Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Extension of time limits – Public service pension plan

To: Public service pension plan members

The Government of Canada would like to advise public service pension plan (PSPP) members that it has extended most of the time limits under the PSPP that would otherwise expire during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

The Government of Canada recognizes that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many Canadians and Canadian businesses could face possible repercussions if they fail to meet deadlines and time periods set by law with respect to legal proceedings and some key regulatory matters.

For this reason, the Government of Canada introduced the Time Limits and Other Periods Act (COVID‑19) under part 3 of An Act respecting further COVID-19 measures (Bill C‑20). This Act suspends certain time limits and enables federal ministers to extend or suspend other time limits in federal legislation, including the legislation governing federal public sector pension plans.

Bill C‑20 received Royal Assent on July 27, 2020. Following this, the President of the Treasury Board made a series of orders to extend time limits under various acts and regulations governing the PSPP and other federal pension plans. These orders extend time limits associated with:

• Exercising a right under pension legislation such as buying back or transferring service;
• Revoking an election or an option you had already requested;
• Submitting forms and documentation to support an application for an election, a survivor benefit, or a division of a pension following a divorce or the breakdown of a common-law union, for instance; and
• Choosing the retirement benefit you want to receive, notably a transfer value.

Time limits included in the orders have been extended by 180 days, but not beyond December 31, 2020. These extensions are retroactive to March 13, 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic officially began, except for time limits under the Pension Benefits Division Act. Please refer to the orders related to the PSPP and the order related to the Pension Benefits Division Act for more information. The full list of orders made by ministers can be found under Orders and Regulations on the Department of Justice Canada website.

If you are concerned that certain time limits related to your pension may expire during the pandemic, or that you may have missed certain deadlines since March 13, 2020, contact the Government of Canada Pension Centre. The Pension Centre will explain whether the time limit associated with your particular case may be extended.

The Government of Canada would also like to remind PSPP members that several existing provisions are available to provide flexibility that may be helpful during the COVID-19 pandemic. If you are having difficulty meeting your financial obligations or deadlines for pension-related transactions, contact the Pension Centre to obtain information on the options that are available to you based on your circumstances.