The federal government is launching a consultation on draft amendments to pension legislation pertaining to the transfer of unclaimed benefits for missing plan members. Under the Pensions Benefits Standards Act, plan administrators can transfer pension assets of missing members to a ‘designated entity.’ The draft amendments specify who qualifies as a missing member or beneficiary, as […]
An amendment to Manitoba’s Beneficiary Designation Act allows a pension plan member’s legal representative to now make a beneficiary designation on behalf of the member if they can’t make the designation themselves. However, the representative can only designate a beneficiary if the plan renews, replaces or converts a plan made by the participant and the same […]
In 2022, the typical defined benefit pension plan achieved an investment return of roughly negative 12 per cent. However, due to dramatic increases in bond yields and a subsequent decrease in pension liabilities, many pension plans ended 2022 with the same — or better — solvency funded level that they had at the beginning of […]
A pair of surveys on the state of Canadian workers’ mental health were among the most-read stories on BenefitsCanada.com over the last week. Here are the five most popular news stories of the week: 1. Survey finds 40% of Canadian gen Z employees at a mental-health ‘breaking point’ 2. Survey finds 40% of workers taking time off due […]
In December 2022, the Supreme Court of Justice of Colombia released an unexpected decision: two men, who had been in a polyamorous relationship with a third man for more than a decade, were entitled to the latter’s survivor pension benefits. The pension plan had originally denied the partners’ application for survivor benefits and had sought […]
An article on a 2023 budget proposal to require employers to report dental coverage as part of the national dental-care program was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com over the last week. Here are the five most popular news stories of the week: 1. Enhanced national dental plan to require reporting of employer-provided coverage: budget 2. CAAT raising DBplus […]
An article on a private member’s bill prohibiting the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board from making certain investments was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com over the last week. Here are the five most popular news stories of the week: 1. Private member’s bill prohibiting certain CPPIB investments survives first reading 2. Expert panel: Air Canada decision illustrates danger […]
A recent court decision in Ontario illustrates the potential danger for employers that attempt to rely on pension plan terms to refute claims for pension-related losses in the context of wrongful dismissal actions. The case, Williams v. Air Canada, involved a claim by a long-time employee whose employment was terminated in 2020 when the airline […]
The Federal Court has ruled that the termination of long-term disability benefits for employees who become eligible to receive unreduced pension benefits doesn’t amount to age discrimination. The case arose from the terms of a collective bargaining agreement between Air Canada and the Air Canada Pilots Association. The agreement provided that pilots were eligible to […]
Retiree spending of public and private sector pension benefits generated US$1.3 trillion in total economic output in the U.S. in 2020, supporting nearly 6.8 million jobs during the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new report by the National Institute on Retirement Security. It also found $612.6 billion in pension benefits were paid […]