Forces Pension Rules Shifted to Regulations

Summary#

This Order fixes December 17, 2025 as the day when certain provisions of the Public Sector Pension Investment Board Act and of An Act to amend the Canadian Forces Superannuation Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts come into force. Practically, it moves a range of rules about the Canadian Forces pension plan out of the statute and into regulation, without changing benefit levels or who is eligible.

What it does#

• Brings into force, on December 17, 2025, specific sections of the Public Sector Pension Investment Board Act and the 2003 amendment law to the Canadian Forces Superannuation Act.
• Moves many detailed pension rules from the main law into the Canadian Forces Superannuation Regulations (CFSR) so they can be set or changed by regulation instead of by statute.
• Specifically allows regulations to cover areas that were formerly in the Act, including:
  • how supplementary death benefits are defined, funded and paid (replacing fixed rules in the law);
  • contribution rates and the formula that funds certain death benefits (the law’s fixed amounts are replaced by regulatory authority);
  • rules for buying back periods of service, how “deemed pay” and contribution credits are handled, and how pension portability between federal plans is treated;
  • rules for re-enrolment after release and for small lump-sum payments where a periodic pension is below a set threshold.
• A package of amendments to the CFSR that implements the repealed statutory rules is to come into force at the same time.

Who's affected#

• Members of the Canadian Armed Forces who participate in the Forces pension plan, including many regular-force members and reserve members who contribute to the plan.
• People who might buy back service, transfer service between federal plans, or rely on supplementary death benefits.
• Pension administrators, including the Department of National Defence and the Public Sector Pension Investment Board, who will use the new regulatory authorities to manage the plan.
• Retirees and beneficiaries should see no change to existing benefit levels or eligibility from this Order itself.

Why it matters#

• Moving detailed rules to regulation gives the government more flexibility to update administrative and technical pension rules without needing new laws. That can speed up changes and fixes.
• For individuals, the Order is meant to preserve current entitlements while letting administrators clarify or modernize how those entitlements are applied (for example, how buybacks or portability are handled).
• It does not change benefit levels or who qualifies for benefits. Any specific changes will appear in the regulations (the CFSR) that come into force with this Order. If you rely on or administer a Forces pension, watch for those regulatory details.