Other survivor benefits if you die without a spouse

Other survivor benefits if you die without a spouse

Children's pension if you do not have a spouse, but you have eligible children.

At the time of the death of the pensioner without a spouse or of the spouse receiving a survivor's benefit, the children eligible for this benefit are their biological or adopted children who are:

• aged under 18; or
• aged under 25 and full-time students; or
• unable to support themselves because of a disability (provided they became disabled before the age of 18 or before the age of 25 if they were attending full-time education).

If you have multiple eligible children, they will share the children's pension until they no longer meet the definition of an eligible child. When a child no longer meets the definition of an eligible child, the remaining pension is divided again among the other eligible children.

Pension rights of your beneficiaries if you do not have an eligible spouse or children

Monthly survivor benefits are only payable to eligible spouses and children. However, under the guaranteed minimum benefit, beneficiaries may be entitled to a lump sum payment.

The guaranteed minimum benefit provides that if the retiree dies without a spouse or eligible children and the total payments received by the retiree are less than 60 times the initial life annuity, the beneficiary will receive the difference. Participants whose employment jurisdiction at retirement was Quebec have the option to choose 120 months. This guarantee also applies if a spouse dies while receiving a spousal pension and the total amounts paid to the retiree and spouse are less than 60 times the retiree's initial monthly life annuity. For children's pensions, the calculation is made when all children cease to be eligible.

The guaranteed benefit simply stipulates that the annuity paid to you and your survivors must be at least 60 times the amount of the initial monthly life annuity (or 120 times in Quebec, if the participant has chosen this option).