Survivor benefits to protect your loved ones

What's on this page:

    Whether you have an eligible spouse, eligible dependents or designated beneficiaries you want to provide for after you pass away, it’s important to be aware of the Plan’s survivor benefits and how they can support your loved ones.

    The survivor benefits that are payable to your beneficiaries depend on several factors, including whether you have an eligible spouse or any eligible children. If you want to better understand your PSPP survivor benefits, please call us. If you’re looking at your estate plan, contact one of our Client Service Advisors. To book a meeting with an advisor, click Book My 1-on-1 in your e-services(opens in a new tab) account.

    Key questions

    You will receive a survivor pension based on the option made by the retired member. This pension will be paid to you each month (starting the month after the deceased plan member passes away) and will continue for as long as you live.

    We’ll contact you to provide a list of the supporting documents we’ll need to set up your survivor pension. Once we’ve received all the supporting documents, we’ll start making the survivor pension payments.

    Your eligible spouse will continue to receive the survivor pension for his or her lifetime, but the new spouse is not entitled to receive a survivor pension.

    You can update your pension beneficiaries (except for your spouse) through your e-services account at any time. For more information, check out Designating beneficiaries.

     

    Takeaways and advice

    Planning ahead to protect your loved ones isn’t just about survivor benefits, you should consider how these benefits and your PSPP pension fit into your overall estate plan.

    Taking the time to have the conversation with your family today will help ease any potential stress in the future. We are here to help you navigate this conversation while highlighting key points to consider when updating your estate plan, and to answer any questions you may have about the potential impact to your pension. Please give us a call at 416-364-5035 or toll-free at 1-800-668-6203.

    Helpful links

    To learn more about estate planning, check out these estate planning tips. 

    For more information about survivor benefits, please read the Regulatory Disclosure section of your Retired Member Statement. 

    To learn more about dividing your assets, take a moment to review Planning ahead to protect your family.