Survivors' Benefits October 2010

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Introduction

This booklet is your guide to the benefits payable to you and your children under the Public Service Superannuation Act. Inside are details about your pension payment, annual increases to help offset rises in the cost of living, and other important pension topics. Please read this booklet carefully and retain it with your personal papers. You can record your pension data on the first page of this booklet. From time to time, you will receive information bulletins and notices which will provide you with additional details; they should be kept with this booklet for future reference.

You and your children can turn to the Next Section Public Service Pension Centre (Pension Centre) for help with your questions about public service pension benefits and related matters.

This booklet is a general guide; should there appear to be any discrepancy between it and the relevant legislation, the legislation shall govern.

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Glossary

Average Annual Salary

Total salary received by the plan member during the highest-paid five consecutive years divided by five. Any salary revisions and lump sum payments which apply to periods of service before the best five-year period, are not included. In addition, overtime and certain other allowances are not considered as part of the average salary. Normally the average salary period is the last five years of employment. If the plan member retired before June 17, 1999, the average salary is calculated over a six-year period.

Canada Pension Plan/Quebec Pension Plan

Introduced January 1, 1966, to provide pensions for all Canadian workers and their dependants, including federal public servants who were employed after that date and contributed to either Plan.

Child

A natural child, a stepchild, or an adopted child who was dependent on the plan member for support.

Date of Retirement

The date on which the employee has most recently ceased to be employed, which is normally the day after the last day for which the plan member received salary. If on leave without pay, the retirement date is the date specified by the plan member or the date notification of the retirement from the employing department is received by the Pension Centre, whichever is later. If the plan member died while still employed, the date of retirement for purposes of calculating indexation is considered to be the day after the date of death.

Pension Benefits Division Act

An act to provide for division of the pension benefits of employees in the federal public sector following breakdown of a marriage or common-law relationship, where there is an agreement or court order that provides for the benefit to be divided between the member and the spouse, former spouse or former partner.

Pensionable Service Credit

The total elapsed time from the date the plan member started contributing under the Public Service Superannuation Act until the date of retirement, including any prior service which the plan member purchased and service credited by a transfer from another plan. The pensionable service credit can include periods of free war service but does not include periods of strike, suspension or unauthorized leave. Pensionable service cannot exceed 35 years in combination with other federal public sector service, such as service with the Canadian Forces or the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Public Service Superannuation Act (PSSA)

An act to provide pension benefits to eligible federal public servants and their dependants.

Retirement Compensation Arrangement (RCA)

A plan which provides benefits that exceed the allowable limits for a registered pension plan under the Income Tax Act.

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Your Pension Data

This image describes two different tables:
1) Your Pension Data - From top to bottom of the diagram beginning with: Pension Number; Effective Date of Pension; Monthly Pension Amount and Children's Allowances.
2) Indexation (Cost of Living Pension Increases) - Columns: Year, Percentage and New Pension Monthly Amount.