Survivors’ Benefit

The National Insurance Survivors’ Benefit is a periodical payment made to specific dependents of an insured person who dies otherwise than by way of employment injury.

A widow or widower – whether legally married or Common Law

As a Common-Law Spouse you will be paid the benefit if both you and the Insured person were legally single persons, living together as husband and wife up to the date of death of the insured person for a minimum of 3 years. A Common Law spouse can be nominated as beneficiary by the insured prior to his or her death. The official Nomination of Beneficiary form is Form NI 42.

Where you were not nominated as beneficiary you must provide alternative evidence of nomination and evidence of cohabitation for 3 years prior to the death of the insured person.

You must supply three (3) affidavits from reputable persons in the community attesting to the fact that you both lived in a common law situation for 3 years or more.

These may be supported by:

  • Will – claimant is indicated as spouse/beneficiary.
  • Employer’s Pension Plan – claimant recorded as spouse/beneficiary.
  • Life Insurance Policy – claimant indicated as spouse/beneficiary.
  • Credit Union document – claimant indicated as spouse/beneficiary.
  • Deed – in both parties’ names.
  • Birth Certificate of child – both parties’ names.
  • Joint Account Statement in both parties’ names.

In addition, such claims will be advertised in the newspaper once per week for three consecutive weeks. If no objection is lodged by a spouse of either party or by the immediate family of the deceased insured and all other qualifying conditions are met, you will be paid your benefit.

Child/step-child or adopted child (including orphans) or

Dependent parent of a deceased insured who has made a minimum of 50 contributions to the system.

The deceased insured person must have made a minimum of 50 contributions. In cases where the deceased insured person died before attaining their 60th birthday and has a minimum of 50 contributions the benefit will be paid to his/her survivors.

You must apply for the benefit within 12 months of the date of death of the insured person.

Time Frames

0 – 3 Months

Claim on time and can be accepted

3 – 12 Months

Claim late and may be accepted with good cause

12 Months and over

Claim late and shall be disallowed

Late Applications

You must apply on time to ensure that you receive your benefit. Failure to submit your claim to the Board within 12 months of the date of death of the insured person can result in you losing your benefit for any period earlier than 12 months before the date on which the Board receives your claim unless you can show there was good cause for the delay in submission. Your explanation must be submitted in writing.

To submit a claim, you must first book an appointment through our Web Appointment Portal.

To ensure that your claim is accurately submitted to the NIBTT for processing, follow the Claim Guidelines when completing all claim forms before your appointment date.

NI 51 – Survivors’ Benefit Claim Form

USE OF NATIONAL INSURANCE FORMS
Whenever  you perform National Insurance functions under the National Insurance Act or Regulations, you must accurately complete the specific National Insurance forms that are designed so that you can give all the information required.

The following are some examples of documents you may use as alternative evidence of nomination.

  • Death Certificate of deceased insured person
  • Medical Certificate for mentally or physically disabled child
  • Medical Certificate for pregnant spouse, certifying pregnancy and expected date of confinement.
  • N.I. Registration Card of deceased
  • Birth Certificates of Widow and Eligible Children
  • For Legally Married Persons a Marriage Certificate
  • For Common Law (Nominated)
  • Nomination Form
  • Decree Absolute or relevant Death Certificate where one or both of the parties was/were previously married
  • For Common-Law Situations (Not Nominated)
  • Evidence of marital status of claimant and deceased
  • Evidence of common-law relationship, i.e. evidence of three years of cohabitation up to the time of death
  • Decree Absolute where one or both of the parties was/were previously married
  • For Dependent Parents
  • Evidence of support of dependent parent(s) by the insured person
  • Birth Certificate of the deceased insured person
  • Alternative Evidence of Nomination for Common Law Spouse
  • Original and copy of a valid PICTURE ID of both the claimant and the person submitting the claim on behalf of the claimant (where applicable) is required for acceptance of the claim.

The following are some examples of documents you may use as alternative Evidence of Paternity when the father’s name is not inserted on the Birth Certificate of the child.

  • Marriage Certificate of Parents
  • Birth Certificate of child
  • Paternity Order
  • Adoption Certificate where child is adopted
  • Evidence of pregnancy at date of death of insured father and birth certificate when child was born
  • Statutory Declaration from a relative of the deceased for example the mother
How Much Will Be Paid?

Effective March 4, 2013, increases in survivor’s benefit payments are made in the following categories.

  • Widow Or Widower’s Pension to a surviving spouse will receive a minimum of $600.00 per month.
  • A Child Allowance to a dependent child/step-child, adopted child of the deceased insured person. Effective March 4, 2013, a child will receive a minimum of $600.00 per month.
  • Where both parents were insured persons and are deceased the child will receive no less than $1,200.00 per month.
  • A Dependent Parent Allowance to a parent who was wholly or mainly maintained by the deceased insured will received $600.00.

The rate of survivors benefit paid based on the death of an insured person will be determined by the earnings class of the average of all the contributions paid by the insured person.

This benefit rate is shared between all the survivors in a ratio established in the regulations as follows – 60 % for the surviving spouse (Widow/Widower) and the rest is shared among any dependant children and/or parent. Not withstanding this, a child will receive a minimum of $600.00 per month.

For How Long Will The Benefit Be Paid

A Dependent Parent Allowance to a parent(s) who were wholly or mainly maintained by the deceased insured will be paid for life or until he/she remarries.

The Widow or Widower is paid for life or until remarriage.

The Widower will be paid for life or until he remarries

The dependant child/step-child/adopted child will be paid until age 19.

Children must be legally single.  A stepchild is a child of the surviving spouse who was resident in the home at the time of the death of the insured person and who was wholly or partially maintained by the insured person.

The benefit will also be paid to a child who was in the mother’s womb at the time of the father’s death. You will receive an allowance for that child from the Monday of the date of his or her birth.

The dependant parent will be paid for life or until he or she remarries

Should you remarry while still receiving your payment as the surviving spouse of a deceased insured person you will be paid a Remarriage Grant. You will no longer receive a pension for yourself but you will continue to receive payments for any dependent children who are still eligible for a child allowance.

N/A (Not Applicable)

Frequently Asked Questions

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