Types of plan members

Regardless of occupation, there are four types of plan members: active, retired, inactive and limited. Learn what this means.


The four types of plan members are:

  • Active
  • Inactive
  • Retired
  • Limited

You are an active member, if you are:

  • Working and contributing to BC's Municipal Pension Plan
  • On an approved leave of absence
  • Receiving benefits from an approved group disability plan

Active members are also members who are still working but have reached 35 years of contributions and so are no longer required to contribute to the plan.

You are an inactive member if you are no longer working for an employer that participates in the plan but decide to leave your contributions in the plan until you retire.

You are a retired member when you stop working for an employer that participates in the plan and begin collecting your pension. If you are receiving a survivor's or limited member's pension, you are considered a retired member.

If you are a former spouse of a plan member and entitled to a portion of the plan member's pension, you can apply to become a limited member after your separation or divorce. As a limited member, you can receive a portion of your former spouse's pension when your former spouse reaches their earliest retirement age.