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FAQ

Leaving Your Job
When you terminate your employment and you are in a pension plan, you are said to be "vested." You are entitled to a deferred pension, which means that you can leave your accrued pension in the pension plan until you retire. When you retire, you get pension payments from the plan.

If you do this, you must tell your former employer whenever you change your address. They must be able to contact you when you are entitled to receive your pension.

Under a defined benefit plan, you are entitled to a deferred pension. You might also have the option to transfer a locked-in amount equal to the commuted value of your accrued pension. You can transfer this lump sum to a locked-in retirement account or life income fund, use it to purchase an annuity, or transfer it to the pension plan of your new employer. All of these transfer options fall under the concept of portability. If you are over a certain age, usually 55, your defined benefit plan might not allow portability, and you might be required to take the deferred pension option.

Under a defined contribution plan, you may choose either a deferred pension or a transfer of the balance of employee and employer contributions. If you choose to transfer the balance of contributions, you will get what you paid into the pension plan plus what your employer paid into the plan on your behalf. It also includes investment gains or losses on this amount over the years. You can usually transfer this lump sum to a locked-in retirement account or life income fund, use it to purchase an annuity, or transfer it to the pension plan of your new employer. All of these transfer options fall under the concept of "portability." Under a defined contribution plan, portability is not usually restricted by age.

Transferring Pension Service Between Employers
If you move from one employer to another, you might be able to transfer your pensionable service to the pension plan of your new employer. Some employers, such as provincial, federal and municipal governments, have formal agreements called reciprocal transfer agreements. These agreements allow you to transfer your pension credits from your old employer's pension plan to your new employer's plan. They are in place to help employees transferring between similar plans, where there is frequent movement of employees from one employer to another.

Reciprocal transfer agreements most often provide for the transfer of the commuted value of your defined benefit pension. The commuted value calculated under a reciprocal transfer is usually greater than the termination value paid to you if you had elected a transfer to a locked-in retirement account. Agreements may also be in place for transfers of defined contribution benefits as well. The amount transferred is used to purchase service under your new employer's pension plan.

Benefits of transferring pension credits rather than taking the commuted value of the pension:

·       The service that you have purchased under your new plan might allow you to retire earlier and/or provide a better pension.

·       The pension plan assumes the investment risk. If you take the lump sum and invest it yourself, you assume the investment risk.

·       The commuted value of your pension calculated under a reciprocal transfer agreement is generally higher than the commuted value of a lump sum payment.

If you are changing employers, ask about any reciprocal transfer agreements your current employer might have in place and with whom.

What does "locked-in" mean?
Locking-in is a requirement of the Pension Benefits Act. It ensures that funds contributed to pension plans are saved to give you a retirement income, even if your membership in the pension plan ends. Your benefit is locked-in immediately. Pension funds that are locked-in under the Pension Benefits Act may be transferred to either a locked-in retirement account or a life income fund unless your pension plan restricts transfers if you are age 55 or older. The restrictions to the use of the funds that applied in the pension plan continue to apply upon transfer out of a pension plan.

If your pension benefit has been divided between you and your former spouse or common-law partner, locking-in still applies.

Pension funds are given special protection under the Pension Benefits Act. Locked-in pension funds cannot be used as collateral for loans, nor can they be seized by creditors.

Wind-Up of Your Pension Plan
Your pension plan might wind-up for a variety of reasons. Your employer might go out of business, close a plant in a particular location, or choose to offer a Group RRSP instead of a pension plan. Whatever the reason, the wind-up process is subject to requirements under the Pension Benefits Act and Regulations.

When your plan is winding up, you will get notice from your employer or plan administrator. They will tell you the proposed effective date of the wind-up and that you will be receiving a wind-up statement of your benefits. If the plan is contributory, the effective date of a wind must not occur before employee contributions to the pension plan cease.

If you have a defined benefit pension plan and that plan is not fully funded, your benefits will be reduced to the amount that can be provided by the assets of the pension plan fund, If the employer is bankrupt and has no assets to fully fund your accrued benefits, your employer must file a wind-up report within six months of the effective date of the wind-up to the Superintendent of Pensions. The Superintendent reviews the report. Once the Superintendent approves the wind-up, your employer has 60 days to give you a statement of your wind-up benefits. Pensions will continue to be paid during the wind-up, and pensions may also commence during this period.

If you are not receiving a pension from the plan at the date of wind-up, your wind-up benefit will be determined as if you had terminated your employment on the wind-up date. Your wind-up benefit will differ from a termination benefit in the following ways:

·       You will have portability rights, even if you are over age 55;

·       If your plan is a defined benefit plan and the plan is not fully funded, your benefit might be reduced. If your employer is bankrupt and there are no funds available to fully fund your benefits. If the plan has a surplus, your benefit might be increased.

You will be given 90 days in which to elect how you will receive your benefit. The plan administrator must comply with your election within 60 days of receipt of that election.

If you are a pensioner and your plan winds-up, an annuity will be purchased so that your pension continues in the same form that you elected. You will also be subject to a possible reduction in benefits if the plan is not fully funded at wind-up. You might share in any surplus if the plan is in a surplus position at wind-up.

Are there online retirement calculators?
Yes, there is a LIF calculator under the resources section of the following page: https://novascotia.ca/finance/en/home/pensions/default.aspx

Be advised that the calculator is to be used in conjunction with Schedule IV of the Nova Scotia Pension Benefits Regulations.

Please note the calculator is in MS Excel and you will need MS Office installed to use the calculator.

Exceptions to locking-in under your pension plan
Small amounts of pension benefits do not have to be locked in. Your plan administrator will determine if your benefit can be unlocked because it is a small amount. The Pension Benefits Act permits unlocking if your benefit meets certain criteria.

Your pension plan may also unlock benefits if your life expectancy is considerably shortened, but it is not required to do so.

Exceptions to locking-in for a locked-in retirement (LIRA) account or a life income fund (LIF):


Exception 1 - Age 65 and Small Total Entitlement
A person age 65 or older may unlock locked-in pension funds if the sum of their entitlements in every locked-in retirement account, or life income fund subject to pension legislation is less than 50 per cent of the year's maximum pensionable earnings (YMPE) under the Canada Pension Plan. If you qualify under this provision, you may transfer the money to a registered retirement savings plan or receive it as a cash lump sum. Any lump sums withdrawn are fully taxable in the year in which they are withdrawn.

To make a transfer or receive a lump sum under this provision, complete Form 11: "Withdrawal from LIRA or LIF (Life Expectancy, Non-residency, Small amount at age 65 and Excess amount transferred) ". You must file a copy of the form with each relevant financial institution.

Exception 2 - Unlocking for Life Expectancy of less than 2 years
Your locked-in retirement account or life income fund contract must allow for the withdrawal of a lump sum of locked-in pension benefits due to a shortened life expectancy (less than 2 years). To unlock your entitlement under this provision, a physician must certify that, due to an illness, your life expectancy is likely to be shortened to less than 2 years. To unlock funds under these circumstances, complete  Form 11 : "Withdrawal from LIRA or LIF (Life Expectancy, Non-residency, Small amount at age 65 and Excess amount transferred ".

Exception 3 – Non Residency
You may be entitled to withdraw all or part of your locked-in pension fund, if you are non-resident of Canada as determined by the Canada Revenue Agency and you can apply after you have been out of the country for at least 24 months. You can complete  Form 11 "Withdrawal from LIRA or LIF (Life Expectancy, Non-residency, Small amount at age 65 and Excess amount transferred" and submit it your financial institution.

Exception 4 – Excess transfer
If you have transferred an amount of money from your pension plan that exceeds the limit allowed under the Income Tax Act, you can apply to withdraw the excess using  Form 11 "Withdrawal from LIRA or LIF (Life Expectancy, Non-residency, Small amount at age 65 and Excess amount transferred".

Exception 5 – Financial Hardship
You may be entitled to withdraw some of your locked-in pension funds due to financial hardship. You may qualify if you have medical expenses that are not reimbursed from any other source, if you are facing foreclosure on your mortgage, if you are facing an eviction from your rental property, or if your income is below 66⅔% of the years maximum pensionable earnings (YMPE). To make an application under this provision, complete Form 12  and submit it to the financial institution that holds the LIRA/LIF.

Temporary Income

If you are between ages 55 and 65, you are eligible for temporary income from a Life Income Fund (LIF). Temporary income is a lump sum amount which can be taken from a LIF account. You do not have to go through the Financial Hardship program to avail of the temporary income facility. Please note that if you are between ages 55 and 65 and you choose to apply for financial hardship, temporary income may be included in your expected income over the next 12 months.

The first step in applying for temporary income is to transfer your funds from a Locked In Retirement Account (LIRA) to a LIF account with an institution which offers temporary income in their LIF Contracts. If your funds are already in a LIF, you will have to confirm if your LIF offers temporary income.

Schedule 4: Nova Scotia LIF Addendum of the Pension Benefits Regulations details how temporary income should be administered.

As per Section 7 of Schedule 4, if the initial fiscal year is less than 12 months, the amount of withdrawal would be prorated based on the number of calendar months the LIF is open.   For example, if your LIF is opened in November 2018, you can receive approximately 2 months’ worth of temporary income in 2018.  You can then apply again for Temporary Income in January 2019.

Note that as per Section 9(3)(b), Temporary Income must not be paid under a LIF after the end of the year in which the owner turns 65 years old (i.e. Temporary Income can be paid up until the end of the year the individual turns age 65).

To apply for temporary income, you will need to submit Form 10 (Application to a Financial Institution for Payment of Temporary Income from a LIF) to the financial institution where you have opened your LIF account.  Please ensure that the LIF contract offers temporary income, as the provision is not provided by all financial institutions.   

To view the List of approved Life Income Fund Arrangements, please click here:

You can find some additional information on LIFs and temporary income here:

There is a LIF calculator under the resources section of the following page: https://novascotia.ca/finance/en/home/pensions/default.aspx

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Orange Clock For More Information

Mailing Address:
Finance and Treasury Board
Pension Regulation Division
PO Box 2531
Halifax, NS  B3J 3N5

Phone: 902-424-8915
Fax: 902-424-5327
Email: 
novascotia.ca

Courier:
Finance and Treasury Board
Pension Regulation Division
1723 Hollis St, 4th Floor
Halifax, NS  B3J 1V9