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Policy decisions finalized at the October 13, 1999 WCB Panel of Administrators meeting
The following is a summary of the policy decisions finalized by the WCB Panel of Administrators on October 13, 1999. For information about the function and mandate of the Panel, please see Governing Structure.
- Funeral expenses
- Revenue services policy amendments
- Employer remittance requirements – Amendment to Resolution
Funeral Expenses
The Panel of Administrators has approved amendments to the Board’s policy on funeral expenses as provided in policy item #53.00 of the Rehabilitation Services and Claims Manual.
The Board’s authority to pay for funeral expenses is provided by Section 17 of the Workers Compensation Act. This section was recently amended when Section 30 of the Labour Statutes Amendment Act came into force November 5, 1999. The amendment replaces the current fixed payments for funeral expenses with a general authority for these amounts to be determined by Board policy.
In response to concerns regarding the inadequacy of the previous fixed payments, the Board has increased the amount available for funeral expenses, including incidentals, to $6,476.47, and the amount available for transportation of the body to $1,023.23. These amounts will continue to receive Consumer Price Index adjustments every six months.
This increase in expense levels is consistent with the amounts recommended by the Royal Commission.
The amendments came into effect on November 5, 1999.
For further information on this issue, please contact James Watson at 604 231-8650 or toll free within B.C. at 1 888 967-5377 local 8650.
You may also examine the complete resolution.
Revenue Services Policy Amendments
The Panel passed a resolution making changes to policies concerning the audit and collection of accounts. The purpose of these amendments is to clarify the policies, reflect internal changes in responsibilities, reflect changes to other legislation, and to provide additional flexibility to the Board in its audit and collection functions. The policies affected include the responsibility of B.C. contractors who hire out-of-province labour contractors to work in B.C., the inclusion of casual workers' earnings in assessable payroll, deductions for excess earnings from contractor's earnings, determining assessable payroll for active principals of corporations, equipment allowances for contractors, the role of the audit section, the cancellation of accounts, write-offs, bankruptcies, and payment proposals.
You may also examine the complete resolution.
Employer Remittance Requirements — Amendment to Resolution
In February 1999 the Panel passed a resolution that required all employers who pay their assessments quarterly to also submit their payroll information quarterly. Subsequently the Assessment Department advised that it was not necessary nor administratively feasible to require all these employers to submit their payroll reports quarterly. Thus, the Panel amended the resolution to say employers may be required to provide their payroll information with their quarterly payments.
You may also examine the complete resolution.