Financial crunch isn’t Ottawa’s fault

RE: Widow challenges feds over CPP survivor benefits (May 1)

It is certainly a tragedy to lose one’s spouse at such an early age. The inability to collect CPP death benefits is unfortunate but ultimately this widow’s financial situation is the result of the couple’s decision not to purchase life insurance on themselves, especially in a circumstance where they had a home mortgage. The maximum death benefit on CPP as a lump-sum payment is only $2,500 and a survivor pension had she been over 35 would only amount to a couple hundred dollars per month at most as it is based on years of contributions and is reduced for every month the deceased would be short of age 65 as per Government of Canada website. David Nicholson, Hamilton