An overview of the pension application process
Ready to apply for your pension? You can apply 90 days before your pension effective date.
Your retirement is just around the corner! Now that you've done some retirement planning and considered your pension options, it's time to apply for your pension.
When you’re ready to retire, you’ll need to apply for your pension – you won’t receive it automatically when you stop working.
When you can apply
The earliest you can apply for your pension is 90 days before your pension effective date, which is the month you want to begin receiving your pension. Note that your pension effective date is not the same as your pension payment date. It’s a good idea to apply as soon as you're eligible to do so, and no later than 30 days before your pension effective date.
| Pension effective date | Apply on or after |
| January 1 | October 3 |
| February 1 | November 3 |
| March 1 | December 1 (December 2 if a leap year) |
| April 1 | January 1 (January 2 if a leap year) |
| May 1 | January 31 (February 1 if a leap year) |
| June 1 | March 3 |
| July 1 | April 2 |
| August 1 | May 3 |
| September 1 | June 3 |
| October 1 | July 3 |
| November 1 | August 3 |
| December 1 | September 2 |
Tell the plan and your employer that you are retiring
Contact BC's Public Service Pension Plan to tell us your pension effective date. You’ll also need to tell your employer(s) when you plan to retire and your last day of work. If you are working for another employer in the same plan you must terminate all employment under the Public Service Pension Plan in order to start receiving your pension.
How to apply for your pension
You can apply for your pension online by signing in to My Account and completing an eight-step application process:
- Select your pension effective date to begin
- Review your personal profile information and make any required changes
- Confirm information about your spouse, if applicable
- Choose a pension option
- Name your primary and alternate beneficiary(ies)
- Review and apply for or waive the health care coverage available to you after you retire
- Provide your banking information so we can directly deposit your monthly pension payment into your bank account
- Review your pension application and submit it online to the plan
You do not need to complete the eight steps all at once. You can save your application and go back to it at any time before submitting it to the plan. However, please note that delaying your application may also delay the date of your first pension payment.
What happens next
We will review your application and contact you through My Account Message Centre if we require further information. Please be advised these requests may be time-sensitive and could impact your pension.
You can expect your first pension payment to arrive on the last day of the month your pension is effective. However, we require your final service and salary information to calculate your actual pension amount. Your employer is responsible for sending this to us after your last day on payroll. We will process your pension within 14 days of receiving this information.
If you need to cancel or change your application, please contact us through the Message Centre.
If you have any questions about the pension application process or timelines, contact us – we’re here to help.