Guide for plan members

Public Service Pension Plan is committed to helping you make the most of your pension. This guide is a provincial requirement. Please use the links at right to explore the topics most relevant to you.

The Public Service Pension Plan provides secure retirement income for plan members. The plan serves about 144,000 members and their employers in British Columbia. Members and employers work in a variety of sectors, including the provincial government, transportation, health care and others.

The plan has three categories of members: active, retired and inactive.

• About 68,000 active members work and contribute to the plan
• About 54,000 retired members receive a pension
• About 22,000 inactive members are no longer with a plan employer but have contributions with the plan and may be eligible for a pension

As of March 31, 2022, the plan had assets of $41.4 billion.

The plan is jointly managed by the Public Service Pension Board of Trustees. Trustees are nominated and appointed by the plan partners – British Columbia General Employees’ Union (BCGEU) and the provincial government – and other organizations representing plan members and employers.

The Public Service Pension Plan Joint Trust Agreement sets out how the 14 trustees are appointed:

• BCGEU appoints six trustees (two nominated by unions other than the BCGEU with members in the plan)
• British Columbia Government Retired Employees’ Association appoints one trustee (a retired plan member)
• The provincial government appoints seven trustees, including one nominated by Crown Corporation Employers’ Association and one nominated by British Columbia Excluded Employees’ Association who must be an excluded employee as well as an active plan member

Trustees are responsible for governing the plan and managing the pension fund, which includes pension plan administration and investment of assets. They do this by making decisions and providing direction to:

• British Columbia Pension Corporation (the plan's administrative agent) on administration of the plan, including services to members
• British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (the plan's investment agent) on management of the plan’s assets

The following service providers also play an important role:

• Eckler Ltd. (an independent actuary) assesses the plan’s financial health every three years
• KPMG (an independent auditor) audits the plan’s financial statements each year per Canadian generally accepted auditing standards
• Green Shield Canada provides extended health care and dental coverage for eligible retired plan members
• Lawson Lundell LLP is the plan’s legal counsel
• Willis Towers Watson is the board’s post-retirement group benefits advisor