Buying past service

Learn about buying service if you worked for an employer before they joined the pension plan.

1. Eligibility for past service

3. Cost for past service

2. Deadlines for past service

4. Process for past service

Eligibility for past service

Are you eligible?

You may be eligible to buy your past service as long as you have not waived your enrolment in the plan.

If you contributed to another registered pension plan during the period of past service you want to buy, you can only buy past service in the Municipal Pension Plan if you end your membership in the other plan and use those funds to buy past service. (This does not apply to registered retirement savings plan [RRSP] contributions.)

If you signed a waiver choosing not to join the plan, either on or after April 1, 2000, you cannot buy past service. Ask your employer if you aren’t sure whether you signed a waiver.

Here’s an example:

Member started working for an employer not participating in the Municipal Pension Plan: August 15, 1998
Employer joined the plan: April 1, 2010
Member became eligible to join the plan, but waived their enrolment: April 1, 2010
Member now chooses to join the plan: October 1, 2010

This member is not eligible to buy any service before October 1, 2010 (when they chose to join the plan) because they chose not to enrol in the plan after April 1, 2000.