Federal Retirees members are wondering how the work stoppage will affect pension payments.
More than 155,000 federal public servants are on strike after the federal government and the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) failed to reach an agreement before the Tuesday evening deadline. Federal Retirees hopes that both sides will continue to bargain in good faith and ultimately reach an agreement that is acceptable to all.
We have been informed by the Government of Canada Pension Centre that pension payments to pensioners, survivors and their beneficiaries who are serviced by the Pension Centre are considered an essential service. Members will continue to receive their monthly payments without issue. Beyond the monthly payments, priority will be put on work that is related to monthly or urgent payments (e.g., cases where there is an issue related to a monthly payment or a reported death). Members contacting the pension centre may experience increased wait times before reaching a client experience agent and delays to non-urgent requests (e.g., estimates).