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Information on changes to the administration of the Canadian Armed Forces pension

In July 2016, the administration of Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) pension plans for active members was transferred to the Government of Canada Pension Centre at Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC).
On January 3, 2017, the functionality to administer CAF pensions for retired CAF members and their survivors/child(ren) will also be added to the Government of Canada pension system.
An Annuitant Communiqué will be sent via Canada Post to retired members in November 2016. This will be the second time retired members are being informed of the upcoming changes.
If you receive calls from retired members about any of these changes please refer them to the following sources for more information:

Information about the transition is available on the Department of National Defence (DND) Web site at:
http://www.forces.gc.ca/en/caf-community-pension/military-pension-renewal.page

Below is a list of questions and answers that your organization may receive from retired members.

1. I received a letter about changes to my pension, what does this mean?
   The Department of National Defence (DND) is informing active and retired members about the transfer of the administration of their CAF pension plans to the Government of Canada Pension Centre at Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC).  No action is required from you. DND is simply informing you of the upcoming changes.

2. When does this transition affect retired members?
   The administration of pension payments for retired members and their survivors/children will begin to be administered by the Government of Canada Pension Centre on January 3, 2017.

3. Will I have to do anything to transfer my pension file?
   No, DND will transfer all member files and convert them to electronic versions. This will provide pension experts easier and faster access to your pension information

4. As a retired member, will this affect my pension benefit payments?
   As a retired member, a survivor or child(ren), benefits will continue to be paid in accordance with the Canadian Forces Superannuation Act (CFSA) rules.

5. Will I continue to have access to my epost account?
   Retired members will continue to have access to epost, Canada Post’s secure online delivery service that offers a paperless alternative to receiving pension documents by mail. Pension documents will arrive in your epost mailbox as soon as they are issued.
   For information about registering for an epost account, please visit the following link (https://www.epost.ca).

6. What improvements to client service will I see from the transition to the new pension solution?
   Active and retired members and their survivors/child(ren) can look forward to the following improvements after the transition:

• greater accuracy, consistency and timeliness in processing transactions and payments;
• access to a secure web portal for active members;
• access to online Pension Benefit Statements for contributors to the pension plans (available approximately one year after transition); and
• environmentally friendly operations resulting from the elimination of paper files. All member files will be converted to electronic versions.

 A more automated solution will allow pension experts to focus on providing an improved level of individual counselling to members.
7. Where can I go for information about CAF pension plans?
Visit the Government of Canada CAF Pension Web site for active and retired members at www.canada.ca/pensions-canadian-armed-forces.  Here, members will find comprehensive information on CAF pension plans, all relevant forms, and links to related information.