Survivor Benefits

The Plan will provide the following survivor benefits to the spouse and/or dependents of a vested member at the time of their passing:

Member's Survivors Benefit Entitlement Frequency / Duration
Spouse Only 60% of member's pension entitlement Payable monthly for spouse's lifetime
Spouse and Dependents

60% of member's pension entitlement

plus

1/6 of the spouse's entitlement is payable equally to a maximum of 4 dependents

Payable monthly to spouse for spouse's lifetime

 

Payable monthly to dependents until deemed non-dependent

Dependents Only

The spouse's entitlement is payable equally to dependents

plus

1/6 of the spouse's entitlement is payable equally to a maximum of 4 dependents

Payable monthly to dependents until deemed non-dependent
None Refund of contributions (plus interest) less any pension benefits received Lump sum paid to member's estate

If the member is not vested then his/her contributions plus interest are refunded to the member's spouse, and if no spouse, then to the member's estate.

A spouse is a person who is:

  1. legally married to a Member;
  2. living in a common-law partnership with a Member for at least three years, evidenced by tax returns;
  3. living in a common-law partnership with a Member with a child of the relationship by birth or adoption. 

A dependent is a child who is:

  1. under the age of 18;
  2. under the age of 25 and is enrolled full-time at an institution of post-secondary education;
  3. 18 or older who is dependent on the Member by reason of mental or physical infirmity.