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Canada’s Public Pension system

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CPP Survivor Benefits (Survivor's Pension, Death Benefit, Child's Benefit)

Canada Pension Plan Survivor's Benefits

• Maximum Lump Sum Death benefit = $2,500
• Survivor’s pension
• Surviving Child’s benefit

Notes 1

Survivor’s Benefits - Eligibility

Minimum Contribution Required

• Deceased contributor must have paid into CPP for 1/3 of his/her contributory period
  or
• 10 years (whichever is less)
  and
• Have a minimum of 3 years of contributions
• Paid to the survivor of the deceased contributor (deceased contributor must have met minimum qualifying period)
• Survivor must be considered ‘married’ or ‘common-law’ under the CPP legislation
• Survivor must be over age 35, or have a dependent child, or be/become disabled
• Pension continues upon change in marital status

Notes 2

• Up to 11 months retroactive payments
• Taxable
• Must apply in writing

Survivor’s Pension

 

 

 

Notes 3

Combined Benefits Retirement pension & Survivor’s pension

• Paid to Retirement pension recipients who also receive a Survivor’s pension
• Maximum monthly benefit is $884.58 (2008)
• Taxable

Notes 4

Combined Benefits Disability benefit & Survivor’s pension

• Paid to Disability benefit recipients who also receive a Survivor’s pension
• Maximum monthly benefit is$1,077.52 (2008)
• Taxable

Notes 5

Death Benefit

• 6 times the deceased’s calculated retirement pension to a maximum of $2,500
• Paid in full to estate, survivor or next-of-kin
• Individual or agency only get paid for the amount of the funeral expenses
• Taxable
• Must apply in writing

Notes 6

Child’s Benefit

• Dependent child of a deceased CPP contributor or CPP disability beneficiary
• Maximum of two benefits may be paid per child
• Taxable
• Must apply in writing

Notes 7

 

 

Notes 8

Incapacity

• An application for CPP benefits or a request for a Credit Split can be made “retroactively”
• The applicant must have been incapable of forming or expressing an intention to make an application before the day on which the application was actually made
• No one else made an application on their behalf

Notes 9

---

Notes

1. Death Benefit
   Max. lump sum benefit $2,500.
   (6x the retirement pension to a maximum of $2,500)

   Survivor’s Pension
   Number of beneficiaries (2005/2006) 962,000
   Total expenditure (2005/2006): $3.5 B

   Child’s Benefit
   # of Children receiving Surviving Child’s benefit (2005/2006) 83,000
   Total expenditure (2005/2006): $216 M

2. Survivor of a deceased contributor is:
   a person who was the common-law partner (same or opposite sex), and who had lived in a conjugal relationship with the contributor for at least one continuous year at the time of death or
   a person who was married to the contributor at the time of death.
3. If not receiving another CPP benefit the amount would be:
   60% of the deceased’s calculated Retirement Pension
   Flat rate + 37.5% of calculated Retirement Pension
   Flat rate + 37.5% of calculated Retirement Pension reduced by 1/120th for each month under age 45

   Survivor under age 35 with no dependent children, nor disabled

   • pension deferred until age 65
   • need to reapply

   Survivor’s Pension
   Number of beneficiaries
   (November 2006): 982,000
   Max. monthly benefit (2007): $482.30 (-65) and $518.25 (+65)
   Total expenditure (2005/2006): $ 3.5B

4. People who are receiving a survivor's benefit may also have contributed to the CPP on the basis of their own earnings. Thus, they may be entitled to a retirement pension or disability benefit in their own right. In such cases, the survivor receives a combined benefit which is calculated as follows:
   1. If the survivor is under age 65, one flat-rate benefit is payable. If the survivor also receives a disability benefit, the larger of the two flat-rate amounts is paid.
   2. In addition, any earnings-related benefits or benefit components may be added to each other, but their total may not exceed:
      1. in the case of a combined survivor/disability benefit, 75 per cent of the maximum retirement pension payable for the year in which the contributor becomes eligible for the second benefit; and
      2. in the case of a combined survivor/retirement pension, the maximum retirement benefit payable for the year in which the contributor becomes eligible for the second benefit.
   3. If a person takes early or late retirement, the rate adjustment to the retirement pension will be made only after the above rules have been applied to determine the survivor's pension.

   Not 100% of RTR plus 100% of SVR
   Reduction based on survivor’s age and amount and type of benefits they are receiving

5. Not 100% of Disability benefit plus 100% of Survivor pension
   Reduction based on survivor’s age and amount and type of benefits they are receiving

   The total amount of the combined survivor/disability benefit cannot exceed the maximum disability benefit payable in the year in which the person becomes eligible for the second benefit.

6. The CPP and Regulations specify that when the payment of a Death Benefit is approved, payment is to be made in order of the following priority:
   1. ESTATE OF THE CONTRIBUTOR

      Section 71(1) stipulates that payment is to be made to the Estate of the contributor.

      Only in the following special circumstances can someone other than the estate be paid:
      there is no estate;
      the Estate has not applied for the Death Benefit within 60 days after death; or
      the Death Benefit is less than two thirds of 10% of the YMPE for the year in which the contributor dies.

   2. INSTITUTION/INDIVIDUAL PAYING FOR THE FUNERAL

      If there is no estate, or, one of the above-mentioned situations exists, payment is to be made to the institution or individual who has paid, or who is responsible for payment of the deceased contributor's funeral expenses.

      No amount in excess of the actual funeral expenses shall be paid. Please refer to subsection 2-5-7 for the procedure to follow as it relates to the remainder of the death benefit.

   3. SURVIVING SPOUSE/PARTNER

      If there is no individual or institution responsible for the funeral expenses, payment is to be made to the surviving spouse of the deceased contributor.

   4. NEXT OF KIN

      If none of the above are applicable, payment is to be made to the next of kin.
      Where payment of the Death Benefit is made in accordance with (2), (3) or (4) above, the Minister is not liable to make that payment to any subsequent applicant.

7. Who is considered to be a “dependent child”

   A natural or adopted child, or child in the client’s care and control. To be considered dependent, the child must be either under the age 18 or between 18 and 25 and attending school or university full-time.

   Child’s Benefit
   Number of beneficiaries (2005/2006):
   Disabled Contributor Child’s benefit 90,000
   Surviving Child’s benefit 83,000
   Flat-rate monthly benefit (2007): $204.68

   Total expenditure (2005/2006) $479M

8. Definition: Full Time Attendance at School
   1.Acceptable educational institution
   2. Must confirm attendance each year/semester
   3. May be deemed in school, if absence is due to illness - Only possible to be “deemed” in school (after an absence due to illness) if student eventually returns to school)
   4. Benefits paid during vacation period
9. Unable to express or form the intent to apply…. Coma, mental institution…incapacity must begin on or after January 1991

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Date Modified:

2008-01-07