ISP-1300: the CPP survivor's pension and children's benefits

Who qualifies

It's a monthly payment paid to the legal spouse or common-law partner of the deceased contributor. A common-law partner qualifies if they lived with the contributor in a conjugal relationship for at least 1 year.

Applying promptly matters

You should apply as soon as possible after the contributor's death. If you delay, you may lose benefits: the Canada Pension Plan can only make back payments for up to 12 months, 11 months plus the month you apply. There is no way to recover benefits from further back than that by applying later.

Where to get it, and how to apply

Apply online through My Service Canada Account, or complete the paper form and mail it to Service Canada. Download the current 17-page form from the Service Canada forms catalogue.

Common mistakes

• ✗Waiting to apply: back payments only reach 12 months (11 months plus the month you apply), so delay is a real cost
• ✗Assuming a common-law partner needs a year of cohabitation counted differently than a conjugal relationship: it is 1 year of that relationship
• ✗Confusing this with the CPP death benefit (ISP-1200), a separate one-time payment

A naming note: Service Canada's forms catalogue titles the child benefit "Surviving Child's Benefits," while canada.ca describes the same benefit as "children's benefits." We use the canada.ca phrasing above; both refer to the same benefit.