Non-Spouse Beneficiary

Your non-spouse beneficiary can be one or more persons, your estate, or an organization (for example, a charity). The choice is up to you.

Want to choose more than one beneficiary?

If you want to name more than one beneficiary – for example, several children – you can do it in one of two ways:

1. You can send HOOPP a signed letter, showing your name, social insurance number, and the people you'd like to name as beneficiaries. Any benefits payable after you and your qualifying spouse (if you have one) have both died will be divided equally (or non-equally, if you specify the percentage of the benefit each should get in your letter) among the surviving beneficiaries you name.
2. You can designate your estate as your beneficiary on a HOOPP Pensioner Beneficiary Designation Form and then designate individual beneficiaries of your HOOPP pension in your will. You can have the benefit divided in whatever way you wish – for instance, 60 per cent to a child and 40 per cent to a sister. You can also specify how you wish your benefit to be divided in the event a beneficiary predeceases you.

Tax rules covering bequests and estates are complex. You may want to seek legal advice, especially if you want to name a minor child as a beneficiary, to ensure your wishes can be carried out.

Spouse is automatically your primary beneficiary

Name someone other than your qualifying spouse as your secondary “non-spouse” beneficiary. (Your spouse at retirement, or a post-retirement spouse for whom you have elected to provide spousal benefits, is automatically first in line for any benefits payable upon your death, unless a waiver has been signed.)

The secondary beneficiary should be the person you want to receive any benefits payable after both you and your qualifying spouse (if you have one) are gone.