Enrolling a Member

You may want to know

• Introduction
• Employee Personal Documentation
• Plan Member Contact Information
• Personal Record Identifier
• Issuing a Notification of Plan Membership (PWGSC-TPSGC 2018)
  • Seasonal Employees
  • Hired Over the Age of 71
  • Plan Member Prior to Reaching Age 71
  • Plan Member—Eligible to Non-Eligible Status
  • Notification of Plan Membership (PWGSC-TPSGC 2018) Issued in Error
• Transfers
• Dual Employment
• Dual Remuneration
• Commencing Contributions to the public service pension plan
• Paylist Address

Introduction

Since February 1, 2010, the Government of Canada Pension Centre is responsible for providing Plan Enrolment and Orientation Services directly to employees of the public service. Any member inquiries must be referred to the "Your Public Service and Pension Benefits" web portal or to the Pension Centre.

Compensation advisors are required to set up the plan member's account using the Data Capture Tool (DCT) or the Regional Pay System (RPS) regardless of the employee's employment status. This includes employees who are not yet eligible to contribute to the public service pension plan, for example, employees with terms of less than six months, casual employees and as required (on call) employees.

When an employee becomes a plan member, the Pension Centre will send the member a Plan Enrolment Package. This package includes:

• a cover letter with the Web address for the Welcome to the Public Service Pension Plan orientation information kit and the Enrolment Information and Acknowledgement of Plan Membership (PWGSC-TPSGC 571) form;
• a Notification of Plan Membership (PWGSC-TPSGC 2018); and
• the Pension Centre contact information.

The Plan Enrolment Package contains important information about the pension plan for employees who become plan members.

Employee Personal Documentation

Since May 1, 2008, compensation advisors are no longer responsible for providing the Pension Centre with employee personal documentation (i.e. Birth Certificate, Marriage Certificate, etc.). Plan members are to send any personal documentation directly to the Pension Centre.

Plan Member Contact Information

It is the responsibility of the compensation advisor to provide the new plan members' contact information to the Pension Centre. This will enable the Pension Centre to mail the Plan Enrolment Package directly to plan members. It is important for client organizations to understand that a delay in the provision of this information to the Pension Centre will impact the plan member.

When an employee is hired for a period of six months or less, it is recommended that client organizations put in place a procedure that ensures that the plan member's contact information is sent to the Pension Centre when the employee satisfies the eligibility criteria and becomes a member of the public service pension plan.

Personal Record Identifier

There are some Crown Corporations and Agencies that do not have access to Central Index to create a PRI. The compensation advisors must contact the Pension Centre to obtain one at Contact Employer Support Services. Employer Support Services will create and provide the PRI.

The following data is required in order to create a PRI in Central Index:

• the employee's last name and first initials;
• the employee’s month and day of birth;
• the social insurance number (SIN);
• the Crown Corporation/Agency's acronym and paylist number.

Employers who have access to Central Index will continue to create their employee's PRI.

Issuing a Notification of Plan Membership (PWGSC-TPSGC 2018)

When an employee becomes a contributor to the plan, a Notification of Plan Membership (PWGSC-TPSGC 2018) is issued. The compensation advisor is required to update the plan member's account using either the Data Capture Tool (DCT) or the Regional Pay System (RPS) to ensure that contributions to the public service pension plan and premiums to the Supplementary Death Benefit (SDB) Plan are initiated on the correct date. A pension number is automatically generated when the Notification of Plan Membership (PWGSC-TPSGC 2018) is produced.

Compensation advisors will be advised when an employee becomes a member of the public service pension plan. A Notification of Pension Plan Membership report for all new plan members will be provided on a recurring basis, starting in February 2014. Compensation advisors will ensure that:

• pension contributions are commenced on the correct date;
• SDB contributions, if applicable, are commenced on the correct date; and
• the Pension Centre has the most recent plan member address. Compensation advisors will be asked to submit missing or updated addresses (see Plan Member Contact Information).

If there is a discrepancy in the date of contributions, compensation advisors can communicate these discrepancies to the Pension Centre by email. This will ensure that plan members receive accurate pension benefits.

Transfers

Compensation advisors will be responsible to advise the Pension Centre whenever an employee transfers from one Department or Crown Corporation to another by initiating the required transaction via the DCT or RPS.

Dual Employment

Dual employment occurs when an employee is on LWOP from one employer and he is appointed to a term position with another employer. If the employee was already a plan member with the first employer and is hired with the second employer for a position of 12 hours or more per week, contributions will be based on the second employment only. The Pension Centre will generate one of the following notifications to the first employer to advise of the second employment. The notification will also advise that deficiencies will not be required to be collected for the first position as of the date of the second employment.

• Notification for plan members who work at least 12 hours
• Notification for plan members who work less than 12 hours

If a plan member is on LWOP from one employer and is appointed to an indeterminate position with a second employer, the Pension Centre will send a notification to the first employer to request an SOS transaction as this is no longer treated as a dual employment.

Dual Remuneration

Dual remuneration occurs when an employee occupies more than one position and receives salary from both positions at the same time. To become eligible to participate to the public service pension plan, the total combined hours of work must be equal to 12 hours or more per week (all other eligibility criteria must also be met).

If a member was not eligible to contribute with the first employer, then becomes eligible to contribute with a second employer, the Pension Centre will generate a Dual Remuneration Notification to all employers to start deductions. The Pension Centre will also send a Notification of Plan Membership (PWGSC-TPSGC 2018) to the member and the employers will be advised.

If a member is eligible to contribute with the first employer and becomes eligible with a second employer, the Pension Centre will send a Dual Remuneration Notification to the second employer to start deductions and a Notification to the first employer to inform him of the dual remuneration status. The Pension Centre will send a Notification of Plan Membership (PWGSC-TPSGC 2018) to the member and the second employer will be advised.

Commencing Contributions to the public service pension plan

Compensation advisors continue to be responsible for initiating contribution deductions for employees who become members of the public service pension plan, including the deductions for Supplementary Death Benefit (SDB) premiums, if applicable. Compensation advisors continue to be responsible for answering questions from employees on their payroll deductions.

Compensation advisors will be advised when an employee becomes a member of the public service pension plan. A Notification of Pension Plan Membership report for all new plan members will be provided on a recurring basis, starting in February 2014. Compensation advisors will ensure that:

• pension contributions are commenced on the correct date;
• SDB contributions, if applicable, are commenced on the correct date; and
• the Pension Centre has the most recent plan member address. Compensation advisors will be asked to submit missing or updated addresses (see Plan Member Contact Information).

If there is a discrepancy in the date of contributions, compensation advisors can communicate these discrepancies to the Pension Centre by email. This will ensure that plan members receive accurate pension benefits.

Paylist Address

When a regional department is adding, updating, or deleting a paylist address, the department is responsible for providing the paylist address information to their pay office using the Compensation Client Address (PWGSC-TPSGC 2719 - This site is only accessible to federal government employees, and only to federal departments and agencies.) form. Please visit Adding or changing data on the paylist - address file - This site is only accessible to federal government employees, and only to federal departments and agencies. for more information.

When a Non-RPS employer needs to add, update or delete a paylist address, the information must be provided to the Pension Centre in writing. The letter should bear a signature and the telephone number of the contact person. The Pension Centre is responsible for updating the information.