TaxTips.ca - Canada Pension Plan (CPP) survivor benefits

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Seniors -> CPP survivor benefits

Canada Pension Plan Survivor Benefits

There are three types of benefits that can be paid upon the death of a CPP contributor:

i	a one-time lump sum Death Benefit which is paid to the estate of the deceased, to a maximum of $2,500
ii	a monthly Survivor's Pension payable to the legal spouse or common-law partner of the deceased contributor
iii	a monthly Children's Benefit payable to the dependent children of the deceased. The children must be under 18 years of age, or between the ages of 18 and 25, and attending a school or university on a full-time basis.

Contributory Requirements: For the survivors of a deceased CPP contributor to be eligible to receive a benefit, the deceased must have contributed to CPP for at least 3 years. If the "contributory period" (see next paragraph for definition) of the deceased was longer than nine years, they must have contributed to CPP in:

	one-third of the calendar years in the contributory period, or
	ten years, whichever is less.

The contributory period is the period in your life when you are allowed to contribute to CPP. This period starts with the date you turn age 18 (or January, 1966, whichever is later - this is when the CPP program started). The contributory period ends when you start to collect CPP, turn age 70, or die (whichever is earliest).

The children's benefit may be payable if a child has lost at least one parent who was a CPP contributor. The 2011 children's benefit is a maximum monthly payment of $214.85.

You can estimate the Survivor Benefit available to your spouse or common-law partner by referring to your Statement of Contributions, which is sent to you annually. For purposes of the CPP, common-law partners are two people, regardless of sex, who have lived together in a conjugal relationship for at least one year.

See also our article on the Child Rearing Drop-out Provision, which could help you meet the contributory requirements for death benefits.

The table of current monthly average and maximum rates can be found on the Service Canada website.

To contact Service Canada re CPP questions, see the Service Canada Contact Income Security Programs web page.

Revised: April 04, 2011

The information on this site is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice. Each person's situation differs, and a professional advisor can assist you in using the information on this web site to your best advantage.
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