Help - Application for Survivors' Benefits

Table of content

General questions

Vocabulary

Account number (folio)

The account number or folio number must consist of digits only or a group of digits and a dash.

Bank or caisse number

The bank or caisse number must consist of digits only.

Branch number (transit number)

The branch number or transit number must be made up of digits only.

Capable

A person is capable where he or she has the mental capacity to give his or her consent or to express his or her wishes.

For example, a person having difficulty moving about or suffering from deafness can be mentally capable.

De facto spouse

The definition of spouse varies depending on the program.

Québec Pension Plan

Your spouse is the person with whom you are in a relationship, and to whom you are marriedor with whom you are in a civil union or a de facto union.

Your de facto spouse is the person to whom you are not married or in a civilunion with but with whom you have been living in a conjugal relationship for:

  • at least 3 years

    or

  • at least 1 year if a child has been or is to be born of your union or if you have adopted a child together.

 

Take note!

A de facto spouse is eligible for a surviving spouse's pension only if the deceased (who was hisor her spouse) was not married to or in a civil union with another person.

 

Public-sector pension plans (RREGOP, PPMP, etc.)

Your spouse is the person to whom you are married or with whom you are in a civil union.If you are neither married nor in a civil union, the status of spouse is granted to the person who isconsidered your de facto spouse.

Your de facto spouse is the person whom you publicly present as yourspouse and with whom you have been living in a conjugal relationship for a period of time that varies from plan toplan. For most public-sector pension plans, you must have been living in a conjugal relationship for:

  • at least 3 years

    or

  • at least 1 year if a child has been or is to be born of your union or if you have adopted a child together.

 

Take note!

For your de facto spouse to be recognized as your spouse, neither you nor your spouse can be married to or in acivil union with another person. This condition applies to several public-sector pension plans (RREGOP, PPMP, TPP,CSSP, etc.). However, there are exceptions (PPFEQ, RPCHCN, PPCJBJ, PPCJQ, etc.).

Disabled

To be deemed disabled, a person must have a disability that is severe and prolonged. Moreover, he or she must be regularly incapable of pursuing every type of substantially gainful employment.

In the case of a person aged 60 or over, a disability is severe if as a result thereof, the person is incapable of pursuing the usual gainful employment that he or she was pursuing when he or she stopped working because of his or her state of health.

Disabled child

To be deemed disabled, a child over the age of 18 must have a disability that is severe and prolonged. Moreover, he or she must be regularly incapable of pursuing every type of substantially gainful employment.

Dissolved civil union

Civil union dissolved by a joint notarized declaration or by a judgment of dissolution of civil union.

Divorced

Person whose marriage has been ended officially by a judgment of divorce.

In a civil union

Legally united with another person by civil union.

Incapable

A person is incapable where he or she has a mental disability to give his or her consent or to express his or her wishes.

Incapacity should not be confused with old age or a physical disability. For example, a person having difficulty moving about or suffering from deafness is not necessarily incapable.

Legally separated

A married person whose separation has been officially recognized by a judgment of separation (also legally called "separation from bed and board").

Married

Person officially married to another person.

Partition of family patrimony

All property divided equally in the event of the breakdown of a marriage or civil union.

The provisions related to partition of family patrimony are different in the case of a union between de facto spouses.

For more information on family patrimony, consult the Gouvernement du Québec's Ministère de la Justice's website.

Return Sheet

The Return Sheet indicates the documents that must be provided. It also contains your identification information, which helps us locate your file to process your application. You must send us the return sheet and enclose with it all requested documents and forms.

Street number

The street number is the part of an address used to indicate the exact location of a house or building on a street. Some people refer to this as the door number.