Question Period Note: VETERANS SURVIVORS FUND

• Veterans’ spouses and common-law partners play a crucial role in caring for Veterans. The Government of Canada is committed to ensuring that those who served, and their survivors, have the support they need.
• In 2022, the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs undertook a study to review restrictions in survivor pension benefits, commonly referred to as “Marriage after 60” provisions.
• Veterans Affairs Canada has worked with Statistics Canada and the Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research to learn about these survivors. The Department used the findings of this research to better understand how to support these survivors.

It has been a long standing concern that spouses who marry Veterans after the Veteran turns 60 are not entitled to automatic survivor pensions under the Canadian Forces Superannuation Act (CFSA).
• Budget 2019 committed to help survivors who entered into relationships with Veterans on or after the Veteran’s 60th birthday with the financial support they need.
• If the CFSA recognized these surviving spouses, then survivors would not only receive pension benefits, but would also be entitled to coverage under the Public Service Health Care Plan and Pensioners Dental Care Plan.
• The responsibility for the CFSA lies with the Minister of National Defence.
• After age 60, Veterans can apply for the Optional Survivor Benefit to obtain coverage for a new spouse who is otherwise ineligible. Under this arrangement, the Veteran opts to reduce their CAF superannuation pension payments (by 30% to 50%) in exchange for providing a future survivor pension to the new spouse, payable only if the Veteran passes away before their spouse.
In 2022, the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs (ACVA) undertook a study to review restrictions in survivor pension benefits, including those in the CFSA and other related pension schemes. The study focused on the financial concerns of these survivors as well as possible impacts that the Veterans Survivors Fund may have. This report was presented to the House on December 14, 2022.
• This report included two recommendations on the Veterans Survivors Fund:
Recommendation #6: That Veterans Affairs Canada use the research and data provided by Statistics Canada and the Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research to identify survivors and immediately distribute the $150 million Veterans Survivors Fund, focusing on those most in financial need, and publicly provide the formula and calculations for the funding allotment.
Recommendation #8: That the Minister of Veteran Affairs work with the RCMP and the RCMP Veterans Association to ensure survivors of RCMP Veterans will receive an equitable portion of the Veterans Survivors Fund.
• A Government Response was tabled on March 30, 2023, for recommendations #6 and #8:
Recommendation #6: VAC is currently using the research and data provided by Statistics Canada and the Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research to determine how best to support these survivors, including those who are most in financial need. Once this direction is confirmed, VAC will provide an update on the Veterans Survivors Fund.
Recommendation #8: VAC will work closely with the RCMP to explore options to possibly include the survivors of former RCMP members as eligible recipients under the Veterans Survivors Fund.
In November 2025, Bill C-256, a Private Member’s Bill was introduced to amend the Canadian Forces Superannuation Act, Judges Act, Members of Parliament Retiring Allowances Act, Public Service Superannuation Act, Royal Canadian Mounted Police Superannuation Act, Pension Bene¬fits Standards Act, 1985, and Pooled Registered Pension Plans Act to allow survivors to receive pension benefits even if the relationship began after the contributor turned 60 or retired. This bill will not be eligible for debate in the House until mid-2026, if selected.

QUICK FACTS & FIGURES
Veterans Survivors Fund
• $150 million committed over five years in Budget 2019 to establish a Fund to “better support Veterans who married over the age of 60 and their spouses.”
Research into Size/Characteristics of Survivor Population
• Research by Statistics Canada received by VAC in 2021 showed:
o As of 2018, there were an estimated 4,490 persons who:
 had married or entered into a common-law relationship with a Veteran
 and where the relationship began on or after the Veteran’s 60th birthday
 and where the Veteran was in receipt of a CFSA pension
 and where the Veteran had since passed away.
o Of the 4,490 living survivors:
 Virtually all were female,
 Most (90%) were aged 70 or older,
 Overall, their incomes were higher than other similarly aged Canadian females (i.e., median income of $34,900 -vs- $25,600).