How to transfer service between public sector plans

If you are joining or leaving the plan, you may be able to transfer your eligible service.


If you leave your job, you may be able to transfer your service from your original pension plan to your new employer's pension plan. You can do this as long as:

  • both pension plans have a transfer agreement
  • you apply within the deadlines specified by the transfer agreement
  • you have pension funds currently available in the plan you are transferring from

You can find a list of participating employers in this guide.

Note that if you're leaving BC's Municipal Pension Plan and would like to transfer your service to another plan that has an agreement with us, please contact the new plan.

The benefit of transferring service is that it may allow you to:

  • Increase your pensionable service and the value of your pension
  • Increase your contributory service, which may allow you to retire earlier with an unreduced pension

However, it’s not always to your financial advantage to transfer service. It may be better to collect two separate pensions rather than transferring your service to collect a single pension. This could be the case if either:

  • The total of the two separate pensions is more than a single pension after a transfer
  • You can collect a pension earlier under your former plan

It is a good idea to talk with an independent financial adviser to help you decide if transferring service is a good choice for you.


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