Child and Guardian Benefits After a Parent Dies in New Brunswick

When a parent dies in New Brunswick, the financial support available to their children often goes unclaimed — not because families are ineligible, but because no one tells them it exists or explains how to apply. There are at least three separate benefit streams for dependent children, each from a different source with its own eligibility rules and forms.

Here is what children and their guardians are owed after a parent's death in New Brunswick, and how to claim it.

CPP Children's Benefit

The most widely available benefit for dependent children is the CPP Children's Benefit, paid through Service Canada using Form ISP1400.

Amount: $307.81 per month per eligible child in 2026.

Eligibility:

• The deceased parent contributed to the Canada Pension Plan
• The child is under 18, or under 25 and attending an approved educational institution full-time
• The child is in the care of the surviving parent or legal guardian

The benefit is paid directly to the surviving parent or guardian, not to the child. If the child is in the care of someone other than the surviving parent, that guardian applies.

How to apply: Submit Form ISP1400 to any Service Canada office. You will need:

• The deceased parent's Social Insurance Number
• Death certificate (certified copy, $40 online from SNB Vital Statistics)
• The child's birth certificate
• Proof of the guardian's relationship to the child (for non-parent guardians)
• Proof of full-time enrollment if the child is 18–24

There is no absolute application deadline, but there is a 12-month retroactive payment limit — the same rule that applies to the adult CPP survivor pension. Apply as soon as possible after the death.

WorkSafeNB Benefits for Dependent Children

If the parent died as a result of a workplace injury or occupational disease, WorkSafeNB provides substantial additional monthly payments for dependent children — on top of the CPP Children's Benefit.

Under Policy 21-515 (updated July 1, 2025), WorkSafeNB pays each dependent child:

• 10% of the New Brunswick Industrial Aggregate Earnings (NBIAE) per year, divided monthly, for children under 18
• For children aged 18–25 attending full-time education, the benefit continues at a calculated rate

Based on the 2026 NBIAE of $53,632, this translates to approximately $447/month per child under 18 from WorkSafeNB, in addition to the CPP Children's Benefit.

These payments continue until the child turns 18, or until age 25 if they remain in full-time post-secondary education. Guardians must provide annual proof of school enrollment for children in the 18–25 range.

Contact WorkSafeNB Benefit Payment Services at 1-800-999-9775 to initiate a dependent child claim alongside the surviving spouse claim.

Survivor Benefits When There Is No Surviving Spouse

If both parents die, or if the surviving parent is incapacitated or absent, the picture changes. The guardian claiming benefits on the children's behalf may be a grandparent, sibling, or other family member.

CPP Orphan's Benefit: When both parents are deceased and both were CPP contributors, each orphaned child may qualify for the CPP Orphan's Benefit — also $307.81/month in 2026. This is in addition to (not instead of) the CPP Children's Benefit from the first parent's death. Apply using Form ISP1400 for each parent separately.

WorkSafeNB enhanced rates: In the absence of a surviving spouse, WorkSafeNB may apply higher dependent child benefit rates. Contact WorkSafeNB directly to get the correct calculation for your specific family situation.

When the NB Public Trustee Gets Involved

If a minor child is named as a beneficiary of an estate or life insurance policy — even a relatively small one — New Brunswick law requires that the child's inheritance be managed by an appropriate legal authority. A minor cannot hold property directly.

In most cases, the surviving parent manages the child's inheritance as a de facto trustee. However, if the amounts are substantial, or if no competent parent is available, the Office of the Public Trustee of New Brunswick may need to be appointed to manage the child's funds.

The Public Trustee also has jurisdiction when a child dies intestate with no will and no parent able to administer the estate. Application is made using Form 03 (Application for Adult Services is a misnomer in some contexts; verify the correct form with the Public Trustee's office in Fredericton).

The Public Trustee office is located at 520 King Street, Fredericton. Contact them before making any financial decisions about a minor child's inherited property or beneficiary designation payouts.

Canada Child Benefit After a Parent's Death

The Canada Child Benefit (CCB) is not a survivor benefit in the strict sense, but surviving parents — or new guardians — should notify the CRA immediately after a death if the deceased was the primary applicant for the CCB. The CRA needs to know who is now caring for the children to ensure payments continue without interruption.

The CRA recommends notifying them within 30 days of the death. The surviving parent or new guardian should contact CRA at 1-800-387-1193 or update through My Account online.

Gathering Documents for Child Benefit Applications

Most child benefit applications require the same core documents:

• Birth certificates for each child
• Death certificate of the deceased parent ($40 online from SNB, order at least five copies)
• The deceased parent's Social Insurance Number
• Proof of guardianship (if the applicant is not the surviving parent)
• Proof of school enrollment for children aged 18–24

Get originals, not photocopies, for any paper submissions. Some agencies accept notarized copies; others require originals. SNB death certificates are certified copies suitable for all purposes.

Claiming benefits for dependent children involves navigating at least three different agencies simultaneously — Service Canada, WorkSafeNB, and potentially the CRA and NB Public Trustee. The New Brunswick Survivor Benefits Navigator includes the exact application sequences, form numbers, and agency contacts for all child and guardian benefit claims, alongside the complete adult survivor benefit workflow.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a child receive both the CPP Children's Benefit and WorkSafeNB dependent benefits? Yes. These are separate programs from different governments and are fully stackable. WorkSafeNB does not offset CPP children's benefits.

What happens to the CPP Children's Benefit if the child is adopted after the parent's death? The benefit generally continues if the child remains in the care of the adoptive parent. Notify Service Canada of any change in guardianship to ensure continuity of payments.

Is the CPP Children's Benefit taxable? The benefit is paid to the surviving parent or guardian, and it is included in the child's taxable income — not the guardian's. At typical benefit levels, most children will have no tax owing.

What if the surviving parent remarries — does that affect the children's benefits? For CPP Children's Benefit, remarriage of the surviving parent does not affect the child's entitlement. For WorkSafeNB dependent child benefits, it is advisable to notify WorkSafeNB of any household change that might affect eligibility calculations.

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