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The Allowance and the Allowance for the Survivor
Qualifying for the Allowance or the Allowance for the survivor
You may qualify for the Allowance if you have a low income and your spouse or common-law partner receives or is eligible for the Guaranteed Income Supplement.
You may qualify for the Allowance for the survivor if your spouse or common-law partner has died. (In the case of same-sex couples, you may qualify for the Allowance for the survivor if your partner died on or after January 1, 1998.)
In addition, to qualify for the Allowance or the Allowance for the survivor, you must:
- be 60 to 64 years old;
- be a Canadian citizen or legal resident when your benefit is approved (or have been one when you last lived in Canada); and
- have lived in Canada for at least 10 years after turning 18.
To receive the Allowance, you must not be divorced or voluntarily separated from your spouse or common-law partner for more than three months.
If you have not lived in Canada for at least 10 years since you turned 18, but have lived or worked in a country that has an international social security agreement with Canada, you may still qualify. Call us for more information.
Can I qualify if I applied before and was turned down?
If you have previously applied for the Allowance or the Allowance for the survivor (formerly the Spouse's Allowance and the Widowed Spouse's Allowance) but did not qualify, you can apply again. Your circumstances or income may have changed and you may qualify now.
Also, since July 1, 2000, changes to the legislation have made same-sex common-law partners eligible for the Allowance.
If you think you may now be eligible, contact us.
