Notes, continued 

(4)  Disability benefits are monthly taxable benefits available to individuals that are under the 

age of 65 and have sustained a severe and prolonged disability that prevents them from 

working on a regular basis. To be eligible for this benefit, an individual must have made 

enough CPP/QPP contributions in at least four of the last six years, or must have made valid 

contributions to the CPP/QPP for at least 25 years and met the minimum requirements in 

three of the previous six years. The monthly disability benefit consists of a minimum fixed 

amount that all recipients are entitled to receive and an amount based on how much the 

recipient contributed to the CPP during their entire working career.  Contributors must 

apply in order to receive this benefit.

A dependent child of a disabled pension recipient may also be eligible to receive taxable 

benefits if the child is under the age of 18, or between the ages 18 and 25 and a full-time 

student.

More information on disability benefits is available on the Government of Canada website at 

www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/isp/cpp/disaben.shtml.

(5)  Survivor benefits are monthly taxable benefits available to the spouse/partner of a 

deceased individual who had made CPP/QPP contributions during his or her lifetime. For 

the spouse/ partner to be eligible to receive this benefit, the deceased must have made 

contributions during a certain number of years within his or her contributory period.  The 

amount a surviving spouse/partner will receive depends on whether he or she is also 

receiving disability or retirement benefits, how much and for how long the contributor 

paid into the plan, and the spouse/partner’s age when the contributor died. The surviving 

spouse/partner must apply in order to receive the benefits.

A dependent child of a deceased contributor may also be eligible to receive monthly 

benefits if the child is under the age of 18 or between the ages of 18 and 25 and a full-time 

student. An application must be completed in order to receive this benefit.

More information on survivor benefits is available on the Government of Canada website at 

www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/isp/cpp/survivor.shtml.

(6)  The lump-sum death benefit is a one-time payment made to the estate of a deceased 

individual who had made contributions to the CPP/QPP during his or her lifetime. To be 

eligible for this benefit, the deceased must have made contributions during a certain 

number of years within his or her contributory period. The lump-sum death benefit is equal 

to six months of the deceased’s retirement benefits, or what it would have been if the 

deceased had been 65 years of age at the time of death, up to a maximum of $2,500. 

The representative for the estate must apply in order to receive the death benefit payment. 

More information on survivor benefits is available on the Government of Canada website at 

www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/isp/cpp/survivor.shtml.

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Current as of September 30, 2013