Responsibilities | Pension Plans
Information for Pension Plan Members

Eligibility
The PBSA provides that all employees, including part-time employees, must be eligible to join a pension plan if:

• their employer has established a plan for their class of employment (some classes might be salaried, hourly, or union employees, for example),
• they have completed two years of continuous employment with the employer, and
• they have earned at least 35% of the Year's Maximum Pensionable Earnings (Y.M.P.E.) under the Canada Pension Plan in each of two consecutive calendar years (35% of Y.M.P.E. = $14,385 in 2005, $14,175 in 2004, $13,965 in 2003, $13,685 in 2002, $13,405 in 2001, and $13,160 in 2000).

Some pension plans allow employees to join sooner than the two year maximum waiting period allowed by the PBSA.

The PBSA does not require employees to join a pension plan. Your plan, however, may require you to join as a condition of employment.

The plan is required to provide an explanation or summary of the plan to you at least 30 days before you first become eligible, or are required to be a member of the plan. In the case of a new plan, the information must be provided within 120 days after the establishment of the plan.

If you think you may be eligible to join your pension plan, contact your employer, pension plan administrator or your union. Most plans require you to make an application in order to join.

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