Death before retirement

The Plan can help to provide your survivors with financial protection upon your death. If you die before your pension starts, a benefit will be paid to your spouse, dependent children, named beneficiary or estate (as applicable), depending on your years of continuous service and your marital status at the date of your death. Here’s how it works.

If you die before retirement having less than 10 years of continuous service, but more than 2 years of Plan membership:

• Your spouse or common-law partner will receive the commuted value of your lifetime pension earned up to your date of death. This benefit will be paid as a lump sum.
• If you do not have a spouse or common-law partner, this benefit will be paid to your named beneficiary. If you fail to name a beneficiary, or your beneficiary dies before you do, the benefit will be paid to your estate.

If you die before retirement having 10 or more years of continuous service:

• Your spouse or common-law partner (as applicable) as of your date of death will receive a lifetime pension equal to 66 2/3% of the lifetime pension you earned up to your date of death.
• Each eligible dependent child (to a maximum of three) will receive 10% (20% if both parents are deceased) of your earned lifetime pension for as long as they satisfy the Plan’s definition of dependent child. (If there are more than three dependent children, the maximum total payment of 30% – maximum 60% if both parents are deceased – will be divided equally among them.)
• If you do not have a spouse, common-law partner, or eligible dependent children at your date of death, the commuted value of your lifetime pension earned up to your date of death will be paid as a lump-sum payment to your named beneficiary. If you did not name a beneficiary or your beneficiary dies before you do, this benefit will be paid to your estate.

If you die having fewer than two years of Plan membership, the required contributions that you made to the Plan, plus interest, will be paid to your spouse, common-law partner, named beneficiary or estate (as applicable).

This information is intended as a general explanation only. It is not intended as legal advice or a specific legal interpretation of a member’s individual circumstances. This information is based on current requirements of Nova Scotia pension law. Those requirements are subject to change. Members should seek specific legal advice on their personal situations.

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