ARCHIVED Spousal and Dependants Benefits Information - Work Procedures for Compensation Advisors

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Effective May 1, 2008, the provision of information related to spousal and dependants benefits including the "Naming or Substitution of a Beneficiary for Supplementary Death Benefit" (PWGSC-TPSGC 2196 ) and requests for obtaining personal documentation, with the exception of death certificates, will be the responsibility of the Public Service Pension Centre (PSPC) located in Shediac, New Brunswick.

Request for Spousal and Dependants Benefits Information

• The service entitled "Spousal and Dependants Benefits Information" is the provision of information to plan members in respect to pension benefits for spouses and dependants and the designation of a beneficiary under the Supplementary Death Benefit (SDB) Plan, including mechanisms for plan members to update their data.
• Compensation advisors receiving a request for spousal and dependants benefits information will provide the plan member with a PSPC Contact Information Sheet and suggest that plan members visit the Pension and Benefits Web portal for general information. The Contact Information Sheet includes the Pension and Benefits Web portal address, the global email address, the toll free number, facsimile and mailing address and will be available on the "Your Public Service Pension and Benefits" Web portal at: Your Public Service Pension and Benefits.
• A center of expertise has been established in Shediac, New Brunswick. This center will be responsible for providing individualized and general information for inquiries received from plan members, regarding spousal and dependants benefits. Spouses and dependants making inquiries will be provided with general information only.
• The PSPC will provide the requested information and promote the use of the Web portal. The center will also provide a support function to help members and non-members navigate through the spousal and dependants information and provide explanations if necessary. General telephone inquiries will be responded to as soon as possible and within a maximum response time of 48 hours.

Death In Service

Until survivor pension benefit entitlements are centralized, in March 2010, the process for death in service will remain unchanged except for the following:

Supplementary Death Benefit Payments

• PWGSC-TPSGC 2014 and
• PWGSC-TPSGC 2223

As the designation of beneficiary information will no longer be available for the compensation advisor to identify the payee of the Supplementary Death Benefit (SDB) Payment, the PWGSC-TPSGC 2014 form has been revised. The determination of payee information has been removed from the form and replaced with the contact information. When completing this form, the compensation advisor will supply a contact name and contact information. The contact name may be the spouse, executor or administrator of the estate or the name of the person who informed you of the death.

The PSPC will be responsible for contacting the beneficiary of the SDB and obtaining the information required for completion of the "Supplementary Death Benefit Plan – Beneficiary Information" claim form (PWGSC-TPSGC 2223).

Determination of Eligible Survivors for a Deceased Contributor with Two or More Years of Pensionable Service (PWGSC-TPSGC 2008-1)

As the compensation advisor will no longer have information about the beneficiary designated for Supplementary Death Benefit (SDB) purposes, the PWGSC- TPSGC 2008-1 form has been changed to request information pertaining to the executor or administrator of the estate or a contact person. It has also been changed to remove the statements in respect to the compensation advisor having to obtain personal documents. The compensation advisor's responsibility in identifying eligible survivors for pension entitlements remains the same.

Determination of Payee for Return of Contributions for a Deceased Contributor with Less than Two Years of Pensionable Service (PWGSC- TPSGC 2008)

The PWGSC- TPSGC 2008 form has been revised to remove the statements in respect to the compensation advisor having to obtain personal documents. The form has also been changed to indicate that the PSPC must be contacted for confirmation of the latest designation of beneficiary should there not be a survivor or dependant on the date of death. The compensation advisor's responsibility in determining the payee for the return of contributions remains the same.

Naming or Substitution of a Beneficiary for Supplementary Death Benefit

• (PWGSC-TPSGC 2196 )

Compensation advisors 1

Compensation advisors receiving a request for information regarding the designation of a beneficiary in accordance with the Supplementary Death Benefit (SDB) Plan will provide the plan member with a PSPC Contact Information Sheet and invite the plan member to visit "Your Public Service Pension and Benefits" Web portal for general information.

Superannuation, Pension Transition and Client Services Sector (SPTCSS)

The PSPC Center of Expertise will provide plan members with individualized Supplementary Death Benefit (SDB) information, with regards to the PWGSC- TPSGC 2196 form, including designation of beneficiary. The center of expertise will also promote the use of the Web portal for general information.

Compensation advisors 2

Compensation advisors are no longer responsible for providing plan members with the "Naming or Substitution of a Beneficiary for Supplementary Death Benefit" form (PWGSC- TPSGC 2196) or for forwarding the form on their behalf. Reference to this responsibility has been removed from the Superannuation Administration Manual (SAM), the Superannuation Procedures Manual – Public Service Corporations (PSC), Virtual Pay checklist and procedures. The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat's standard benefits letters have been amended to provide the plan member with the Pension and Benefits Web site address in order for them to obtain Supplementary Death Benefit designation of beneficiary information and the PWGSC- TPSGC 2196 form.

The existing regulation that permits Deputy Heads to accept the PWGSC-TPSGC 2196 form is still in force. If a member sends a completed PWGSC-TPSGC 2196 to his employing organization instead of the PSPC , the personnel office will date stamp the envelope when it is received. The compensation advisor will return the form to the member with a note advising that the form must be sent to the PSPC. A copy of the note will be placed in the member's file. If the member dies before the PSPC receives the form, the Deputy Head of the employing organization will send a letter to the PSPC indicating the date the form was received and the date it was returned to the member.

Plan members

Plan members should access the Your Public Service Pension and Benefits Web portal to obtain and complete a "Naming or Substitution of a Beneficiary for Supplementary Death Benefit" form (PWGSC-TPSGC 2196). This form has been redesigned and no longer indicates that members must provide a copy to their compensation office. It is also recommended that plan members forward the form directly to the PSPC by express mail.

The PSPC

The PSPC center of expertise will receive and validate the Supplementary Death Benefit (SDB) Plan beneficiary form information. The Supplementary Death Benefit designation forms will be validated within five (5) business days of receipt of the PWGSC- TPSGC 2196 form or the issuance of the PWGSC- TPSGC 2018 form to the member, whichever is the later.

Personal Documentation

(Copies of birth certificates for the plan member, the spouse and dependants; marriage certificate; divorce decree; separation agreement; death certificates of spouse and dependants, notarized original Common Law Statutory Declaration or any other document used for proof of age or marital status.

• Compensation advisors are no longer responsible for obtaining and forwarding personal documents for pension purposes. The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat's standard benefit letters have been amended to advise plan members to forward their personal documents directly to the PSPC. The PWGSC-TPSGC 2004 form has been eliminated, therefore, any copies retained in organizational compensation offices should be destroyed.
• The SPTCSS will obtain any required personal documents directly from plan members or their survivors. If, when processing other activities on the plan member's file, it is noticed that personal documents were not forwarded to the PSPC, the compensation advisor is to forward them under cover of the PWGSC-TPSGC 2241 form, "Superannuation Document Transmittal Slip".

If an organization deems it necessary to collect personal documents for reasons other than pension purposes, it is incumbent upon the organization to collect those documents directly from the client.