About Us
Canada Bereavement Registry
Reduce Mail to the Deceased. Increase the Search for Benefits.
What We Do
The Canada Bereavement Registry is a free, compassionate service that helps families and executors manage the practical challenges that follow a death. Our goal is to reduce unnecessary distress while helping to close estates more quickly and efficiently. We stop unwanted telemarketing calls and direct mail addressed to the deceased, sparing families and friends from painful reminders during a difficult time. Unless organizations are informed, they will continue to contact someone who has passed away. By registering with us, families ensure that businesses, charities, and other organizations are notified promptly.
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Beyond stopping unwanted mail and calls, our service also plays a vital role in assisting the bereaved. By securely recording deceased contact information, the Canada Bereavement Registry enables:
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Life insurance and pension checks-helping to identify policies or benefits that may not have been known about.
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Earlier notification to companies-so accounts and policies can be closed or settled faster, reducing delays in estate administration.
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Database accuracy-ensuring that organizations update their records quickly and responsibly.
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There’s no charge to families or funeral homes. Our operating costs are covered by verified partner organizations that use the data to responsibly update their records.
Why What We Do Is Important
On average, a Canadian adult receives about 100 pieces of addressed mail each year-and older adults often receive even more direct marketing due to lower online engagement. With roughly 300,000 deaths in Canada each year, that adds up to millions of pieces of unwanted mail sent to people who have died.
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We help stop this at the source-preventing painful reminders for grieving families and friends. Our service also reduces environmental waste from printing, transport, and disposal of unnecessary mail.
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Beyond stopping mail and calls, we work with selected life insurers and pension plan administrators to support the bereaved. Early, accurate notification is crucial because it can:
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Uncover benefits that might otherwise be missed-some policies or plan entitlements aren’t obvious to families, especially when paperwork is hard to locate or out of date.
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Speed up payment of survivor benefits-the sooner providers are notified, the sooner they can verify the death and release funds that may help with immediate expenses.
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Prevent overpayments and account issues-prompt notice stops ongoing deposits, premium billing, or automatic withdrawals that can complicate estate accounting.
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Reduce administrative burden for executors with fewer back-and-forth requests for information, fewer notices, and a clearer path to closing accounts.
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Avoid delays, penalties, or holdbacks-some benefits are time-sensitive; early contact helps keep claims on track and prevents avoidable setbacks.
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Limit fraud and identity misuse-closing policies and accounts sooner reduces the risk of posthumous identity fraud.
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By registering with the Canada Bereavement Registry, families help ensure that insurers and pension providers are informed quickly and accurately, making it easier to identify legitimate benefits, prevent errors, and settle estates more smoothly. It also stops junk mail and marketing calls to the deceased, reducing painful reminders for loved ones, cutting environmental waste, and lowering the risk of misdirected mail contributing to identity misuse.
