Employees: Update your benefits when getting married or reaching common-law status

June 3, 2022 - Defence Stories

After you get married or reach common-law status, you need to take a few steps to ensure you receive accurate pay, benefits and coverage. If you live with a person in a relationship for a continuous period of 1 year, you are legally considered to be in a common-law relationship and can apply to extend your public service pension benefits and group insurance coverage to include your common-law partner.

As a member of the Public Service Health Care Plan (you are now leaving the Government of Canada website) and the Public Service Dental Care Plan (you are now leaving the Government of Canada website), you are responsible for:

• updating your positive enrolment information
• ensuring you have adequate coverage
• notifying Canada Life about dental plan changes, including:
  • type of change (married or common-law)
  • your plan and certificate number
  • effective date of the change
  • name and date of birth of the person being added to your plan

To report a name change, request it when you submit your next claim form to the plan administrator.

Use Phoenix self-service to change your coverage. If you cannot access Phoenix self-service, complete the following form and submit it to the Human Resources Support System (accessible only on the National Defence network):

• PSHCP employee application form (you are now leaving the Government of Canada website)

For more information, here are some helpful resources:

• Getting married or reaching common-law status
• Positive enrolment in the Public Service Health Care Plan (you are now leaving the Government of Canada website)
• Sun Life Financial member services website (you are now leaving the Government of Canada website)

If you have questions about updating your benefits or for other HR questions, access HR Connect RH online (accessible only on the National Defence network) or by calling 1-833-747-6363 (for Defence Team use only).