Canadian Armed Forces pensions
Prospective member
Find information about the Canadian Armed Forces pension plans if you are interested in joining the Canadian Armed Forces.
More than 90,000 Canadians serve in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) in over 100 trades and professions. The Forces are made up of the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force.
As a member of the CAF you can choose to work full-time in the Regular Force or part-time in the Reserve Force. While the Reserve Force is by definition a part-time force, there are opportunities for some reservists to work on a full-time basis. The Canadian Forces Superannuation Act (CFSA) has pension arrangements to suit the varied career patterns of both full-time and part-time members
- Regular Force: Regular Force members automatically join the Regular Force Pension Plan (Part I of the CFSA) when they enrol in the Regular Force and contributions will start to be deducted from their pay on enrollment
- Reserve Force: Reserve Force members must first qualify to participate in the Reserve Force Pension Plan (Part I.1 of the CFSA) and may qualify to participate in the Regular Force Pension Plan if they work on a full-time basis continuously, over a period of years
- Reserve Force Pension Plan: Reserve Force members join the Reserve Force Pension Plan automatically after earning 10% of the Year's Maximum Pensionable Earnings (YMPE) in 2 consecutive 12-month periods. Pension contributions will start to be deducted from their pay automatically when they join. The contribution rate under the Reserve Force Pension Plan (Part I.1) is lower than the rates that apply under the Regular Force Pension Plan (Part I)
- Regular Force Pension Plan: Reserve Force members automatically join the Regular Force Pension Plan once they accumulate 1,674 days (55 months) of Canadian Forces service in a 60-month period. Pension contributions will be adjusted automatically when they qualify to participate to reflect the increased rates under Part I
More information
- Canadian Armed Forces pensions for regular force members and reservists
- Joining the Canadian Armed Forces