When calculating the surviving spouse’s pension, the earnings-based pensions of the surviving spouse and the deceased are compared. This is referred to as reducing the surviving spouse’s pension.

The comparison is made immediately after the death of the deceased if the surviving spouse is more than 65 years old at the time of the death or receives an earnings-based pension. For a surviving spouse who is less than 65 years old and who is not on a pension, the surviving spouse’s pension is reduced 6 months after the death of the deceased spouse. If there are children in the family, the surviving spouse’s pension is reviewed only when the youngest beneficiary child in the family reaches 18 years of age.

Click here to read more about surviving spouse’s income when reducing the surviving spouse’s pension.