet reported). Filled bar: actual.
Show the numbers
Fiscal yearPlannedActual
2018-1932
2019-2032
2020-2131
2021-2233
2022-2333
2023-2433
2024-2533
2025-263—
2026-273—
2027-283*—
2028-293*—

Planned spending, plan by plan

Each row is one year's Departmental Plan and its forecast for the next three fiscal years; read a column down to see how the forecast for one year changed. The last row is what was actually spent. Click an amount for its source. Biggest changes in federal spending plans

Actual spending is from Departmental Results Reports and the Public Accounts, as published in GC InfoBase. FTEs are full-time equivalents.