How to Apply for CPP Credit Splitting After Divorce or Separation in Canada

What is CPP credit splitting?

Canada Pension Plan credit splitting, formally called the Division of Unadjusted Pensionable Earnings, divides eligible CPP pensionable earnings accumulated while a couple lived together.

The eligible pensionable earnings of both people for the applicable period are combined and divided equally. This can be done even if one spouse or common-law partner did not contribute to the CPP during part of the relationship.

The split changes each person's CPP record of earnings and can increase or decrease current or future CPP benefits. The division is permanent.

Who can request a CPP credit split?

Either you or your former spouse or common-law partner can request the split. In qualifying circumstances, a representative such as a lawyer may act on a person's behalf in person, by mail or by phone, although a representative cannot make the online request through the client's MSCA account.

You can still request a credit split if you have remarried or started a new common-law relationship.

CPP credit splitting after a divorce or annulment from 1987 onward

If the marriage ended in divorce or annulment on or after January 1, 1987, you may qualify when:

• you and your former spouse lived together for at least 12 consecutive months; and
• you or your former spouse provides Service Canada with the necessary information.

For these divorces and annulments, Service Canada states that there is no time limit to notify it and provide the required information.

If you are still working through the legal end of the marriage itself, that is a separate family-law process. Helpydo has a guide to applying for a divorce in Canada after separation.

CPP credit splitting while you are separated but still married

If you remain legally married and the separation began on or after January 1, 1987, you may qualify if:

• you lived together for at least 12 consecutive months;
• you have been living apart for at least 12 consecutive months; and
• either spouse submits the request and necessary documents.

There is normally no time limit while both spouses are alive. If the other spouse dies, Service Canada states that the request must generally be made within 36 months after the date of death.

A 2025 rule can affect the CPP survivor's pension

There is an important consequence for people who remain legally married but separated. Service Canada states that a separated legal spouse is not eligible for a CPP survivor's pension from the same deceased contributor when a CPP credit split with that person was received and approved in January 2025 or later.

An exception may apply if the spouses reunited and lived together for at least 12 months immediately before the contributor's death.

This rule can be financially significant, so a separated person who is considering credit splitting should understand how it interacts with potential survivor benefits.

Rules for former common-law partners

If a common-law union ended on or after January 1, 1987, you may qualify when:

• you lived together for at least 12 consecutive months;
• you have been living apart for at least 12 consecutive months, subject to the rule where the former partner dies during that period; and
• you or your former common-law partner requests the split within 48 months after the date you began living apart.

The 48-month limit may be waived if the former common-law partner is still alive and agrees in writing to waive it.

Common-law unions were not recognized for CPP credit splitting before January 1, 1987.

What if the divorce happened before 1987?

Different rules apply to older divorces and annulments.

For a divorce or annulment between January 1, 1978 and December 31, 1986, Service Canada states that you may qualify if:

• you lived with your spouse for at least 36 consecutive months;
• the divorce or annulment was recognized by Canadian law; and
• you or your former spouse applied in writing with the necessary documents within 36 months after the marriage ended.

If that 36-month deadline was missed, the credits can be divided only if the former spouse is still alive and agrees in writing to waive the deadline.

A marriage ending before January 1, 1978 does not qualify because the CPP credit-splitting provision did not exist before that date.

Which years cannot be included in a credit split?

Not every year during a relationship is necessarily eligible. Service Canada states that a split is not permitted for certain periods, including:

• a year when the couple's combined pensionable earnings were not more than twice the Year's Basic Exemption;
• periods before either person reached age 18;
• periods after either person reached age 70;
• periods when either person was receiving a CPP or Quebec Pension Plan retirement pension; and
• periods when either person was considered disabled for CPP or QPP disability-benefit purposes.

The last calendar year in which the couple lived together is also excluded when Service Canada calculates the split.

How are CPP credits divided?

For each eligible period, the CPP pensionable earnings credited to both partners are combined and divided equally. The resulting amounts replace the affected earnings on each person's CPP record.

This does not mean that one person's pension will necessarily rise by exactly the same amount that the other's falls. CPP benefit calculations also use other rules, including drop-out provisions and the child-rearing provisions.

If years spent caring for children affected your CPP earnings, the separate CPP child-rearing provisions may also be relevant to the eventual benefit calculation.

Can a separation agreement stop a CPP credit split?

Generally, a private spousal agreement does not prevent CPP credit splitting. The Canada Pension Plan specifically limits when an agreement or court order can bind the Minister.

Service Canada identifies exceptions, including certain agreements entered into before June 4, 1986 and agreements in Quebec, Saskatchewan, British Columbia and Alberta where provincial legislation allows couples to agree not to split CPP pension credits.

If your agreement contains a CPP waiver, do not assume that it is either valid or invalid without checking the rules that apply to the province and date of the agreement.

What documents do you need?

The supporting evidence depends on the relationship and how it ended. The current ISP1901 application kit identifies information or documents that can include:

• your Social Insurance Number;
• the date of marriage;
• proof of marriage where required;
• the date the marriage ended and the applicable divorce, annulment or separation documentation;
• the dates a common-law union began and ended;
• a statutory declaration where Service Canada requires one to establish marriage, separation or a common-law union;
• details of periods when you did not live together; and
• a copy of a written agreement or court order dealing with pension-credit division, when applicable.

If Service Canada already has a required document through the CPP or Old Age Security program, the application information sheet states that you do not need to provide it again.

Do the documents have to be originals?

Service Canada's current CPP credit-splitting page states that when supporting documents are requested, copies are acceptable. However, Service Canada reserves the right to ask for an original or certified copy at any time.

The ISP1901 information sheet also advises applicants to send photocopies instead of original documents where possible to avoid originals being lost in the mail.

When mailing documents, indicate your SIN on each document, except on originals.

How to apply online through My Service Canada Account

You can start a CPP credit-splitting request online through My Service Canada Account (MSCA).

1. Sign in to MSCA.
2. Complete the online CPP Credit Split form.
3. Follow the instructions for the documents required for your circumstances.
4. Mail copies of the required supporting documents to Service Canada.

The process is therefore online-enabled, but it is not necessarily paperless because Service Canada currently instructs online applicants to mail the required supporting documents.

How to apply by mail with Form ISP1901

If you prefer the paper route, use Form ISP1901.

1. Download and complete the Canada Pension Plan Credit Split form.
2. Include copies of the documents required for your circumstances.
3. Put your Social Insurance Number on the documents you send, except originals.
4. Mail the application and documentation using the Service Canada instructions supplied with the form.

The ISP1901 kit includes both the application and the information sheet explaining the relationship and document questions.

Does your former spouse have to agree?

Either person can request a qualifying credit split. In most modern divorce and separation cases, you do not need the former partner's agreement simply to submit the request.

However, consent can matter for specific deadline waivers, including certain older divorces and a former common-law request made after the normal 48-month period.

Service Canada also provides relevant information from the application, such as the claimed period of cohabitation, to the other person. Both parties have the right to challenge the information and appeal decisions about the division.

Can you apply after remarrying?

Yes. Service Canada explicitly states that you can request CPP credit splitting with a former spouse or common-law partner even if you have remarried or are now living in another common-law relationship.

The new relationship does not erase eligible CPP credits from the earlier period of cohabitation.

What if one or both of you worked in Quebec?

If both people contributed only to the Quebec Pension Plan (QPP) and neither ever worked outside Quebec, Service Canada directs applicants to Retraite Québec for the QPP credit-splitting rules.

If either person contributed to both CPP and QPP, the situation is more complex because both sets of legislation may need to be considered. If you live outside Quebec, Service Canada advises contacting the CPP for guidance. If you live in Quebec and want a credit split, contact Retraite Québec.

How long does CPP credit splitting take?

Service Canada does not publish a specific current processing-time standard for CPP credit-splitting applications on its current procedure page.

After receiving the request and supporting documents, Service Canada reviews the information and contacts you if additional information is required. Both parties receive a decision letter after the review is completed.

Because Service Canada must consider the cohabitation period and provide relevant information to the other party, processing can depend on the facts and documentation in the individual case.

Can credit splitting increase or reduce your CPP pension?

Yes. A credit split changes both people's CPP records permanently and can affect the amount of current or future CPP benefits.

The effect may be substantial when one person had much higher pensionable earnings during the relationship, but in some cases it may be small because CPP calculations include provisions that exclude or protect certain low-earning periods.

Do not assume that credit splitting automatically increases the applicant's pension. It changes the pensionable earnings records of both people according to the CPP rules.

What happens after you apply?

Service Canada reviews the application and supporting documents and contacts you if more information is needed. The other spouse or former partner is informed of relevant information used to determine the division.

Once the review is complete, Service Canada sends a decision letter to both parties. When a split is carried out, the affected pensionable earnings on each person's CPP record are permanently adjusted.

What if you disagree with the decision?

A CPP credit-splitting decision can be reconsidered. Service Canada's current reconsideration procedure states that you must normally ask for reconsideration within 90 days after receiving the decision letter.

A Service Canada employee who did not make the original decision reviews the matter. The reconsideration process is separate from the initial credit-splitting request.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Confusing CPP credit splitting with pension sharing between spouses who are still together.
• Assuming you must already be receiving a CPP retirement pension before credits can be divided.
• Waiting more than 48 months after a common-law separation without checking whether a waiver is possible.
• Trying to apply immediately after a marital separation before the required 12 months of living apart have elapsed.
• Giving Service Canada incomplete or inconsistent dates for cohabitation and separation.
• Assuming a separation agreement always blocks credit splitting.
• Ignoring the survivor-pension consequences that can apply to legally separated spouses whose credit split was received and approved in January 2025 or later.
• Forgetting that an online MSCA request still requires required supporting documents to be mailed under the current instructions.
• Assuming the split can later be reversed simply because the parties reconcile or regret the financial effect.