Canadian Armed Forces pensions
Getting married/common-law (Retired member): Reservists in the Reserve Force pension plan

Now that you are married or have reached common-law status, your new partner may be eligible for a survivor pension in the event of your death.

On this page

• What to do if I get married or start a common law relationship after retirement
• Why telling the Pension Centre about a new spouse or common law partner is important
• Survivor Pension Entitlement for spouses or partners that commenced before age 60
• Eligibility for survivor pension for marriage or common-law relationship after age 60
• Electing an optional survivor benefit for my spouse or common-law partner

What to do if I get married or start a common law relationship after retirement

• If you get married: Submit your marriage certificate, a copy of the birth certificate(s) of your new spouse and any children to the Canadian Armed Forces Pension Centre. If either of you were previously married, you will also need to submit proof of the termination of the previous marriage(s) in the form of a death certificate or a Divorce Decree Absolute
• If you begin a common-law relationship (same sex or opposite sex): Provide the Canadian Armed Forces Pension Centre with a letter confirming your common-law relationship and a copy of the birth certificate(s) of your common-law partner and any children. Keep documentation that confirms your ongoing common-law relationship, such as income tax returns and bills, as your marital status at the time of your death must be confirmed. If you wish to provide information about your common-law relationship, the Statutory Declaration-Common Law (CF-FC 2016) may be sent to the Canadian Armed Forces Pension Centre along with other evidence that demonstrates the conjugal nature and the period of the relationship
• If you are a participant in the Supplementary Death Benefit (SDB) plan , you may want to review and, if necessary, update your beneficiary designation

Why telling the Pension Centre about a new spouse or common law partner is important

It is important to notify the Government of Canada Pension Centre of any changes in your marital status because in the event of your death, your survivor's pension benefits may be processed more quickly if the Pension Centre has up-to-date information. This can help ease the financial and administrative burden on your spouse, common-law partner, family or estate. It also ensures that your death benefits are paid as you intended, without delay.

Survivor Pension Entitlement for spouses or partners that commenced before age 60

If you got married or your common-law partner has resided with you continuously since before you reached age 60, your spouse or common-law partner would be entitled a survivor pension upon your death.

Eligibility for survivor pension for marriage or common-law relationship after age 60

If you are in receipt of a pension under the Regular Force Pension Plan, you can provide an Optional Survivor Benefit (OSB) for your new spouse or common-law partner if you get married or begin living with your common-law partner after age 60 only if you agree to reduce your current amount of pension in exchange for providing a survivor pension to your new spouse or common-law partner at your death.

If you choose to provide this survivor pension, you choose between providing a survivor pension of 30%, 40% or 50% of your own pension. Your pension would then be reduced depending on the survivor pension you choose: the greater the survivor pension, the greater the reduction to your pension. This option deemed to have been revoked upon the death of the spouse or common-law partner, or divorce or end of the common-law partnership, or if you reenroll in the Reserves or Regular Forces. For more information about this option, please contact the Canadian Armed Forces Pension Centre.

At present, there are no provisions for OSB under the Reserve Force Pension Plan and consequently, there are no survivor benefits for the spouses or common-law partners of annuitants if the marriage occurs or cohabitation in a relationship of a conjugal nature began on or after the annuitant reached age 60.

Electing an optional survivor benefit for my spouse or common-law partner

If you are interested in providing your spouse or common-law partner with this benefit, please contact the Canadian Armed Forces Pension Centre for an estimate. We will send you a letter providing you with an estimate of the survivor pension and the corresponding reduction to your monthly pension for each level of coverage. Instructions for making an election will be enclosed with the estimate letter.