Members > Member Handbook > Survivor Benefits > Survivor Benefits

Survivor Benefits

The main intent of pension plans is to pay a lifetime benefit following a member's retirement. A secondary intent is to pay a benefit to a surviving spouse, or in some cases children, after a member dies. Depending on whether the death occurred before or after retirement, the survivor benefit can be in the form of a lump sum or an ongoing pension.

The legal or common-law eligible Spouse of a deceased Member, Former Member or Pensioner is entitled to a survivor benefit. The Spouse will be eligible if the two people are married and living together at the time of the retirement or death, or living in a common law relationship at the time of the retirement or death. A common-law relationship is considered to exist if two people have lived together as a couple continuously for a period of at least one year, or for a shorter period if there are Children from the common-law relationship. Note that two people are not considered to be living apart if one is living in a nursing home, or in some similar arrangement.

An eligible Child is a dependent Child under the age of 18.

A Beneficiary is a person designated by you in writing to receive any lump sum death benefits. If you have a Spouse, that person is automatically the Beneficiary, as long as you are not living separate and apart. However, it may be a good idea to name a Beneficiary, other than your Spouse, on the off chance that your Spouse dies before you and you forget to name a new Beneficiary, or you and your Spouse die at the same time. This will clarify your intentions for any benefit owing in such a circumstance.

Survivor Benefit Quick Facts

Your pension is paid for as long as you live. The survivor pension is paid as long as your surviving Spouse lives. If appropriate, the survivor pension is paid to Children until they reach age 18.

If the total amount of payments made to you, your Spouse and your Children is less than the total of 60 months of your Lifetime Pension at retirement, the difference is paid out in a lump sum as the 60 Months Pension Guarantee.

It is paid to the last Child when he or she reaches age 18 or the Beneficiary designated by you, your Spouse, or child - whoever is the last recipient.

If no Beneficiary has been designated, any payment such a person would receive will instead be made to the estate of the last recipient.

January 2008