You are a retiree

Access My Account to consult:

• Your income tax slips
• Statement of Benefits – Your Pension
• Amounts paid to you by Retraite Québec

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

• Payment of the pension
• Direct deposit
• Change of bank account
• Change of address
• Income tax deductions from the pension
• Pension Review
• Contribution to a pensioners' association
• Pension indexation
• Indexation of pension credits
• Indexation of the life annuity and the temporary annuity linked to pension credit service
• Integration of public-sector pension plans with the Québec Pension Plan (QPP)
• Cessation of payment of temporary pension linked to pension credit services at age 65
• Returning to work
• Separation
• Death
• Also consult

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.

• Payment dates

Direct deposit

How do I sign up for direct deposit?

Simply use the online service or complete the form that applies to your situation: Application for Direct Deposit in a Financial Institution Located in Canada (RSP-100) or Application for Direct Deposit Outside Canada (RSP-118).

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 ) 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 use the online service or complete the form that applies your situation: Application for Direct Deposit in a Financial Institution Located in Canada (RSP-100) or Application for Direct Deposit Outside Canada (RSP-118).

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:

• Net pension estimates for the taxation year

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.

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. For example, participation data refer to contributions collected by your employer (or employers), your pensionable salary, years of service, etc. In return, you will be entitled to benefits payable when you retire or stop working.

You can consult your participation data in your Statement of Participation in a Public-Sector Pension Plan.

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.

Contribution to a pensioners' association

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

• Contribution to a Pensioners' Association

Pension indexation

Will my public-sector retirement pension be indexed?

Yes. Your pension is indexed on 1 January of each year according to the rate of increase of the Pension Index (PI), which is determined in accordance with the Act respecting the Québec Pension Plan. The new amount of your pension will appear on the Statement of Benefits – Your Pension which you can consult in My Account.

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.

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

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 before1 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:

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

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:

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 pension under the PPMP be indexed). The same applies to those whose deferred pension takes effect on or after 1 July 2019.

Indexation of pension credits

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

Yes. Since 1 January 2021, buy-back pension credits are indexed on 1 January of each year following the starting date of the pension. They are indexed based on the Pension Index (PI), which is determined under the Act respecting the Québec Pension Plan.

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.

Before I retired, I had a transfer agreement pension credit. Will this pension credit be indexed now that I am retired?

Yes. Your transfer agreement pension credit is 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 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.

Cessation of payment of a temporary pension linked to pension credit services payable at age 65

Since I have retired, I have been receiving additional pensions linked to the pension credit service and to my basic pension and pension credit. I was told that I would stop receiving my temporary pension linked to the pension credit service at age 65. Is that correct?

Yes. The temporary pension linked to the pension credit service is paid until age 65, or until death, should it occur before you reach age 65.

Returning to work

You are considering returning to work and wondering how this decision will affect your public‑sector pension plan.

To find the information you are looking for, consult the New position or change of position page.

Separation

You and your spouse have separated and you are wondering if the separation will affect your public‑sector pension plan.

To find the information you are looking for, consult the Union and separation section.

Death

You are wondering what will happen to your public‑sector pension plan at the time of your death.

To find the information you are looking for, consult the Death section.

Also consult

• Public pension plans
• The retirement pension under the Québec Pension Plan
• Guide for New Beneficiaries RREGOP and PPMP
• Old Age Security – Service Canada 
• Seniors and Taxation – Revenu Québec 
• Premium Payable Under the Québec Prescription Drug Insurance Plan – Revenu Québec