CPP Death Benefit

The Canada Pension Plan (CPP) death benefit is a one-time, lump-sum payment to the estate on behalf of a deceased CPP contributor, wherever qualified.

If an estate exists, the executor named in the will or the administrator named by the Court to administer the estate applies for the death benefit. The executor should apply for the benefit within 60 days of the date of death. 

If no estate exists or if the executor has not applied for the death benefit, payment may be made to other persons who apply for the benefit in the following order of priority:

1. the person or institution that has paid for, or that is responsible for paying for the funeral expenses of the deceased;
2. the surviving spouse or common-law partner of the deceased; or
3. the next-of-kin of the deceased.

HOW TO APPLY 
As part of eco’s services, the CPP Death Benefit Application will be provided for you.  All you need to do is review, sign and mail. The application is also be found here.

CPP Survivor's Pension

The Canada Pension Plan (CPP) survivor's pension is paid to the person who, at the time of death, is the legal spouse or common-law partner of the deceased contributor.

If you are a separated legal spouse and the deceased had no cohabiting common-law partner, you may qualify for this benefit. If you are widowed more than once, only one survivor's pension - the larger - will be paid. The amount you receive as a surviving spouse or common-law partner will depend on:

• whether you are also receiving a CPP disability benefit or retirement your age
• how much, and for how long, the deceased contributor has paid into the CPP

CPP will first calculate the amount that the CPP retirement pension is, or would have been if the deceased had been age 65 at the time of death. Then, a further calculation is done based on the survivor's age at the time of the contributor's death.

HOW TO APPLY 
As part of eco’s services, the CPP Survivor’s Pension Application will be provided for you. All you need to do is review, sign and mail. The application can also be found here

CPP Children's Benefit

The Canada Pension Plan (CPP) children's benefits provide monthly payments to the dependent children of disabled or deceased CPP contributors. The child must be either:

• under age 18
• between the ages of 18 and 25 and in full-time attendance at a recognized school or university.

There are two types of Canada Pension Plan (CPP) children's benefits:

• A disabled contributor's child benefit for the child of a person receiving a CPP disability benefit – a monthly payment for a natural or adopted child or a child who is in the care and custody of the person receiving a CPP disability benefit.
• A surviving child's benefit for the child of a deceased contributor – a monthly payment for a natural or adopted child or a child who was in the care and custody of the contributor at the time of death. For the benefit to be paid, the deceased contributor must have made sufficient contributions to the CPP.

A maximum of two benefits can be paid to a child. To be eligible, the child must be:

• the natural child of the contributor
• a child "adopted legally" or "in fact" by the contributor while under the age of 21
• a child "legally" or "in fact" in the custody and control of the contributor while under the age of 21.

A child may be eligible if the parent or guardian:

• has met the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) contributory requirements
• is receiving a CPP disability benefit or has died.

HOW TO APPLY 
As part of eco’s services, the CPP Children's Benefit application will be provided for you. All you need to do is review, sign and mail. The application can also be found here.

CPP Allowance for the Survivor

The Allowance for the Survivor is a benefit available to people who have a low income, who are living in Canada, and whose spouse or common-law partner is deceased. Strict eligibility standards must be met. More information and application can be found here.

Expats

If you have lived or worked in Canada and in another country, or you are the survivor of someone who has lived or worked in Canada and in another country, you may be eligible for pensions and benefits from Canada and/or from the other country because of a social security agreement.

What is a social security agreement? A social security agreement is an international agreement between Canada and another country that is designed to coordinate the pension programs of the two countries for people who have lived or worked in both countries. Canada has signed social security agreements with a number of other countries that offer comparable pension programs.

The requirements under the social security agreements vary from agreement to agreement. It is important to check the details of the agreement that relates to you. Further information and applications may be found here.