A lifetime pension for your spouse

The spouse is the person who, at the time of retirement, was legally married to or lived with the pensioner in a common-law relationship for at least one year (or for a shorter period if there are natural or legally adopted children of the relationship). Under the Plan's definition of spouse, spousal status is lost if you were living separate and apart at the time of retirement.

The normal spousal pension is 60% of the lifetime pension the pensioner was receiving at the time of death. The bridge benefit is not part of the lifetime pension for the calculation of the survivor benefit. Inflation protection increases on the lifetime pension are part of the calculation of the survivor benefit. Since 1997, married retiring members have had the option of selecting a 75% spousal pension in exchange for a lower pension for themselves. If the member dies before their spouse, their spouse receives 75% of their lifetime pension at the date of death (this applies to the spouse at the time of retirement).

The spousal pension from the Plan is paid for the rest of the surviving spouse’s life.

If your marital status has changed due to separation or divorce, be aware that under Ontario law, the value of the pension you earned while married must be included in the calculation of family property.  Read our pamphlet “Your pension and separation or divorce” to learn about the process to follow should you find yourself in this situation.

Survivor benefits

Anne was married when she retired at the age of 62. A few years after her husband died, Anne moved in with her boyfriend and they have been living together for several years. Anne wonders if her boyfriend will be entitled to any survivor benefits from the Plan when she dies. She also wonders if she can leave any benefits for her 2 adult children.

Since Anne has been living with her boyfriend for more than two years, he is now considered her spouse for the purposes of the Plan. She must notify the Plan to let us know about her change in marital status. She can complete the Pensioner Change Request form or send a letter to the Plan, providing us with relevant details. She may be asked for a death certificate for her previous husband to help ensure that correct information is recorded.

Anne’s boyfriend will be entitled to a spousal pension worth 60% of Anne’s pension at the time of her death.

Anne’s children, however, are not eligible for a benefit from the Plan. Since they are not under the age of 18 they are not entitled to a children’s pension. And, although she can designate them as beneficiaries, they would not be entitled to any further benefit as Anne has been collecting her pension for more than 5 years.