Apply for the CPP survivor's pension through My Service Canada Account or paper form ISP1300 — who it is paid to, the contribution test, the 12-month back-payment limit, and the children's benefit and death benefit on the same claim.
Applies in: CA
Apply as soon as possible after the contributor's death, online through My Service Canada Account or on paper with form ISP1300. The Canada Pension Plan (CPP) survivor's pension is a monthly payment paid to the legal spouse or common-law partner of a deceased CPP contributor. Back payments are limited to 12 months, so a delay can permanently lose months of pension. The same claim family also covers two other benefits: a monthly children's benefit for a dependent child of the contributor, and a one-time death benefit paid to the estate or other eligible individuals. This guide covers the survivor stream only — the application process, the amounts, and the related benefits — and gives no eligibility advice beyond the conditions Service Canada publishes.
To qualify for the survivor's pension, you must be legally married to a deceased CPP contributor or be the common-law partner of a deceased CPP contributor. Under CPP legislation, a common-law partner is a person of either sex who has lived with the contributor in a conjugal relationship for at least 1 year. A separated legal spouse may qualify if the deceased had no common-law partner. There are two exceptions to know about: you are not eligible if you are a separated legal spouse whose CPP credit split request was received and approved in January 2025 or later for the same deceased contributor, unless you reunited with your separated legal spouse and lived together for 12 months or more immediately before their death. If you were widowed more than once, only one survivor's pension — the larger — will be paid. Your pension continues even if you remarry, and if you previously lost a CPP survivor's benefit because you remarried, contact the CPP to find out if you are now eligible, because that rule was changed in 1987.
The pension is only payable if the deceased contributor paid enough into the CPP. The deceased must have contributed to the CPP for at least one-third of their contributory period, with a minimum of 3 years, or for 10 years. The same contribution test applies to the death benefit and the children's benefit. If the deceased lived or worked in another country, a social security agreement between Canada and that country may help meet the contribution requirement, but the agreement only helps with eligibility — it does not increase the payment amount. If the deceased contributed only to the Quebec Pension Plan, or lived in Quebec at the time of death, contact Retraite Québec, because the QPP has its own survivor rules.
Service Canada first works out what the deceased's CPP retirement pension is, or would have been, if the deceased had been age 65 at the time of death. Then it applies the survivor's age at the time of the contributor's death:
The maximum monthly amounts for benefits beginning in January 2026, from Service Canada's CPP payment amounts table, are:
Maximums reflect the CPP enhancement, and maximum CPP benefit amounts increase every month as a result of the enhancement, so a benefit starting later in 2026 may carry a different maximum — check the payment amounts table for the current figure. Your own amount depends on the contributor's record and will usually be less than the maximum.
If you already receive a CPP retirement pension or disability pension, the survivor's pension is combined into a single monthly payment — you cannot receive a full survivor's pension on top of a full retirement or disability pension. The most that can be paid to a person eligible for both the survivor's pension and the retirement pension is the maximum retirement pension, and the most for both the survivor's pension and the disability pension is the maximum disability pension. For 2026 the combined maximums are $1,531.56 a month for survivor's plus retirement pension at age 65, and $1,756.14 a month for survivor's plus disability benefit. When multiple benefits are combined, only one flat-rate component — the largest — is provided. The enhanced component of a combined benefit is added on top and is not subject to those maximums.
In addition to the survivor's pension, there may be a monthly children's benefit for a child of the deceased contributor. The child must be under age 18, or a student aged 18 to 25 attending a recognized school, college, or university full-time or part-time, and must be the contributor's natural child, a child legally or factually adopted by the contributor before age 12, or a child who lived with the contributor and was under the contributor's decision-making responsibility before age 21. For 2026 the maximum is $307.81 a month for a child under 18 or a full-time student, and $153.91 a month for a part-time student. The children's benefit for children under 18 is applied for on the same form ISP1300 as the survivor's pension.
The CPP death benefit is a separate, one-time payment, payable to the estate or other eligible individuals on behalf of a deceased CPP contributor. For deaths occurring on or after January 1, 2025, the amount is a basic amount of $2,500 plus a possible top-up of $2,500, for a maximum of $5,000. The top-up applies only if the deceased never received a disability benefit, post-retirement disability benefit, or retirement pension under the CPP or QPP, and did not leave a surviving spouse or common-law partner eligible for a survivor's pension. The death benefit is applied for on a different form, the Application for a Canada Pension Plan Death Benefit (ISP1200). If an estate exists, the executor named in the will or the administrator named by the Court applies, and the executor should apply within 60 days of the date of death. If no estate exists, or the executor has not applied, payment may be made in order of priority to the person or institution that paid for the funeral expenses, then the surviving spouse or common-law partner, then the next-of-kin.
You should apply as soon as possible after the contributor's death. The CPP can only make back payments for up to 12 months — 11 months plus the month you apply — and the pension starts at the earliest the month after the contributor's death. If you delay beyond a year, the months before that window are lost. As the survivor, you are responsible for applying for your monthly pension. If you are incapable of applying, a representative such as a trustee may apply for you; a registered trustee, guardian, or other legal representative may act on a client's behalf in person, by mail, or by phone, but not online.
Sign in to My Service Canada Account (MSCA), complete the online CPP Survivor's Pension form, and upload supporting documents, if any. Service Canada reserves the right to request supporting documents; when documents are requested, copies are acceptable, but Service Canada may ask for an original or a certified copy at any time. When you apply, you can provide your email address — Service Canada may email you to provide information or ask you to call if it cannot reach you by phone, but it will not ask you to send personal details such as your Social Insurance Number by email.
If you cannot apply online, use the paper route. Complete the Canada Pension Plan survivor's pension and children's benefits application form (ISP1300), include copies of the documents, if any, and mail the form and documents to Service Canada. Indicate both the deceased contributor's Social Insurance Number and your own on all documents before sending them. You can also drop the form off at a Service Canada office. Do not use the death benefit form ISP1200 for the survivor's pension — ISP1300 is the survivor's pension and children's benefits form, and ISP1200 is the death benefit form.
The survivor's pension starts at the earliest the month after the contributor's death. It takes approximately 6 to 12 weeks to receive your first payment from the date Service Canada receives your completed application. If more than 12 weeks have passed and you would like to find out the status of your application, contact the Canada Pension Plan. If you disagree with a decision, you may request a reconsideration of any decision that affects your eligibility or the amount of your CPP benefit. The death benefit, applied for separately, takes approximately 6 to 12 weeks from the date Service Canada receives the completed application.
The Service Canada pages state the maximum pension amounts but do not state the exact dollar amount any one survivor will receive, because that amount depends on the deceased contributor's own contribution record. The pages also do not state a processing time for the children's benefit separately from the survivor's pension, and they do not state which supporting documents Service Canada will ask for in a given case — the program reserves the right to request documents after the application is received. Check the CPP payment amounts table for the current maximums before relying on a figure from an older article, since maximums rise monthly with the CPP enhancement.
The legal spouse or common-law partner of a deceased Canada Pension Plan contributor. A common-law partner is a person who lived with the contributor in a conjugal relationship for at least 1 year. A separated legal spouse may qualify if the deceased had no common-law partner. The deceased must also have contributed to the CPP for at least one-third of their contributory period, with a minimum of 3 years, or for 10 years.
Two routes exist. Online, sign in to your [My Service Canada Account](https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/publicpensions/cpp/cpp-survivor-pension.html), complete the online CPP Survivor's Pension form, and upload supporting documents if any are needed. On paper, complete the Canada Pension Plan survivor's pension and children's benefits application form (ISP1300), include copies of the documents if any are needed, and mail the form and documents to Service Canada, with both the deceased contributor's Social Insurance Number and your own on all documents.
The Canada Pension Plan can only make back payments for up to 12 months — 11 months plus the month you apply. The pension starts at the earliest the month after the contributor's death, so applying late can permanently lose months. Apply as soon as possible after the contributor's death.
It depends on your age and on how much, and for how long, the deceased contributor paid into the CPP. For benefits beginning in January 2026, the maximum is $803.54 a month if you are under 65 and $904.59 a month if you are 65 or older. If you are 65 or older you receive 60% of the contributor's retirement pension; if you are under 65 you receive a flat-rate portion plus 37.5% of it. Your own amount will usually be less than the maximum unless the contributor paid in at the maximum level for long enough.
Yes. The children's benefit is a monthly payment for a child of the deceased contributor who is under 18, or a student aged 18 to 25 attending a recognized school, college, or university full-time or part-time. For 2026 the maximum is $307.81 a month for a child under 18 or a full-time student, and $153.91 a month for a part-time student. The children's benefit is applied for on the same form ISP1300 for children under 18.
Yes. The CPP death benefit is a one-time payment to the estate or other eligible individuals on behalf of a deceased CPP contributor. For deaths on or after January 1, 2025, it is a basic amount of $2,500 plus a possible top-up of $2,500, for a maximum of $5,000. It is applied for separately on form ISP1200, and the executor should apply within 60 days of the date of death. The survivor's pension is applied for on form ISP1300, not ISP1200.