Apply for a child under age 18

Child of a disabled contributor:

• complete the Application for Benefits for Under Age 18 Children of a Canada Pension Plan Disabled Contributor (ISP1152), or
• complete section F of the Application for Canada Pension Plan Disability Benefits (ISP1151)
• include copies of the required documentation, and
• mail the form to us or drop it off at a Service Canada office

Child of a deceased contributor:

• complete the Application for a Canada Pension Plan Survivor's Pension and Child(ren)'s Benefits (ISP1300)
• include copies of the required documentation, and
• mail the form to us or drop it off at a Service Canada office

Note: Photocopies of documents will be accepted when proof is required. Service Canada may request an original or certified copy at any time.

Apply for a child aged 18 to 25 in full-time or part-time attendance at a recognized school or university

Students aged 18 to 25 who are applying for children's benefit are required to have the Declaration of Attendance at School or University signed by the registrar at the educational institution they are attending or provide proof of enrollment. If the student is no longer in school or their enrollment status changes, they are required to notify us.

Note: Effective January 1, 2025, if you, or anyone else, were receiving Disabled Contributor’s Children’s Benefits, those benefits may continue after the contributor reaches age 65.

Declaration of attendance at school or university

You should have received a Canada Pension Plan Child’s Benefit Application and Declaration for a Student Over 18 years of Age in Attendance at School or University. You are required to complete this document and provide proof of enrolment.

We will accept the following as proof of enrolment:

• an official proof of enrolment document from your on-line student account, or
• an electronic attestation from a school official, such as an email, confirming that you are in full-time or part-time attendance

The attestation must be a written statement or declaration that includes:

• your name
• your student ID
• your program of study
• information about your school (name and address)
• start and end dates for the semester, term or school year, and
• enrolment status for the semester, term or school year (full-time or part-time)

If you are a full-time student and applying for the first time, there are 2 ways to apply:

• online using My Service Canada Account (MSCA) or
• using a paper application

If you are a part-time student and applying for the first time, you must apply using the paper application.

Apply online

• Sign in to your My Service Canada Account (MSCA) and complete the online Canada Pension Plan Children’s Benefit application
• Upload your signed Declaration of Attendance at School or University or a proof of enrolment

Apply using a paper application

• Complete the Canada Pension Plan Child’s Benefit Application and Declaration for a student over 18 years of age in Attendance at School or University (ISP1402)
• Include copies of the required documentation, and
• Mail the forms to us or drop them off at a Service Canada office

If you are a dependent child aged 18 to 25, and in full-time or part-time attendance at a school or university, you should apply for the children's benefit yourself.

Renewing benefits for a child aged 18 to 25 who is attending a recognized school or university

School attendance for child aged 18 to 25

If you are age 18 to 25, you must be attending school full-time or part-time at a recognized educational institution in order to receive a children's benefit.

Vacation

The children's benefit is paid during normal school vacations, but will stop if the child has not sent us a signed school attendance form when the child returns to school following vacation.

You must complete the declaration form when you first apply for the benefit, at the beginning of every school year, and when you return to school after taking a break from your studies.

We may also ask you to renew your benefits at the beginning of each semester if you are:

• on a semester system
• if your attendance starts in the middle of the traditional school year

The Canada Pension Plan Child’s Benefit Application and Declaration for a student over 18 years of age in Attendance at School or University (ISP1402) must be completed each year or semester and signed by both the child and a school official.

If the child leaves school and then later returns to school full time or part-time, the child must complete a new Canada Pension Plan Child’s Benefit Application and Declaration for a student over 18 years of age in Attendance at School or University (ISP1402).

Your first payment

Children of disabled CPP contributors:

• the month the contributor's disability benefit starts
• the month after the child is born or becomes the contributor's child, or
• 12 months before the application was received, including the month it was received

Children of deceased CPP contributors:

• the month after the contributor's death
• the month after the child is born or becomes the contributor's child, or
• 12 months before the application was received, including the month it was received

Who receives the payment

Children of disabled CPP contributors:

The benefit is paid on behalf of the child to the disabled contributor, if:

• the disabled contributor lives with and has decision-making responsibility of the child
• the child lives with the disabled contributor; and
• the child is under age 18

If the child lives apart from the disabled contributor, the person or agency that has decision making responsibility and care of the child may receive the disabled contributor’s child benefit on behalf of the child.

Children of deceased CPP contributors:

The benefit is paid on behalf of the child to the person or agency that lives with and has care of the child. However, in some cases, a children's benefit can be paid directly to children under age 18 who have applied and are capable of managing their own affairs.

Children aged 18 to 25 in full-time attendance at a recognized school or university:

The benefit is paid directly to the child.

When the benefit could stop

The benefit will stop:

• the month after the child turns 18, or, if between the ages of 18 to 25, is no longer in full-time or part-time attendance at a school or university
• the month after the child turns 25
• the month after a child is no longer living with or in the care  of the parent or guardian receiving a disability benefit
• the month after the child dies

If your situation changes

You must notify Service Canada if:

• you stop attending school (for children 18 to 25 years old)
• your enrollment status changes (for children 18 to 25 years old)
• your relationship to the contributor ends or changes
• your decision-making responsibility and parenting time a dependent child starts, changes, or ends, and/or
• you change your name, address or bank account for direct deposit.

Remember, if you receive payments you are not entitled to, you will have to pay them back.

When a child reaches 18

Children are eligible for benefits from age 18 until age 25, as long as they remain in full-time or part-time attendance at a school or university.

Please refer to the section on how to apply for a child aged 18 to 25 in full-time or part-time attendance at a recognized school or university.

When a child works in the summer

Eligibility for the children's benefit is not affected by working in the summer.

When a child gets married

Benefits are not affected if the child marries, as long as all eligibility requirements continue to be met.

Converting a disabled contributor's child's benefit into a surviving child's benefit

Your eligibility for the disabled contributor's children's benefit would end the month of your parent's death. However, you could then be eligible for the children's benefit as the child of a deceased CPP contributor.

If you are aged 18 to 25 and receiving the benefit, we convert it to a surviving child's benefit automatically when we are notified of the contributor's death. However, an application for the surviving child's benefit must be made for children under the age of 18.

Absences from school

You must notify Service Canada should you interrupt, terminate or reduce your attendance at school or university. Please notify Service Canada when you have any absences to determine what may be required to continue receiving your benefits.

For extended absence periods, you will require an illness certificate (ISP-1403).

Circumstances where absences would require an illness certificate