The Canada Pension Plan survivor benefits are payments that may be made to a deceased’s estate, a surviving spouse and
to the deceased's dependent children. Each of these three benefits is described below.
For of these three benefits to be paid, the deceased must have made contributions to the Canada Pension Plan for a
minimum of three years.
The CPP Death Benefit
 | | The CPP death benefit is a one-time payment made to the estate of the deceased contributor.
|
| | If the deceased did not leave an estate, then the person responsible for the funeral expenses, the surviving spouse or |
| | partner or the next of kin may be eligible, in that order, to apply for the benefit.
|
| | The amount of the CPP death benefit depends on how much and for how long the deceased paid into the CPP. |
| | However, the maximum allowable death benefit is $2,500.
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| | The CPP Death Benefit is usually paid within 6 to 12 weeks of application.
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The Survivor’s Pension
| | The Survivor’s Pension is a monthly pension paid to the surviving spouse of the deceased contributor.
|
| | If the deceased contributor was not married but was living in a common law relationship, a Survivor’s Pension will |
| | be paid to the common-law spouse if they had been living together for at least one year at the time of death.
|
| | If the deceased contributor was not married but was living in a same-sex relationship, a Survivor’s Pension will be |
| | paid to the same-sex partner if they had been living together for at least one year at the time of death.
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| | The amount of the Survivor’s Pension will vary depending on a number of factors including:
|
 | | whether the spouse or common-law partner is also receiving a Canada Pension Plan disability or retirement pension (see |
| | below Combining Canada Pension Plan Pensions);
|
| | how much, and for how long, the contributor has paid into the plan; and
|
| | the spouse or common-law partner's age when the contributor dies.
|
| | If applied for immediately following the death, the Survivor’s Pension will begin the month after the deceased |
| | contributor’s death, although the first payment may not arrive for 6 to 12 weeks.
|
| | Remarriage does not put an end to the Survivor’s Pension.
|
| | If the surviving spouse or partner is receiving either a CPP disability or CPP retirement pension at the time of the |
| | deceased contributor’s death, the Survivor’s Pension will be combined with this other benefit into a single payment.
However, there is a limit on the total amount of CPP that a survivor can get.
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The CPP Children’s Benefit
| | The CPP Children’s Benefit is a monthly pension for the dependent children of a deceased contributor.
|
| | Children under the age of 18 are considered dependent children. The surviving parent or guardian must apply for |
| | the benefit on behalf of the child and the payment will be made to the parent or guardian.
|
| | Children between the ages of 18 and 25, who are in school full-time, are also considered dependent children. A |
| | child in this age bracket must apply on his or her own behalf for this benefit. The payment will be made directly to
the child.
|
| | If applied for immediately following the death, the Children’s Benefit will begin the month after the deceased |
| | contributor’s death, although the first payment may not arrive for 6 to 12 weeks.
|
| | In 2008 the CPP Children’s Benefit was a flat monthly rate of $208.77. |
| | |
CPP Survivor Benefits
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