Starting your deferred pension
Leaving employment before retirement
Offering flexibility
Your deferred pension is the amount of pension you earned in the Plan during your active membership, up to the date you terminated your employment. A deferred pension offers the flexibility to collect a secure lifetime pension from the CAAT Pension Plan, even if you left employment before you were eligible to retire.
When can you start your deferred pension?
If you were in the DBplus Plan design, or if you had 20 years of service when you terminated in the DBprime Plan design, you can start your deferred pension as early as age 50. If you earned your pension in the DBprime Plan design, you can start your deferred pension between the ages of 55 and 65. (or as early as age 50 if you had 20 years of service when you terminated).
Once you start your pension:
- Your pension will be paid on the first of each month for the rest of your life.
- Your pension will be increased each year with conditional inflation protection, when granted.
- Your spouse will receive a survivor pension for his or her life if you predecease them.
How to start collecting your deferred pension
To start collecting your pension, you will need to provide the CAAT Plan with the following documentation:
- Complete the Deferred Pension Application form in its entirety and sign it.
- Complete and sign federal and provincial TD1 tax forms. These forms can be downloaded from the Canada Revenue Agency's website, or contact us for copies.
- Provide valid copies of proof of age for you and your spouse. Payments will not be made unless proof of age is provided.
Once we have received your completed forms and supporting documents, we will prepare your option documents that will be mailed to you. Once you elect your option and return the documents to us, we will begin processing your pension. Your deferred pension starts receiving inflation protection increases, when they are granted, even before you start your pension.
Important note about proof of age
Acceptable proof of age includes any government issued identification (federal or provincial) that clearly shows the card holder’s date of birth, excluding health cards, (e.g. passport, birth certificate, citizenship card, driver’s license). Please note that payments will not be made unless proof of age is provided.
Forms
Deferred Pension Application form (PDF)
More information about your deferred pension
Click the title to read the article, or use the "Visit the support centre" button for more
- Inflation protection How does CAAT calculate inflation protection? :
- DBplus I’m a DBplus member :
- If there is no valid and enforceable power of attorney, what happens? :
- What happens if your spouse dies before you retire? :
- Who is eligible for pension income splitting for tax purposes? :
- What types of income are eligible for pension income splitting for tax purposes? :
- Who can I contact for more information about pension income splitting? :
- My retired member statement includes a request for Pension Confirmation. What should I do? :
- What happens if you and your eligible spouse at the retirement date separate or divorce in retirement? :
- What is the maximum amount I can redeem? :
- Spousal Waiver of Pre-Retirement Death Benefits :
- Using the Actuarial Cost Calculator :
- What happens to my pension if I leave my job? :
- What happens if I start working for a CAAT Pension Plan employer AFTER the 24-month extension period? :
- What are the sources of disability benefits? :
- What does the phrase "in force and effect" mean? :
- How to proceed with a service buyback? :
- Should I split my income and allocate it to my spouse? :
- How much additional pension will you receive from a purchase? :
- Where can I find the direct deposit form? :
- Why does the information in my statement refer to last year? :
- I’m a DBprime member :
- Why does my agent have to send a copy of the power of attorney to the Plan? :
- What other power of attorney documents may be required? :
- What is pension income splitting for tax purposes? :
- What happens if I become eligible to retire during the 24-month extension period? :
- How does a change in marital status affect my pension? :
- What is a designated beneficiary? :
- Is a deferred annuity right for your needs? :
- When does the Plan need a copy of my power of attorney? :
- Returning to work after retirement :
- The cost of a buyout :
- If I don't have a spouse, can I split my pension income and allocate it to someone else? :
- How does the Plan use the power of attorney? :
- Change of informationPlanning for retirement Canada Post Strike: Send documents to the Plan securely :
- Change of informationPlanning for retirement Dont miss out 5 reasons you should activate your My Pension :
- Deferring my pensionPlanning for retirement Should you take advantage of a deferred pension :
- Power of attorney What does it mean to be "valid and operative" :
- Power of attorney What does the Plan do with the Power of Attorney for Property :
- After I retireSeparation or divorceSurvivor benefits What happens if you and your eligible spouse at retirement separate or divorce in retirement :
- After I retireSurvivor benefitsCollecting my pension What happens if your eligible spouse at retirement pre-deceases you :
- DBplusDBprimeLeaving my job What if I start working for a CAAT Plan employer after the 24-month extension is up :
- Power of attorney What if there is no valid and operative Power of Attorney for Property document :
- Income taxCollecting my pension What type of income qualifies for income tax splitting :
- Power of attorney Why does my Attorney have to send the Plan a copy of the document :
- What you need to know: Annual Survey :
- GROWTHplus Getting started with GROWTHplus :
- After I retireSurvivor benefits Other survivor benefits if you die with no spouse :
- GROWTHplus Your GROWTHplus annual statement is now available. Here’s what you need to know. : Your GROWTHplus annual statement is now available online in My Pension.
- My annual statement New, simplified annual statements are here :
- Your pension during the 2025 OPSEU Support Staff Strike :
- Canada Post Strike: Submit and receive Plan documents securely :
- Change of information How to setup and update my MFA :
- After I retireBefore I retire What is a Member ID? :
- DBplusDBprime Your DB pension is about to get even better :
- Planning for retirement Ready to Retire? Congratulations! Here’s what happens next :
- Contributions CAAT Pension Plan Announces Strong Funding Status, Valuation and Asset Under Management :
- DBplusDBprime You asked: The Canada Pension Plan enhancement and your CAAT pension :
- DBplus CAAT is bringing retirement within reach! :
- Inflation protection What does “conditional” inflation protection mean? :
- Inflation protection Why didn’t my pension increase by the rate announced last year? :
- Inflation protection Why doesn’t CAAT’s inflation protection rate match the CPI? :
- Inflation protection Why is CAAT’s inflation protection rate different from that of other pension plans? :
- Inflation protection Why is there no inflation protection increase on pensions earned before 1992? :
- DBplusDBprime DBprime or DBplus? :
- DBprime What does a purchase cost? :
- Pension purchaseDBplus I can’t find my past earnings information. What options are available to me? :
- Pension purchaseDBplus What is the maximum amount I can purchase? :
- DBplus How much does a purchase cost? :
- DBplus Are you thinking about joining DBplus? :
- Pension purchaseDBplusDBprimeService purchase Information about COVID-19 related leaves or layoffs :
- DBplusContributionsDBprimePlanning for retirement Contribute as long as you work (until you turn 71) :
- OntarioMy annual statement Retroactive payments and your Annual Statement :
- DBplusDisability leave If I choose not to contribute during the period of disability, can I still purchase it when I return to work? :
- DBprimeService purchase 2017 Faculty strike purchase information :
- DBplusDBprimeCollecting my pensionAfter I retire Can I have my pension deposited into a non-Canadian bank account? :
- DBplusDeferring my pension Can I start my deferred DBplus pension before age 65? :
- Deferring my pensionDBprime Can I start my deferred DBprime pension before age 65? :
- Survivor benefitsPlanning for retirement Estate planning – wills and insurance :
- Collecting my pension How do government pensions work? :
- After I retireIncome taxCollecting my pension How do I change the amount of tax deducted from my pension? :
- Before I retirePlanning for retirementPension estimates How do I get an estimate of my pension? :
- Income taxCollecting my pension How do I go about splitting my pension? :
- DBplusDisability leave How do I know how much my contributions will be while I’m on disability leave? :
- Pension purchase How do I make a pension purchase? :
- DBplusDisability leave How do I notify the CAAT Pension Plan that I wish to contribute for my leave? :
- DBplusChange of informationDBprimeBefore I retire How do I report a change (e.g. change in marital status) to the Plan? :
- How do I start my deferred pension at age 65? :
- After I retireChange of information How do I update my address with the Plan? :
- Separation or divorceSurvivor benefits How does a change in marital status affect my pension? :
- DBplusDisability leave How does the CAAT Pension Plan find out I’m on a disability leave? :
- Income taxCollecting my pension How income tax applies to your pension :
- Pension purchaseDBplus How much additional pension will you receive from a purchase? :
- DBplusDisability leave How soon do I have to decide if I want to contribute during my disability period? :
- DBplusDisability leave I have been waiting to start receiving my disability benefits for longer than 30 days. Can I still make contributions for the entire period? :
- DBplusDisability leave I was on a period of short-term disability before my LTD started. Can I make contributions on those earnings too? :
- DBplusDisability leave I’m receiving income from other sources during my disability leave period. Can I contribute on those as well? :