Government of Canada announces intent to expand early pension eligibility for frontline safety and security workers

OTTAWA, ON, June 13, 2024 /CNW/ – The Government of Canada is committed to supporting public servants entrusted with protecting the safety and security of Canadians. From firefighters confronting wildfires to paramedics helping keep communities safe, to border service officers maintaining the safe flow of people and products across the borders, these frontline workers play crucial roles and deserve a pension plan that reflects the demanding nature of their safety and security responsibilities.

On December 21, 2023, I received a recommendation from the Public Service Pension Advisory Committee on expanding eligibility for early retirement to certain occupational groups who promote the safety and security of Canadians. These provisions would allow for retirement after 25 years of service without a pension reduction, which are already provided to frontline employees of Correctional Service Canada. Similar provisions are also available to members of the Canadian Armed Forces and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Today, following careful consideration, I am announcing that in the fall of 2024, the Government of Canada will introduce legislative changes to expand early pension eligibility specifically to frontline employees in the following groups:

Firefighters (federal and territorial governments)Paramedics (territorial governments)Correctional service employees (territorial governments)Border services officers (federal government)Parliamentary protection officers (federal government)Search and rescue technicians (federal government)

These proposed changes would provide consistency to how the pension plan recognizes the demanding nature of the day-to-day duties for these occupational groups, who have a critical role in promoting and protecting the safety and security of Canadians. 

The Government of Canada is grateful for the continued contributions of these frontline employees and the broader public service. We look forward to working with all parties to enact the required legislative amendments as quickly as possible.

The federal public service pension plan, established through the Public Service Superannuation Act (PSSA), provides employees of the federal public service and more than 60 other participating organizations, including the three territorial governments, with an income payable upon retirement. Benefits are generally based on an employee’s salary, pensionable service, and age. In 2021, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat submitted a proposal on behalf of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) to the Public Service Pension Advisory Committee (PSPAC) to review the possibility of expanding early retirement eligibility to additional occupational groups.The PSPAC is the legislated committee established pursuant to the PSSA to consult with employee representatives and provide advice to the President of the Treasury Board on the administration, design and funding of the pension plan. The Committee includes representatives of employees and retirees as well as the employer.For most federal plan members, an unreduced pension continues to require a minimum age of 60 or 65 (depending on when they joined) or a lower age with 30 years of pensionable service.

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SOURCE Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat