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Relationship changes
- Members
- How your plan works
- Relationship changes
Navigating relationship changes
Life changes, and so do your pension needs. Whether you’re choosing survivor benefit options, or dealing with a relationship change such as adding a spouse to your record, or separating from your spouse, UPP is here to help you understand your options in order to make a decision that best suits you and your loved ones.
Eligible spouse
Who qualifies as an eligible spouse?
The eligibility of a spouse’s entitlement to a survivor pension is determined at the time of your pension start date or your passing, whichever comes first.
An eligible spouse is someone who is:
- married to you and is not living separate and apart from you; or
- not married to you, but is living together in a conjugal relationship with you continuously for a period of at least 3 years; or
- not married to you but is living with you in a conjugal relationship of some permanence and together you are the parents of a child as set out under the Children’s Law Reform Act.
Ending a relationship
Any pension you earn while married is considered a shared asset and can be divided between you and your partner to a maximum of 50%, according to the terms of a:
- legal separation or divorce agreement,
- arbitration award, or
- court order.
For information regarding family law valuations and dividing your pension, visit our forms and resources page.
Updating your spousal and beneficiary information
If you are an active or deferred member, you can view and update your spousal and beneficiary information under the profile tab of the myUPP Member Portal.
Alternatively, you can complete a UPP Spousal and Beneficiary Form and return it via secure message through the myUPP Member Portal.
It’s important to keep your spousal and beneficiary information up to date to ensure any applicable survivor benefits are paid according to your wishes. Learn more about UPP’s survivor benefits here.
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