The Government of Canada has announced plans to expand early retirement eligibility for frontline public service safety and security workers. Currently, only employees of Correctional Service Canada, along with members of the Canadian Armed Forces and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, benefit from early retirement provisions that allow retirement after 25 years of service without a pension reduction.
Following a recommendation received on December 21, 2023, from the Public Service Pension Advisory Committee (PSPAC), the government intends to extend these benefits to additional groups. The groups set to benefit from this change include:
Government of Canada to expand early retirement eligibility
- Firefighters (federal and territorial governments)
- Paramedics (territorial governments)
- Correctional service employees (territorial governments)
- Border services officers (federal government)
- Parliamentary protection officers (federal government)
- Search and rescue technicians (federal government)
These proposed changes aim to provide a consistent approach in recognizing the demanding nature of duties performed by these occupational groups, who have a critical role in promoting and protecting the safety and security of Canadians.
The federal public service pension plan, established under the Public Service Superannuation Act (PSSA), currently serves over 400,000 active members as of March 31, 2023. The plan provides retirement income based on salary, pensionable service, and age. Generally, an unreduced pension is available at age 60 or 65, depending on when an employee joined the plan, or with 30 years of service.
The government plans to introduce legislative changes to implement this expansion in the fall of 2024. This development represents a significant shift in the federal approach to pension eligibility, ensuring that the dedicated service of frontline safety and security workers is adequately recognized and rewarded.
