Your application

You will need to apply for the Allowance for the Survivor benefits. You should apply for this benefit when your spouse or common-law partner has passed away and if you are 60 to 64 years of age.

You can apply 6 to 11 months before your 60th birthday if your spouse or common-law partner passed away before this.

Step 2: Gather your information

• Information about your spouse or common-law partner:
  • Social Insurance Number
  • date of birth
  • date of death
  • foreign income information (types of income and annual amounts in CAD)

  How to determine your income

  When applying for the Allowance for the Survivor, you must report your income and deductions.

  • Canada Pension Plan (CPP) or Quebec Pension Plan (QPP) benefits
  • Other pension income, such as private pensions, superannuation and foreign pension income
  • Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSPs) that you cashed during the year
  • Employment Insurance benefits
  • Interest and other investment income
  • Capital gains and taxable Canadian dividends
  • Net income from any rental properties
  • Net employment or self-employment income
  • Other income from sources such as workers' compensation payments
  • Old Age Security, Guaranteed Income Supplement, Allowance or Allowance for the Survivor payments
  • Payments of retroactive CPP or QPP benefits for previous years
  • Other benefit and assistance payments from municipal, territorial or federal government or universal child care benefits to name a few
  • Grants, rebates, refunds programs and credits
  • Some war service pensions, retribution payments and ex gratia payments
  • Aboriginal people tax – exempt income
  • Lottery winnings
  • Inheritances
  • Tax free savings accounts
  • CPP death benefit or children’s benefits
  • Wage loss replacement benefits paid under a private insurance plan
  • Canada Pension Plan or Quebec Pension Plan contributions and your Employment Insurance premiums
  • Elected pension split income deduction
  • Union dues, professional or like dues
  • RRSP, RPP or Saskatchewan pension plan contributions
  • Moving expenses related to employment and other employment expenses
  • Clergy residence deduction
  • Deductions to reduce rental income
  • Some child support payments
  • Some spousal support payments
  • Attendant care and other disability supports deduction
  • Other deductions permitted by CRA

  Note: If you are employed or self employed and receive the Guaranteed Income Supplement, Allowance or Allowance for the Survivor, you can earn up to $5,000 and still receive the full benefit amount. For earnings between $5,000 and $15,000, your Guaranteed Income Supplement, Allowance or Allowance for the Survivor will be reduced by 50 cents for every dollar of income you receive.

  Step 3: Submit your application

  Decide how to apply:

  Apply online

  To apply online, you must:

  • be age of 60 to 65
  • not have a legal representative on your account

  If you are applying online, you will need a My Service Canada Account (MSCA). If you do not have an MSCA account, you can register for one. You will receive a personal access code to complete your registration.

  Note: It is important to gather the information you need before you begin, because once you start the application, you cannot save it and continue later. Your session will expire after 20 minutes of inactivity (this time starts when your computer mouse stops moving and resets when your mouse is moved).

  Apply using a paper application

  • Print and complete the application for the Application for the Allowance or Allowance for the Survivor (ISP3008)
  • Print and complete the Statement of income for the Renewal of the Guaranteed Income Supplement, the Allowance or the Allowance for the Survivor (ISP3026)
  • Include certified true copies of the required documents
  • Mail the application to Service Canada or bring it in person to a Service Canada office

  If someone is helping you with your application

  You must provide consent for someone to help you with your application. You can do this in 2 ways:

  1. through your My Service Canada Account (MSCA)or
  2. print and complete the Consent to Communicate Information to an Authorized Person (ISP1603) and mail it to us, or drop it off at a Service Canada office

  This does not give the person helping you authority to:

  • submit your application
  • apply for benefits on your behalf
  • change your payment address
  • request or change the withholding of tax for you

  If someone cannot manage their own affairs, another person or agency may act on their behalf.

  To apply to administer benefits on someone’s behalf you need to:

  • have a medical professional complete the Certificate of Incapability (ISP3505)
  • print and complete one of the following forms that applies to you:
    • Agreement to administer benefit under the Old Age Security Act and/or the Canada Pension Plan by a Private Trustee (ISP3506) (for administration by an individual)
    • Agreement to administer benefits under the Old Age Security Act and/or the Canada Pension Plan by an Agency or Institution (ISP3507) (for administration by an agency, charitable organization or municipality)

    You will need to mail it to us, or drop it off at a Service Canada office.

    These forms do not give the person applying on someone’s behalf authority to submit an application through My Service Canada Account (MSCA). You must submit a paper application.

    Providing Service Canada with your email address

    Note: When you apply, you can provide your email address. We may send you an email to provide you with information or ask you to call us if we can’t reach you by phone. Please note that we won't ask you to send information such as SIN, banking, or other personal details by email.

    Protect your information

    Step 4: Receive a response from us

    We will mail you a letter with either:

    • a decision on your application
    • a request for more information

    Your decision letter

    If you are approved, your letter with a decision will include:

    • the amount you will receive each month
    • the date of your first payment
    • any past payments that may be owed to you

    Step 5: Review your application status

    To view your application status, you can:

    • Sign in to My Service Canada Account (MSCA)
    • contact Service Canada

    If you don’t have an MSCA account, you can register for one.

    Step 6: If you disagree with the decision

    If you disagree with the decision, you may ask to have the decision reviewed. You must request this review in writing within 90 days of receiving your decision letter.

    Your application will be reviewed by Service Canada staff who were not involved in making the original decision on your application.

    Submit a request for reconsideration of a decision

    There are 3 ways you can make your request for reconsideration:

    Submit your request online using My Service Canada Account (MSCA)

    If you complete your request on paper

    Sign and date your written request and submit it:

    By mail
    To the return address on the decision letter

    Prepare and submit a written request to review the decision and include:

    • your name
    • your address
    • your telephone number
    • your Social Insurance Number or Client Identification Number
    • a detailed explanation of why you do not agree with the decision
    • any new information that could affect the decision
    • your signature and the date

    If you complete your request on paper

    Sign and date your written request and submit it:

    By mail
    To the return address on the decision letter

    Reconsiderations can take several months to complete, depending on the case. Service Canada will review your application and any new information you submit in support of your request and send you a (new) decision by mail.

    Submit an appeal to the Social Security Tribunal of Canada

    If you disagree with the new decision, you can contact the Social Security Tribunal (SST). The Social Security Tribunal is an independent administrative tribunal. It’s separate from Service Canada.

    There are 2 ways to start an appeal with the Social Security Tribunal:

    Social Security Tribunal Website

    Using My Service Canada Account (MSCA)

    Start the appeal process online in My Service Canada Account (MSCA).

    1. sign in or register to MSCA
    2. navigate to the "Canada Pension Plan / Old Age Security" section
    3. navigate to the "If you disagree with a decision" section
    4. select "Appeal to the SST" under "Step 2"

    Help to communicate with the Social Security Tribunal

    If you would like a representative to help you communicate with the Social Security Tribunal about your appeal, you will need to either:

    Complete a form

    Call a representative

    Call the Social Security Tribunal and provide your representative’s information

    You must contact the Social Security Tribunal directly to change or cancel your representative.

    Note: If you would like your representative to communicate with both Service Canada and the Social Security Tribunal, fill out section 9 of the Notice of Appeal form and complete the Consent to Communicate Information to an Authorized Person form for Service Canada.