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You are a retiree

Plans concerned: The RREGOP and the PPMP

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Here are answers to questions often asked by people who receive a public-sector retirement pension.

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Payment of the pension

How often is my public sector retirement pension paid?

If you opted for direct deposit, your public‑sector retirement pension will be paid, throughout your life, on the 15th of each month or, if the 15th is not a work day, on the preceding work day. However, if your pension is paid by cheque, it will be issued no later than 48 hours before that date.

 

Direct deposit

How do I sign up for direct deposit?

Simply visit our Direct deposit page and use the online service or complete the form that applies to your situation.

If you wish to make a donation to the Entraide campaign through monthly deductions or by cheque, you must complete the contribution form (fiche de souscription This link will open in a new window.) available in French only on Entraide’s website – Secteurs public et parapublic.

 

Change of bank account

My public-sector retirement pension is already being paid by direct deposit, but I would like to have it deposited in another bank account. What do I need to do?

To avoid any delays in receiving your pension payments, you must inform us as soon as possible of any change concerning your financial institution (change of account number, change of branch, etc.).

To notify us of a change regarding payment of your pension by direct deposit, please visit our Direct deposit page and use the online service or complete the form that applies your situation.

 

Change of address

I am moving and want to notify you of my change of address. What do I have to do?

Please see the Change of Address page to find out how to provide us with your new address based on your situation.

 

Income tax deductions from the pension

Do you deduct income taxes from my retirement pension?

Yes. We are required to deduct federal and Québec income taxes from your pension. To determine the amount of the deductions, we assume that your retirement pension is your sole income.

Click on the link below to access the table that shows the approximate net amount of your annual pension (after taxes) calculated on the gross amount of your pension:

Can the amount of the income tax deducted from my public-sector retirement pension be changed?

Yes, it is possible to modify the income tax deducted from your pension or the personal income tax credit used to determine the amount of your income tax deductions. Visit our Income Tax page.

When will you send me the documents I need to prepare my income tax returns?

Income tax slips are sent each year in February.

 

Pension Review

I heard that you could review the amount of my pension once I have retired. Is that true?

Yes. As a general rule, the provisions of the law allow Retraite Québec to review the amount of your public-sector retirement pension no later than 3 years after the beginning of your retirement resulting in an increase or decrease. We will inform you in writing of any change in the amount of your pension stemming from such a review. However, since October 2019, new methods have been put into place as to sending participation data between your employer (or employers) and Retraite Québec. That is why your pension is reviewed less frequently, because, by using these new methods, you will receive confirmation of your increased pension amount faster after your retirement date, and it is calculated based on your latest participation data.

A review of your pension can result in a decrease taking into account, for instance, any change in the data used to calculate the initial pension. Such changes to your data must be received no later than the latest of the following dates:

  • 24 months after the end of membership in the pension plan
  • 6 months following the first payment of the pension.

A review of your pension can result in a decrease at the latest 12 months following the date of its review. After that time, the amount of your pension cannot be decreased following a review.

However, if pension amounts have been overpaid to you owing to one of the following three situations which you could have reasonably ascertained, your pension could be decreased after being reviewed, even if the deadline has expired:

  • an administrative error
  • an error in the data provided by the employer.

These rules also apply to the pensions of persons who ceased to be member of their pension plan before 7 June 2010, but whose pension started being paid after 6 December 2012.

Please note that there is no deadline for reviews of retirement pensions that result in an increase of the amount.

 

Important

Are you or were you a member of the Syndicat des professionnelles et professionnels du gouvernement du Québec (SPGQ) and have received retroactive amounts?

Contribution to a pensioners’ association

I intend to join a pensioners’ association and I know that I will have to pay membership fees. Can my membership fees be deducted from my monthly public-sector retirement pension payments?

Yes, provided the pensioners’ association you wish to join has signed an agreement with our organization.

If your association has an agreement with us and you wish to have your membership fees deducted from your retirement pension, you must contact your pensioners’ association directly.

To find out which associations have concluded such an agreement with us, please consult the following document:

If the association I want to join is not on the list, can I suggest that they sign an agreement with you?

Yes. However, in order to sign an agreement with us, associations must meet the requirements listed in the following document:

 

Pension indexation

Will my public-sector retirement pension be indexed?

Yes. Your retirement pension will be indexed on 1 January of each year according to the rate of increase of the Pension Index (PI) determined in accordance with the Act respecting the Québec Pension Plan.

The new amount of your pension will appear on the Statement of Benefits that will be sent to you in January.

However, further to legislative amendments to the PPMP on 11 May 2017, indexation of certain pensions under the PPMP will be suspended for a 6-year period.

How will my public-sector retirement pension be indexed?

It depends on the period during which your years of service were accrued and the date on which you retired.

Example:

You retired after 31 December 1999 but before 1 January 2022

Your pension will be indexed as follows:

  • The portion of your pension that corresponds to service accrued prior to 1 July 1982 will be fully indexed using the increase of the Pension Index (PI) determined in accordance with the Act respecting the Québec Pension Plan. In 2022, the rate is 2.7%.
  • The portion of your pension that corresponds to service accrued after 30 June 1982 but prior to 1 January 2000 will be indexed using the rate of increase of the Pension Index, minus 3%. In 2022, since the rate is less than 3%, that portion of your pension will not be indexed.
  • The portion of your pension that corresponds to service accrued since 1 January 2000 will be indexed using the more advantageous of the following 2 formulas:
     
    a) 50% of the rate of increase of the PI or
    b) the rate of increase of the PI, minus 3%

    In 2022, since the rate is 2.7%, the more advantageous formula is (a). Therefore, the portion of your pension that corresponds to service accrued since 1 January 2000 will be indexed by 1.35%.

How will my pension under the PPMP be indexed?

Once you begin receiving your pension under the PPMP, it will be indexed on 1 January of each year as follows:

  • The portion of your pension that corresponds to service accrued prior to 1 July 1982 will be fully indexed using the rate of increase of the Pension Index (PI) determined in accordance with the Act respecting the Québec Pension Plan and applied to take into account the increase in the cost of living.
  • The portion of your pension that corresponds to service accrued from 1 July 1982 through 31 December 1999 will be indexed using the rate of increase of the PI, minus 3%.
  • The portion of your pension that corresponds to service accrued since 1 January 2000 will be indexed using the more advantageous of the following 2 formulas:
    • 50% of the rate of increase of the PI,
    • the rate of increase of the PI, minus 3%.

However, indexation of certain pensions is suspended for a 6-year period.*

Indexation of your pension is suspended for 2018 through 2023 if:

  • you are entitled to an immediate pension and you stopped working before 1 January 2017, or
  • you are entitled to a deferred pension that took effect before 1 January 2017.

Indexation of your pension is suspended for 2021 through 2026 if:

  • you are entitled to an immediate pension and you stopped working after 31 December 2016 but before 1 July 2019, or
  • you are entitled to a deferred pension that took effect after 31 December 2016 but before 1 July 2019.

The suspension also applies to surviving spouse’s pensions, retirees under the PPMP who return to work, and employees who are taking advantage of gradual retirement and whose pensions have been suspended. Note that the suspension affects reduced immediate pensions not yet in payment and pensions initially payable under the Government and Public Employees Retirement Plan for non-unionized employees (RREGOP 02).

For all retirement pensions subject to the 6-year suspension, indexation for each period of service resumes after the suspension as follows:

Period of service credited in the public sector Indexation rate after the suspension period
Years of service before 1 July 1982 50% of the rate of increase of the PI
Years of service from 1 July 1982 to 31 December 1999 Rate of increase of the PI, minus 3%
Years of service accrued since 1 January 2000 Rate of increase of the PI, minus 3%, or 50% of the rate of increase of the PI, whichever is greater

The suspension of indexation and subsequent changes to the applicable indexation rates are also taken into account when calculating certain actuarial values.

* The changes to indexation do not apply to years of service transferred from the TPP or the CSSP, or to pension credits.

How will indexation of my pension under the PPMP resume after the 6-year suspension?

For all pensions affected by the 6-year suspension, indexation of each period of service will resume after the suspension as follows:

Period of service credited in the public sector Indexation rate after the suspension period
Years of service before 1 July 1982 50% of the rate of increase of the PI
Years of service from 1 July 1982 to 31 December 1999 Rate of increase of the PI, minus 3%
Years of service accrued since 1 January 2000 Rate of increase of the PI, minus 3%, or 50% of the rate of increase of the PI, whichever is greater

Pensions of PPMP members who cease all employment under the plan after 30 June 2019 are indexed in the same way as pensions of RREGOP members (see How will my PPMP pension be indexed?). The same applies to those whose deferred pension takes effect on or after 1 July 2019.

Indexation of pension credits

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Pension credits resulting from a buy-back

Before I retired, I had a buy-back pension credit. Will this pension credit be indexed now that I am retired?

No. Buy-back pension credits are not indexed. However, they can be increased every 3 years based on the results of the actuarial valuations.

 

Pension credits resulting from a transfer from a supplemental pension plan (SPP)

Before I retired, I had an SPP pension credit. Will this pension credit be indexed now that I am retired?

Yes. Your SPP pension credit will be indexed on 1 January of each year using the rate of increase of the Pension Index (PI) determined in accordance with the Act respecting the Québec Pension Plan. In addition, note that, in certain cases, it could be increased every 3 years based on the results of the actuarial valuations.

 

Indexation of the life annuity and the temporary annuity linked to pension credit service

When I retired, I had a pension credit that entitled me to a life annuity and a temporary annuity, both linked to the pension credit service. Will both be indexed?

Yes. Your life annuity and temporary annuity will be indexed on 1 January of each year using the rate of increase of the Pension Index (PI) determined in accordance with the Act respecting the Québec Pension Plan, minus 3%.

Note that, when the PI is equal to or less than 3%, these 2 annuities will not be indexed.

Indexation of additional pensions will be suspended for a 6-year period if they are added to certain pension plans.

Therefore, indexation of your additional pensions is suspended for 2018 through 2023 if:

  1. you are entitled to an immediate pension and you ceased all employment under the plan before 1 January 2017, or
  2. you are entitled to a deferred pension that took effect before 1 January 2017.

Indexation of your additional pensions is suspended for 2021 through 2026 if:

  1. you are entitled to an immediate pension and you ceased all employment under the plan after 31 December 2016 but before 1 July 2019, or
  2. you are entitled to a deferred pension that took effect after 31 December 2016 but before 1 July 2019.

After the suspension period, your additional pensions will be indexed as before, using the rate of increase of the pension index (PI), minus 3%.

 

Integration of public-sector pension plans with the Québec Pension Plan (QPP)

How does integration with the QPP affect my public-sector retirement pension?

When you turn 65, your public-sector pension plan will take into account the fact that you also receive a pension under the QPP, which will reduce the pension you will receive under your public-sector pension plan. This process is called integration with the QPP.

Your retirement pension will be reduced as of the month following your 65th birthday.

Note that the portion of the pension corresponding to the years accrued after 35 years of service is not integrated with the QPP. The introduction of the additional plan under the QPP as of 1 January 2019 does not change the existing provisions of public-sector pension plans. Therefore, only the pension paid under the Québec Pension Plan’s base plan is taken into account to calculate the amount of the reduction resulting from integration

Like many of the public-sector pension plans offered by other employers, your plan will be integrated with the QPP. As a result of integration, the total of the pensions payable to a person under the QPP and his or her public-sector pension plan is equal to about 80% of the person's average pensionable salary prior to retirement, provided the person had accrued 40 years of service under the RREGOP as at 31 December 2018.

Integration with the QPP has no effect on the amount of the QPP retirement pension. However, as of age 65, a reduction not linked to integration may apply to your disability or surviving spouse's pensions payable under the QPP.

Is integration mandatory?

Yes. Integration with the QPP is provided for under the law that governs your public-sector pension plan.

If I apply for my QPP pension at age 60, will my public-sector retirement pension also be reduced at age 60?

No. The pension you will receive under your public-sector pension plan will be reduced only as of the month following your 65th birthday, even if you begin receiving your QPP pension before you turn 65.

If I die before age 65, will integration with the QPP still apply?

Yes. Your pension will be integrated as of the month following your death, even if you die before age 65.

 

Useful forms

Direct Deposit

Use the online service or fill out the form that applies your situation. They are available in the Direct deposit page.

 

Income Tax

Modify the income tax deductions withdrawn from your pension or the personal income tax credit used to determine the amount of your income tax deductions. Consult the Income Tax page.

 

Entraide campaign

Fill out this form to make a donation to the Entraide campaign:

Useful links

To learn more about your public-sector pension plan