Can my attorney for property manage my government benefits like CPP or OAS?

Federal government benefits like the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and Old Age Security (OAS) are administered by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), a federal agency, so a provincial power of attorney for property does not automatically give your attorney the ability to manage them.

To manage CPP or OAS benefits on behalf of an incapable person, the attorney typically needs to contact Service Canada and apply to become a designated representative or trustee for those benefits. Service Canada will accept documentation of the provincial power of attorney as part of the application process, but there may be a separate review and registration step before the attorney is recognized.

For Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) or Ontario Works, which are provincial programs, a valid Ontario power of attorney for property is generally accepted, but the program administrators will still need to be notified and the document verified.

The key takeaway is that federal programs have their own rules that operate alongside provincial law. An attorney who has been granted a power of attorney for property should contact each relevant government program separately to understand what steps are needed to be recognized for that program. A lawyer or social worker familiar with benefits administration can help navigate this process.