Government Benefits
The following checklist is designed to help you file for your Canadian Pension Plan and Allowance for the Survivor benefits correctly so that prompt payments may be made.
Canadian Pension Plan (CPP)
To be eligible for this death benefit, the deceased must have contributed to the CPP for at least:
- One-third of the calendar years in their contributory period for the base CPP, but no fewer than 3 calendar years, or
- 10 calendar years
If an estate exists, the person applying for the death benefit should be the executor in the will or the administrator named by the Court to administer the estate. If no estate exists or the executor hasn’t applied for the death benefits, those eligible for the death benefits in priority order include:
- The person or institution that paid or is responsible for paying for the deceased’s funeral
- The surviving spouse or common-law partner of the deceased, or
- The next-of-kin of the deceased
If you live in Quebec, there are similar benefits provided through the Quebec Pension Plan.
Death Payment
Eligible contributors could receive a flat rate of $2,500 for the death benefit.
Applying for Benefits
You must apply in order to receive benefits. To apply, you need to complete the Application for a Canada Pension Plan Death Benefit (ISP1200), including certified true copies of the required documents and mail it to your closest Service Canada Centre.
After you’ve applied, payment from Service Canada may take between 6 to 12 weeks from the date they received your completed application. If you haven’t received payment after more than 12 weeks, we advise that you contact them as soon as possible.
Allowance for the Survivor
The Allowance for the Survivor is one of the benefits of the Old Age Security program. You might be eligible if you meet all of the following criteria:
- You are 60 to 64 years old
- You are a Canadian citizen or a legal resident
- You live in Canada and have lived there for at least 10 years since the age of 18
- Your spouse or common-law partner died and you are not remarried or in a common-law relationship, and
- Your annual income is less than the maximum annual threshold
Death Payment
The amount you receive for your Allowance for the Survivor death payment depends on your previous year’s income.
Applying for Benefits
You should apply for this benefit 6 to 11 months before your 60th birthday and submit the required paperwork. Once you’ve applied, Service Canada will let you know in writing if they’ve approved your application.