Accrued pension/benefit — the amount of annual pension earned by a plan member based on credit and salary rate up to a given date.

Basic pension — is the gross pension payable at age 65. See "Calculating your basic pension".

Commuted value — the amount of an immediate lump-sum payment in today's dollars estimated to be equal in value to a future series of pension payments.

Deferred pension — a specified pension determined at the time of termination of employment, which is payable at normal retirement age.

Defined benefit plan — a plan that defines the pension to be provided (based on credit and average salary) but not the total contributions.

Divestment — under Ontario's Pension Benefits Act, there are special rules protecting the pension entitlements of Plan members in the event of a divestment. These special rules apply when:

  • the former employer transfers, or "divests," all or part of an operation to another employer
  • affected employees become employed by the new employer
  • the new employer contributes to a different pension plan, and
  • the affected employees become members of the new employer's pension plan.

When OPTrust members are affected by a divestment, their earned pension remains with OPTrust and they have the right to a "special deferred pension" from the OPSEU Pension Plan. The new employer must recognize the period of membership in the OPSEU Pension Plan when determining eligibility for the new employer's pension plan.

Division of pension — where one spouse, on dissolution of the spousal relationship, may obtain a share of the pension value earned by the other spouse during the period of marriage or common-law or same-sex relationship.

Eligible child — under the OPSEU Pension Plan, a child is eligible to receive survivor benefits if the child is under the age of 18, or if over 18, the child is in continuous full-time attendance at a secondary school or, immediately following secondary school, is attending a post-secondary institution to a maximum of five years.

Immediate pension — a pension payable at the end of the month following the month of termination from the Plan. An immediate unreduced pension may be payable to a member who qualifies for Factor 90, 60/20 or age 65. An immediate reduced pension is payable as early as age 55.

Lifetime pension - is the pension amount paid to you without the OPTrust bridge benefit. If you start your pension before age 65 you will receive an OPTrust bridge payment. When you reach age 65, the bridge benefit stops.

Locked-in — a legislative requirement that vested benefits under the pension plan must be used to provide a lifetime retirement income and are not available as immediate cash.

Pensionable service credit (credit) — the total period of time during which a member contributes to the pension fund or has contributions made on his or her behalf.

Plan sponsors — the Government of Ontario and OPSEU. Each appoints five trustees to the OPTrust Board that oversees the OPSEU Pension Trust.

Public Service Pension Plan (PSPP) — the predecessor plan to the OPSEU Pension Plan. The PSPP is administered by the Ontario Pension Board.

Re-employed or engaged — a re-employed pensioner is someone who is working for (becomes an employee of) an employer who contributes to the OPSEU Pension Plan. The pensioner is considered engaged if he or she has a fee-for-service contract with an employer who contributes to the Plan.

Residual balance — when a pensioner dies and all eligible survivors have been paid, a calculation is done to determine if there is any money owing. This calculation compares the pension payments made plus all the survivor benefits paid to the total amount the member contributed, plus interest, to the Plan.

Special deferred pension — when a change of employment occurs that is a divestment under the Pension Benefits Act, and you join the new employer's pension plan, you are entitled to a special deferred pension from the OPSEU Pension Trust. With a special deferred pension you add your service with the OPSEU Pension Trust to your period of employment with the successor employer for your eligibility for early retirement.

Spouse — spouse is defined as one of two individuals, whether of the same or opposite sex, who:

  • are married to each other


    OR

  • are living together in a conjugal, common-law or same-sex relationship
    1. for at least three years


      OR

    2. have a relationship of some permanence and are the natural or adoptive parents of a child.

Generally, a spouse is not eligible for survivor or death benefits under the Plan, if the spouse and the member are living separate and apart at the date of death (for pre-retirement death benefits) or the date that the first pension payment is due (for post-retirement survivor benefits.)

Termination — in the OPSEU Pension Plan "termination" of Plan membership means that you stop making contributions to the pension plan because your employment has ended. Employment could end because of retirement, layoff, dismissal, resignation, death or permanent disability. When your employment ends and you no longer make contributions to the Plan, you stop being a member of the Plan (you terminate your membership).

Vested — when a member is entitled to benefits under the Plan as a result of satisfying membership and credited service requirements. Benefits accrued after December 31,1986, are vested after two years of credit or membership and are locked in. Before December 31,1986 your service is vested after 10 years of plan membership, credit or employment or if you are 45 or older and have 10 years of continuous employment.

Year's Basic Exemption (YBE) — the earnings amount set every calendar year by CPP below which Canadians do not make any CPP contributions.

Year's Maximum Pensionable Earnings (YMPE) — the maximum earnings from employment on which CPP contributions and benefits are calculated. The YMPE is changed every year according to a formula based on average industrial wage levels.