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March 13, 2025

Unprepared and Overwhelmed: Half of Canadians say they have no idea where to start when faced with the loss of a loved one

Sun Life and Empathy partner to offer innovative bereavement support – providing personalized guidance through one of life's toughest moments

Sun Life (CNW Group/Sun Life Financial Canada)

TORONTO, March 13, 2025 /CNW/ - Nearly 9 in 10 Canadians have experienced the loss of a loved one, yet a new survey conducted by Ipsos for Sun Life reveals that half of Canadians have no idea where to start when loss happens. To better support those navigating a loss, Sun Life is launching bereavement support with Empathy. This innovative solution combines technology with human care to provide comprehensive support and guidance. 

Loss can be complicated. Grief is just one of the many challenges that people are faced with following the death of someone close to them. Grappling with a variety of feelings and responsibilities, surveyed Canadians who have experienced a loss say they feel unprepared to navigate the bereavement process.

  • Almost 40% struggle to manage the deceased's personal affairs and belongings.
  • 1 in 3 are overwhelmed when navigating the legal process and administrative matters, like probate and estate management.
  • 1 in 4 face financial difficulties, for example, dealing with funeral costs and loss of income.
  • 1 in 4 struggle to balance their work responsibilities with their feelings of grief.

"Managing the death of a loved one is complex, yet so many people do it alone because they don't know where to go for help," said Marie-Chantal Côté, Senior Vice-President, Sun Life Health. "Our new partnership with Empathy is allowing us to offer support to people who are going through one of life's most difficult situations." 

Empathy offers bereaved family members over 18 years of age a compassionate system of support through one of life's toughest times. Empathy is currently available to millions of families through their partnerships with leading employers and insurers. Their award-winning app and platform is designed to ease emotional and logistical burdens by providing end-to-end bereavement support and guidance. 

Empathy offers:

  • Access to a dedicated care team member for confidential, one-to-one guidance.
  • Personalized plans to take you, step-by-step, through tasks and challenges, including estate and account settlement, funeral planning and obituary writing.
  • Grief resources to help with difficult days and challenging emotions.

"Empathy is on a mission to help as many people as possible navigate life's most challenging moments, including the loss of a loved one. By combining the power of our comprehensive platform with human care, we've made significant progress towards our vision," said Ron Gura, Co-founder & CEO, Empathy. "Through this partnership with Sun Life, we're proud to broaden our impact and make a meaningful difference for Canadians."

Almost 80% of Canadians say they would value a clear, step-by-step guide to help support them through the days and weeks following a loved one's passing. That's why Empathy is now available through Sun Life, offered complimentary to beneficiaries as part of the group life insurance claims process. Sun Life is leading the market with this innovative new support solution included with life insurance policies.

For more information on these survey results and Empathy's bereavement support platform contact us. 

About the Survey 

The survey is based on findings of an Ipsos poll conducted between January 8 to January 9, 2025. A sample of 1,001 Canadian adults aged 18+ were surveyed via the Ipsos panel. The poll is accurate within +/- 2.4 per cent, 19 times out of 20, of what the results would have been had all Canadian adults 18+ been surveyed. 

About Sun Life 

Sun Life is a leading international financial services organization providing asset management, wealth, insurance and health solutions to individual and institutional Clients. Sun Life has operations in a number of markets worldwide, including Canada, the U.S., the United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, India, China, Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and Bermuda. As of December 31, 2024, Sun Life had total assets under management of $1.54 trillion. For more information, please visit www.sunlife.com.

Sun Life Financial Inc. trades on the Toronto (TSX), New York (NYSE) and Philippine (PSE) stock exchanges under the ticker symbol SLF.

About Empathy  

Empathy is a leading technology company transforming the way that people plan for and navigate life's toughest moments. Serving over 40 million people, Empathy currently partners with seven of the top ten U.S. life insurance carriers and handles one in five life insurance claims nationwide. With $130 million in funding from top-tier venture firms including Index Ventures and General Catalyst, as well as strategic investment from global insurance leaders including Allianz, MassMutual, MetLife, New York Life, Securian, and Sumitomo, Empathy combines cutting-edge innovation with compassion to provide unparalleled support for bereavement, estate management, legacy planning, and more. Recognized by Apple, Google Play, and Fast Company, Empathy is setting the standard for modern family care and workplace benefits. Learn more at www.empathy.com.

Note to editors: All figures in Canadian dollars

Media Relations Contacts 
Sun Life
Email: media.relations@sunlife.com

Empathy
Email: press@empathy.com

 

SOURCE Sun Life Financial Canada

About SLC Management

SLC Management is the brand name for the institutional asset management business of Sun Life Financial Inc. (“Sun Life”) under which Sun Life Capital Management (U.S.) LLC in the United States, and Sun Life Capital Management (Canada) Inc. in Canada operate.

Sun Life Capital Management (Canada) Inc. is a Canadian registered portfolio manager, investment fund manager, exempt market dealer and in Ontario, a commodity trading manager. Sun Life Capital Management (U.S.) LLC is registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as an investment adviser and is also a Commodity Trading Advisor and Commodity Pool Operator registered with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission under the Commodity Exchange Act and Members of the National Futures Association.

BentallGreenOak, InfraRed Capital Partners (InfraRed) and Crescent Capital Group (Crescent), and Advisors Asset Management are also part of SLC Management.

BentallGreenOak is a global real estate investment management advisor and a provider of real estate services. In the U.S., real estate mandates are offered by BentallGreenOak (U.S.) Limited Partnership, who is registered with the SEC as an investment adviser, or Sun Life Institutional Distributors (U.S.) LLC, an SEC registered broker-dealer and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) . In Canada, real estate mandates are offered by BentallGreenOak (Canada) Limited Partnership, BGO Capital (Canada) Inc. or Sun Life Capital Management (Canada) Inc. BGO Capital (Canada) Inc. is a Canadian registered portfolio manager and exempt market dealer and is registered as an investment fund manager in British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec.

InfraRed Capital Partners is an international investment manager focused on infrastructure. Operating worldwide, InfraRed manages equity capital in multiple private and listed funds, primarily for institutional investors across the globe. InfraRed Capital Partners Ltd. is authorized and regulated in the UK by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Crescent Capital Group is a global alternative credit investment asset manager registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as an investment adviser. Crescent provides private credit financing (including senior, unitranche and junior debt) to middle-market companies in the U.S. and Europe, and invests in high-yield bonds and broadly syndicated loans.

Securities will only be offered and sold in compliance with applicable securities laws.

AAM is an independent U.S. retail distribution firm that provides a range of solutions and products to financial advisors at wirehouses, registered investment advisors and independent broker-dealers.

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AUM as of March 31, 2025. Total firm AUM includes approximately $11B in cash, other, unfunded commitments, and Advisors Asset Management equity. Total firm AUM excludes $16 billion in assets under administration by AAM.

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UK Tax Strategy - InfraRed (UK) Holdco 2020 Limited

InfraRed (UK) Holdco 2020 Ltd is the UK holding company of InfraRed Partners LLP and a subsidiary of Sun Life (U.S.) Holdco 2020 Inc, which has its headquarters in the U.S. The company was incorporated to purchase InfraRed Partners LLP and acts solely as a passive holding company. The Tax Strategy for the InfraRed Holdco Group sets out our approach to the management of InfraRed Holdco Group UK tax affairs in supporting business activities in the UK. 

This UK tax strategy is published in accordance with the requirements set out in Schedule 19 of Finance Act 2016. The strategy, which has been approved by the Board of Directors of InfraRed (UK) Holdco 2020 Ltd, is effective for the period ending 31 December 2024. It applies to InfraRed (UK) Holdco 2020 Ltd and its dormant subsidiary Sun Life (UK) Designated Member Ltd, referred to as the “InfraRed Holdco Group”. InfraRed Holdco Group.