Death Benefit (CARRA)

Responsibility: Commission administrative des régimes de retraite et d'assurances (CARRA)

The Commission administrative des régimes de retraite et d'assurances (CARRA) administers the plans of the employees of the public and parapublic sectors of the Government of Quebec.

Upon the death of a retiree or member, the surviving spouse and dependent children or heirs may, depending on the plan, be granted a pension, a refund of contributions or payment of the value of the pension.

Upon the death of a retiree or a member of one of the plans administered by the Commission administrative des régimes de retraite et d'assurances (CARRA), the surviving spouse, the surviving spouse and dependent children or the heirs may, depending on the plan, be granted a pension, a refund of contributions or payment of the value of the pension.

LIFE INSURANCE

Generally, public and parapublic sector employees are eligible for basic life insurance coverage. This coverage is included in most collective agreements.

The amount of this benefit is equal to $6,400. However, this amount may vary depending on the employee's working conditions.

When an eligible employee dies, CARRA pays the life insurance benefit to the employee's heirs.

RREGOP AND RRPE

The benefit payable in the event of death varies depending on whether or not the member is eligible for a pension at the time of death or is a retiree.

CONDITIONS

Member not eligible for a pension

If the member dies with less than 2 years of credited service for pension eligibility, the surviving spouse or, if there is no surviving spouse, the heirs of the member will, upon request, receive a full refund of the member's contributions to the pension plan, with accrued interest.

If the member dies with more than 2 years of credited service for retirement eligibility, the surviving spouse or, if there is no surviving spouse, the surviving heirs of the member shall receive upon request the greater of the following 2 amounts:

The value of the deferred annuity and the additional lifetime annuity, if any;
OR
The total of the member's contributions to the pension plan, plus accrued interest.

Member eligible for a pension

If a member dies while eligible to receive a pension but has not yet retired, the surviving spouse is entitled to receive for life 50% (60% if the member has made this election) of the coordinated pension and additional lifetime pension that would have been paid to the member if he or she had retired on the date of death. The QPP coordination will apply to the pension as of the month following the member's death. If the value of the pension is less than the total contributions with interest, the amount of the pension will be increased accordingly.

If the member does not have a surviving spouse, the heirs are entitled to a refund of the member's contributions to his or her pension plan, plus accrued interest.

Annuity Provider
In the event of a retiree's death, the surviving spouse is entitled to receive during his or her lifetime 50% (60% if the retiree has made this election) of the coordinated pension that was being paid to the retiree, including the additional lifetime pension, if any.

If the retiree does not have a surviving spouse, the retiree's heirs are entitled to the total contributions less the amounts already paid as a pension.

TPP AND SRP

Member or retiree with spouse (and with or without children)

The surviving spouse is entitled to receive, for life, a percentage of the unreduced pension the member would have received had he or she retired, or of the reduced or unreduced pension the retiree was receiving. In the case of the death of a TPP member or retiree, this percentage is equal to 50% of the coordinated pension, and in the case of the SRP, this percentage is equal to 60%.

Each dependent child is entitled to receive 10% of the coordinated pension that would have been received by the member or that was paid to the retiree. However, the total amount paid to the children cannot exceed 40% of this pension. If there are more than four children, the total amount is divided equally among them. The orphan's pension granted to a child under 18 years of age is paid to the person who is responsible for the child.

Member or retiree without a spouse, but with children

If the member or retiree does not have a surviving spouse, or if the surviving spouse is not entitled to any benefits because of, for example, a prior division, each dependent child is entitled to 20% of the coordinated pension that would have been received by the member or was being paid to the retiree. However, the total amount paid to the children cannot exceed 80% of that pension. If there are more than four dependent children, the total amount is divided equally among them. The orphan's pension for a child under age 18 is paid to the child's primary caregiver.

Member or retiree without a spouse or children

In the event of the death of a member who has no surviving spouse or whose spouse is not entitled to any benefits due to, for example, a previous division, and who has no dependent children, the heirs are entitled to a full refund of the contributions to his credit, without interest.

However, upon the death of a retiree, the member's heirs are entitled to the full amount of the contributions less the amounts already paid as a pension.

ECP

If a member dies while not eligible for an immediate annuity, the surviving spouse and children or, if not eligible, the member's heirs will receive the following benefits upon application:

Spouse and children's pension

For years of participation in the RREGOP and the PPCT, the surviving spouse is entitled to a full refund of contributions to the member's credit, with interest.

For years of membership in the TPP, the surviving spouse is entitled to receive, until his or her death, a pension equal to 50% of the coordinated pension that the member had acquired under this plan. For years of membership in the SRP, the pension payable to the surviving spouse is equal to 60% of the coordinated pension the member had earned under that plan, provided the member was a member after December 31, 1990.

Each dependent child is entitled to receive 10% of the member's coordinated pension earned under the transferred years. However, the total amount paid to the children cannot exceed 40% of this pension. If there are more than four children, the total amount is shared equally among them. The pension granted to a child under the age of 18 is paid to the person who is responsible for the child.

If the member does not have a spouse or if the spouse is not entitled to any benefits because of, for example, a previous division, each dependent child is entitled to 20% of the coordinated pension that the member would have received under the transferred years. However, the total amount paid to the Children cannot exceed 80% of that pension. If there are more than four children, the total amount is shared equally among them. The pension granted to a child under 18 years of age is paid to the person responsible for the child.

Reimbursement to Heirs
If the member does not have a surviving spouse or if the spouse is not entitled to any benefits because of, for example, a previous division, or if there are no dependent children, his or her heirs will receive a full refund of the contributions to his or her credit, with interest for the years of participation in the RREGOP and the PPCT, and without interest for the years of participation in the TPP or CSSP.

Member eligible for an annuity
If the member dies while eligible for an immediate annuity, his or her surviving spouse is entitled to receive, until his or her death, 50% of the coordinated annuity that would have been paid to the member if he or she had retired on the date of death.

If the member does not have a surviving spouse or if the surviving spouse is not entitled to any benefits, the heirs are entitled to a refund of the contributions credited to the member, with interest for the years of participation in the RREGOP and the PPCT and without interest for the years of participation in the TPP and the CSSP.

Retiree
In the event of the death of a retiree, the surviving spouse is entitled to receive, until his or her death, 50% of the coordinated pension that was paid to the retiree.

If the retiree does not have a surviving spouse, or if the surviving spouse is not entitled to any benefits due to, for example, a previous division, the heirs of the retiree are entitled to the total of the Contributions less the amounts already paid as a pension.

< Return to the Previous Page