Becoming a parent—Reservists in the Reserve Force Pension Plan
You may want to know
As a participant in the Reserve Force Pension Plan, what do I need to do if I become a parent while serving in the Canadian Armed Forces?
If you become a parent, please provide a copy of your child(ren)'s birth certificate(s), adoption papers, or evidence of guardianship to the Government of Canada Pension Centre. This will allow faster processing of any benefits that may become payable.
What benefits do my children receive if I die while serving?
Each of your children, to a maximum of two, receives a pension equal to 25% of the pension payable to your survivor. For children under the age of 18, this pension is paid to the survivor or legal guardian on behalf of the children. Children age 18 or older have the pension paid directly to them if they are attending school on a full-time basis until the age of 25. Your children receive a pension as long as they meet the definition of "child":
Your child(ren) include an adopted child(ren) or stepchild(ren), born before you reached age 60 or stopped being a member of the plan, whichever happens later, and who is/are:
- younger than age 18 or
- between ages 18 and 25, and in full-time attendance at a school, college, university or other educational institution that provides training or instruction of an educational, professional, vocational or technical nature
If you have more than two children when you die, the pensions for two children will be divided equally among all the children.
If there is no survivor pension payable at your death or when your survivor dies, the child pension is increased from 25% to 50% of the survivor amount for each child, to a maximum of three. If you have more than three children when you die, the value of the benefits for three children would be divided equally among all the children.