Public service pension plan enrolment package

Table of contents

This package provides new and re-employed public service pension plan members with general information that is important to know at the onset of joining the public service pension plan as well as drawing attention to parts of the plan that are time-sensitive.

You are required to acknowledge your enrolment in the public service pension plan and to supply additional information:

Acknowledgement of plan membership is a mandatory requirement. Ensure you read and understand all the information provided by the Pension Centre prior to proceeding.

Administrative process

The Plan enrolment package will be mailed to you using the address supplied by your employer and includes:

Upon receipt of your enrolment package, if you do not understand the content or agree with the effective date of plan membership, you may contact the Pension Centre for further clarification on the information provided or for assistance in completing the required documentation. It is also recommended that you carefully read the Welcome to the public service pension plan orientation information kit. Additional information for new plan members can be found on the Your public service pension and benefits web portal, under the active member audience, within the New to the Public Service life event.

If you do not receive a Plan enrolment package within two months of the date you feel you were eligible to join the public service pension plan, please contact the Pension Centre.

Plan enrolment and acknowledgment form

Acknowledgement of plan membership is a mandatory requirement.

If your organization has access to the Compensation web applications (CWA) (page available on Government of Canada network only), you are required to acknowledge receipt of your “Notification of plan membership” using the Personalized pension tools located within the CWA's Active member pension applications, under member information. If you have not yet enrolled in the CWA, we encourage you to do so in order to acknowledge your plan membership as well as to verify and update your contact information, including your address.

If your organization does not have access to the CWA, you must complete and sign the Enrolment information and acknowledgement of plan membership form (PWGSC-TPSGC 571) and return it to the Pension Centre in order to acknowledge receipt of your “Notification of plan membership”.

Note: The Enrolment information and acknowledgement of plan membership form (PWGSC-TPSGC 571) must only be completed and sent once you have received your “Notification of plan membership”.

Proof of age and other important documents

As a member of the public service pension plan, you are required to provide proof of your age, proof of age of any children under the age of 25 and any documents relating to your marital status such as your marriage certificate or a certificate of divorce.

Proof of age and other relevant documentation should be forwarded by fax or mail to the Pension Centre as soon as you become a plan member and also if your personal situation changes. Remember to include your Personal Record Identifier (PRI) or pension number on all correspondence.

Documents which may be required are:

Primary proof of age

Primary Proof of age consists of a birth certificate issued by an appropriate civil authority or a baptismal certificate showing the date of birth and indicating that the baptism took place within five years of birth. A photocopy of the birth or baptismal certificate is normally sufficient.

If you cannot obtain a birth or baptismal certificate as described above, refer to Proof of age using secondary evidence which explains alternatives to establishing primary proof of age.

Proof of age—Born outside of Canada

If you were born outside of Canada and do not have a copy of your birth or baptismal certificate, you should contact the embassy or consulate of your country of birth on how to obtain copies of these documents. This also applies to your children. Please note that documents issued outside Canada should not be translated. Consult the Embassies website for a list of embassies and consulates in Canada.

Proof of marital status

Documents relating to your marital status are required to establish the eligibility to survivor's benefits. A marriage certificate issued by an appropriate civil or religious authority is normally sufficient to establish marital status. Also, any other documents relating to your marital status such as the certificate of divorce, separation papers, or death certificate of your spouse should be forwarded to the Pension Centre.

Proof of age of children

Documents relating to children such as birth certificates, adoption papers, evidence of guardianship are required to establish eligibility to children's benefits. Your children who are less than age 18 or who are between the ages of 18 and 25 and in full time attendance at an educational institution may be entitled to children's benefits after your death.

Discrepancies and name changes

The Pension Centre will request additional documentation such as a statutory declaration if there is a discrepancy between the name appearing on the document establishing your proof of age and the name on the record of employment in the public service. Minor differences are accepted such as using Mc instead of Mac, Leger instead of Légère or when one or more of the Christian names have been omitted from other documents used for proof of age.

You may contact the Pension Centre to obtain the Statutory declaration for name discrepancies (ADM 165.1).

As different life events occur throughout your career, other documentation may be required. The Pension Centre will request such documentation as needed.

Proof of age using secondary evidence

If you are unable to provide an official birth or baptismal certificate (refer to the Proof of age and other important documents), your date of birth may be established through a photocopy/scan/image of one of the following documents:

If the documents above are not available, an alternative is to complete the Proof of age declaration form (obtained from the Pension Centre) and provide a photocopy/scan/image of any two of the following documents that must indicate your name and date of birth:

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