CPP Death Benefit: $2,500 to $5,000, Who Can Apply and How

The Canada Pension Plan (CPP) death benefit is a one-time payment of $2,500, and up to $5,000 when a top-up applies. The top-up was added for deaths on or after January 1, 2025. Nothing is paid automatically, so the executor or another eligible person has to apply to Service Canada, ideally within 60 days of the death.

The figures and rules below come from Service Canada's death benefit page, which was last updated on May 25, 2026.

How much is the CPP death benefit?

The benefit has two parts:

• Basic amount: $2,500.
• Top-up: a possible additional $2,500, for a maximum of $5,000.

The top-up applies for deaths on or after January 1, 2025. To get it, the person who died must:

• never have received a CPP or QPP disability benefit, post-retirement disability benefit or retirement pension, and
• not have a surviving spouse or common-law partner who is eligible for a survivor's pension.

If either condition is not met, the benefit is the basic $2,500. A person who was already drawing a CPP retirement pension, or who leaves an eligible spouse, therefore gets $2,500 only.

The payment does not go up if the person contributed more. It is a flat amount once the minimum contributions are met.

Who is eligible?

The eligibility test is about the person who died. They must have made base contributions to the CPP for at least:

• one-third of the calendar years in their contributory period, with a minimum of 3 years, or
• 10 calendar years.

These are the tests in section 44 of the Canada Pension Plan Act. If the person did not reach either one, no death benefit is paid. If they worked in Quebec, they paid into the Quebec Pension Plan (QPP) instead, which has its own death benefit and rules. Ask Retraite Québec about that.

Who can apply, and who gets the money?

Service Canada pays the benefit in this order:

1. The estate executor, if there is one.
2. The person or institution that paid the funeral expenses.
3. The surviving spouse or common-law partner.
4. Next of kin.

The executor should apply within 60 days of the death. Anyone else who is eligible should apply as soon as possible after the death.

How to apply, step by step

1. Gather the Social Insurance Numbers of both the person who died and the applicant.
2. Get the death documents ready. Service Canada asks for copies of supporting documents, and may request originals or certified copies later.
3. Apply online through your My Service Canada Account, or by mail with form ISP1200.
4. Wait about 6 to 12 weeks from the day Service Canada receives a complete application.

If the funeral home wants payment before then, plan for that gap. The benefit will not arrive in time for a deposit. Our guides to average funeral cost in Canada and cremation cost in Canada show what bills to expect.

How is the death benefit taxed?

It counts as taxable income, but the Canada Revenue Agency says not to report it on the final return of the person who died. If someone other than the estate receives it, that person reports it on their own tax return. If the estate receives it, the estate reports it on a T3 return, or the beneficiary reports it if the estate passes it on. The death benefit does not qualify for the $10,000 employer death benefit exemption. A tax professional or the CRA can tell you which rules fit your case, so keep a record of the payment and of who received it.

If you are the executor, set some of the money aside in case tax is owed.

What about the CPP survivor's pension?

The survivor's pension is a separate monthly payment for a legally married spouse or common-law partner of the person who died. A common-law partner is someone who lived with the contributor in a conjugal relationship for at least one year.

• Age 65 or older: 60% of the contributor's retirement pension.
• Under 65: a flat-rate portion plus 37.5% of the contributor's retirement pension.

Service Canada's payment table lists the maximums as $803.54 a month under 65 and $904.59 a month at 65 or older (for benefits beginning in January 2026). What you receive depends on the contributor's record and on any CPP you get yourself, so your amount may be lower.

You apply separately, online or with form ISP1300. Back payments go back only 12 months (11 months plus the month you apply), so do not wait. The survivor's pension and the death benefit are separate claims, and you may be eligible for both.

Does the benefit cover the funeral?

Usually not in full. The benefit is a contribution, and funeral prices vary widely across the country. See burial cost in Canada and prepaid funeral plans in Canada if you are weighing options, and who pays for a funeral if the family is unsure how to split the bill.

What to do next

1. Ask the estate's executor whether they have applied. If there is no executor, decide who is in the order above.
2. Collect both Social Insurance Numbers and the death documents (see death registration in Canada).
3. Apply online or with ISP1200, and mark the 60-day point from the date of death.
4. If there is a surviving spouse or common-law partner, file the survivor's pension claim at the same time.