Fill Out Form ISP-1200 Online
Application for a Canada Pension Plan Death Benefit
Employment and Social Development Canada
Applies for the one-time Canada Pension Plan death benefit payable to a deceased contributor's estate.
Reviewed July 2026
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Form ISP-1200 is the application for the Canada Pension Plan death benefit, a one-time lump-sum payment made after the death of a person who contributed to the CPP. The 12-page kit includes an information sheet and the application itself, and it is usually completed by the executor or administrator of the deceased person's estate. The current payment amount is listed on canada.ca.
You can fill out ISP-1200 in the Universal PDF editor. Enter the deceased contributor's details and your own on screen, then download the completed PDF to print, sign, and mail to Service Canada with the requested documents.
What is Form ISP-1200 used for
The CPP death benefit is a single payment to or on behalf of the estate of a deceased CPP contributor who made enough contributions during their lifetime. ISP-1200 collects the deceased person's identity and contribution information, the applicant's details, and the documents Service Canada needs, such as proof of death.
The death benefit is separate from the monthly survivor's pension and children's benefits, which have their own application, Form ISP-1300. Families dealing with a death often submit both forms around the same time.
Who applies with Form ISP-1200
If the deceased person left an estate, the executor named in the will or the court-appointed administrator should apply, and the benefit is paid to the estate. Applying soon after the death keeps the estate's priority to the payment.
If there is no estate or the estate's representative has not applied within the period described on canada.ca, other people may apply in a set order of priority: generally the person or institution that paid the funeral expenses, then the surviving spouse or common-law partner, then the next of kin.
How to fill out Form ISP-1200
Read the information sheet in the kit first, then complete the application:
- Provide the deceased contributor's Social Insurance Number, full name, dates of birth and death, and last address.
- Answer the questions about the deceased person's contributions, including any work in Quebec under the QPP or work in other countries.
- Identify yourself as the applicant and state your relationship to the deceased, for example executor, funeral payer, or surviving spouse.
- Indicate who should receive the payment, the estate or an eligible individual.
- Attach the documents the form asks for, such as proof of death and, for executors, evidence of your authority.
- Sign and date the declaration.
How to submit it
Mail the signed application and supporting documents to the Service Canada office for the province or territory where the deceased person lived, using the addresses in the kit and on canada.ca, or deliver it to a Service Canada office. If the deceased contributed only to the Quebec Pension Plan, the death benefit is claimed from Retraite Quebec instead.
Apply as soon as practical after the death. Service Canada can tell you what proof of death it accepts, and funeral homes often provide suitable documents.
Frequently asked questions
It is a one-time flat-rate payment set by the CPP legislation. Check the current amount on canada.ca, since figures change over time.
The estate, when one exists and the executor applies. If there is no estate or no application from it within the timeframe described on canada.ca, payment can go to the funeral payer, the surviving spouse or common-law partner, or the next of kin, in that order.
Yes. When paid to the estate it is reported on the estate's return, and when paid to an individual it is generally taxable in that person's hands. The Canada Revenue Agency explains the reporting rules.
No. The death benefit is a single lump sum. The monthly survivor's pension and benefits for dependent children are applied for separately with Form ISP-1300.
Proof of death is required, and executors should include evidence of their authority, such as the relevant page of the will. The kit's information sheet lists what to send and when certified copies are acceptable.
Related forms
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