Retirement
Members can request Pension Estimates directly from the MEBP Administration Office at any time prior to deciding to retire or they can run their own pension estimates 24/7 using the Online Pension Estimator available on the MEBP website.
If a Member would like to retire, the following procedures should be followed to ensure that the Member receives accurate and timely information about their pension benefit and, if applicable, insurance benefits that they are entitled to receive from the MEBP Administration Office:
Meet with the Member to determine and confirm the date of retirement.
Advise the Member to contact the MEBP Administration Office 2-3 months prior to the date of retirement. The MEBP Administration Office will confirm that the Member is eligible for retirement benefits and will send the Member a Pension Estimate and retirement package.
As soon as the Member’s final pay is processed, a SEPARATION NOTICE (FORM-SN) will need to be completed and submitted to the MEBP Administration Office. MEBP will not be able to start monthly pension payments until the Separation Notice (FORM-SN) is received.
If you complete the online version of the Separation Notice (FORM-SN), you will have the ability to add "notes" to your online submission of the form. If you send in a paper copy, you will have to attach any required notes to the form. Send either the online form or the paper copy, but not both.
Instructions on how to complete the Separation Notice (FORM-SN) can be found at the end of Section 5 of this Manual.
If the Member is also a participant of the Group Insurance Plan(s), inform them that:
MEBP offers Post Retirement Insurance benefits to Members who at retirement were participating in Basic Life Insurance. If the Member is eligible to participate, information will be included in their retirement package.
Also, inform the Member that they can convert Basic, Family and Optional Life Insurance to an individual policy within 31 days from their retirement date without providing Evidence of Insurability. The conversion option is only available to members who are under age 65. For more information about conversion of insurance benefits, please have the Member contact the MEBP Administration Office directly.
If the Member had been off work prior to retirement from employment and had chosen to not continue paying Basic Life contributions, coverage under the insurance plan will have lapsed and the option to convert to a private policy or participate in the Post Retirement Insurance is not available.
If the Member is under 64 years and 8 months of age and participates in the Disability Income Plan, advise them that their coverage under the Disability Income Plan will stop on the last day they received pensionable earnings.
Ensure that all required MEBP contributions were deducted correctly from the Member 's pensionable earnings. If an error is found, add a note advising the MEBP Administration Office that an adjustment will be made on the next monthly remittance report.
Please refer to the Section 6 – Additional Employer Information for information on pensionable earnings and current contribution rates.
After the Retirement has been processed by the MEBP Administration Office, the retired Member is to be advised to contact the MEBP Administration Office directly in regard to any questions or concerns they have in regard to the MEBP benefits.
Termination of Employment
If a Member is terminated or has resigned from a participating MEBP Employer, the following procedures should be followed to ensure that the Member receives accurate and timely information about pension benefits that they are entitled to receive from MEBP.
As soon as the Member’s final pay is processed, a SEPARATION NOTICE (FORM-SN) will need to be completed and submitted to the MEBP Administration Office. Upon receipt of the Separation Notice (FORM-SN), the MEBP Administration Office will determine the Employee’s Pension Plan termination benefit and send the Member a Termination Package providing them with their payment options. NOTE: The Member’s benefit cannot be calculated, and a Termination Package cannot be prepared without a completed Separation Notice (FORM-SN) being received by the MEBP Administration Office.
If you complete the online version of the Separation Notice (FORM-SN), you will have the ability to add "notes" to your online submission of the form. If you send in a paper copy, you will have to attach any required notes to the form. Send either the online form or the paper copy, but not both.
Instructions on how to complete the Separation Notice (FORM-SN) can be found at the end of Section 5 of this Manual.
If the Member is also participating in the Group Insurance Plan, advise them that their insurance coverage will stop on the last day they are paid pensionable earnings.
Also, inform the Member that they can convert Basic, Family and Optional Life Insurance to an individual policy within 31 days from their termination date without providing Evidence of Insurability. For more information about conversion of insurance benefits, please have the Member contact MEBP Administration Office directly.
If the Member had been off work prior to termination of employment and had chosen to not continue paying Basic Life contributions, coverage under the insurance plan will have lapsed and the option to convert to a private policy is not available.
If the Member participates in the Disability Income Plan, advise them that their coverage under the Plan will stop on the last day they work and are paid pensionable earnings.
Ensure that all required MEBP contributions were deducted correctly from the Member's pensionable earnings. If an error is found, add a note advising the MEBP Administration Office that an adjustment will be made on the next monthly remittance report.
Please refer to the Section 6 – Additional Employer Information for information on pensionable earnings and current contribution rates.
Death In Service
If a Member dies, whether it be accidental or not, the following procedures should be followed AS SOON AS POSSIBLE to ensure that the Member 's beneficiary(ies) receive accurate and timely information about pension and if applicable, group insurance benefits that they may be entitled to receive from MEBP:
Ensure that all required MEBP contributions were deducted correctly from the Member 's pensionable earnings. If an error is found, add a note advising the MEBP Administration Office that an adjustment will be made on the next monthly remittance report.
Please refer to the Section 6 – Additional Employer Information for information on pensionable earnings and current contribution rates.
As soon as the Member’s final pay is processed, a SEPARATION NOTICE (FORM-SN) will need to be completed and submitted to the MEBP Administration Office. Upon receipt of the Separation Notice (FORM-SN), the MEBP Administration Office will determine the Member’s Pension Plan death benefit and send the Member’s Spouse or beneficiary(ies) information regarding the death benefit. NOTE: The Member’s benefit cannot be calculated without a completed Separation Notice (FORM-SN) being received by the MEBP Administration Office.
If you complete the online version of the Separation Notice (FORM-SN), you will have the ability to add "notes" to your online submission of the form. If you send in a paper copy, you will have to attach any required notes to the form. Send either the online form or the paper copy, but not both.
Instructions on how to complete the Separation Notice (FORM-SN) can be found at the end of Section 5 of this Manual.
If the Member participated in the Group Insurance Plan, please contact the MEBP Administration Office for additional instructions.
A NOTICE OF INSURANCE COVERAGE AT DATE OF DEATH (Form #73) - will need to be completed and submitted to the MEBP Administration Office. The Form #73 is also to be used if a Member has Family Coverage and one of the covered family member has passed away.
Instructions on how to complete the Notice of Insurance Coverage at Date of Death (Form #73) can be found at the end of Section 5 of this Manual.
If the Member had been off work prior to the date of death and had chosen not to continue paying Basic Life contributions, and if applicable, Family Life, Optional Life and Voluntary Accidental Death & Dismemberment (Voluntary AD&D) contributions, the Member 's insurance coverage will have lapsed and a death benefit from the Group Insurance Plan will not be available.
If the Member’s death was accidental, it would be helpful if you could provide the following information:
the date, time, place, and a brief description of the accident, and
if applicable, the name and contact information of the attending Police Officer and/or Police detachment.
Death of a Retiree
If a Retired Member who is receiving a pension from MEBP dies, please provide the MEBP Administration Office as soon as possible with the name, telephone number and mailing address of the individual managing the retiree’s affairs.
Completing the Separation Notice (FORM-SN)
A Separation Notice (FORM-SN) must be completed for ALL employees, or disabled employees, whose membership in the MEBP Pension Plan is ending due to Retirement, Termination of Employment or Death in service or while disabled.
The benefit being paid out of the Pension Plan will be determined based on information provided by the Employer on this Separation Notice (FORM-SN). As such, it is very important that the information provided be up to date and accurate. If you need assistance completing the FORM-SN, please contact the MEBP Administration Office.
See the next page for detailed explanation of each item requested.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING – SEPARATION NOTICE (FORM-SN)
IMPORTANT: The information reported on the FORM-SN needs to be what SHOULD HAVE been reported for the year – not what actually happened. If there is a discrepancy between what should have been done to what was actually done, the Employer will have to make the appropriate adjustments on their next payroll.
|
No. |
Field |
Instruction |
|
1 |
Original or Revised Checkbox |
Select Original for first-time submission. Select Revised for updates or corrections. |
|
2 |
Name of Member |
Enter the member’s Last Name and First Name in the space provided. |
|
3 |
Date of Birth |
Enter the member’s Date of Birth in yyyy-mm-dd format, or use the date picker to select. |
|
4 |
Mailing Address |
Enter the member’s current mailing address, including unit number and postal code if applicable. |
|
5 |
Last Job Position |
Enter the member’s last job title or position held prior to the separation. |
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6 |
Employment Status |
Select the member’s employment status at the time of separation. |
|
7 |
Last Salary or Pay Rate |
Enter the member’s last salary or hourly pay rate, before deductions. Indicate whether the amount is Hourly or Annually. |
|
8 |
Annual Full Time Base Hours for the Position |
Select the Annual Full Time Base Hours for the position, If Other is selected, enter the number of hours manually. |
|
9 |
1st Pay Period Start Date for Year of Separation |
Enter the first pay period start date for the year of separation in yyyy-mm-dd format, or use the date picker to select. If the member joined mid-year, use the date member entered the plan. |
|
10 |
Date of Separation |
Enter the official end of employment date in yyyy-mm-dd format, or use the date picker to select. Include any period covered by vacation pay paid as salary continuance or pay in lieu of notice. For employees not returning from disability, layoff, or leave, use the resignation date, termination date, or the date disability payments ended. |
|
11 |
Question 1 |
Select Yes or No. If yes is selected, enter the Last Pensionable Earnings Paid Until. |
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12 |
Last Pensionable Earnings Paid Until |
Enter the date the member last received pensionable earnings in yyyy-mm-dd format, or use the date picker. This applies if the member was on layoff, leave of absence, or disability immediately before separation. The date must be on or before the Date of Separation — Entries beyond that will be rejected. |
|
13 |
Type of Separation |
Select the member’s type of separation. Choose Termination only if the member is under age 55. If the member is age 55 or older, the separation will be considered Retirement. If Death is selected, complete the Executor or Next of Kin Information below. |
|
14 |
Executor or Next Kin Information |
Enter the name, phone number, and mailing address of the Executor or Next of Kin, if Death is selected in Type of Separation. |
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15 |
Question 2 - 5 |
Select Yes, No, or N/A for each question. If the member was Full-Time and had unpaid leave of absence (LOA) during the separation year, enter the number of unpaid LOA hours in the space provided. |
|
16 |
Number of unpaid LOA hours |
Enter the total number of unpaid LOA hours, if the member was Full-Time and had unpaid LOA in the separation year. |
|
17 |
Pensionable Hours for Current Year |
Enter the member’s pensionable hours worked during the current year. Refer to the Pensionable Earnings List to confirm eligible items. |
|
18 |
Pensionable Earnings for Current Year’s Service |
Enter the member’s pensionable earnings associated with the pensionable hours for the current year. Include any retroactive pay paid for the service within the current year. Refer to the Pensionable Earnings List to confirm eligible items. |
|
19 |
Pension Contributions for Current Year’s Service |
Enter the member’s employee pension contributions amount, based on the Pensionable Earnings for Current Year’s Service. Use the applicable pension contribution formula to calculate. Entries must be within ±$5 of the expected amount — values outside this range will be rejected. |
|
20 |
Service Year for Retro Pay |
Enter the Service Year associated with any retro pay for prior years’ service issued during the current year. If retro pay covers multiple years, provide a breakdown by Service Year. |
|
21 |
Retro Pensionable Earnings for Prior Years’ Service |
Enter the member’s pensionable earnings associated with retro pay for prior years’ service. |
|
22 |
Pension Contributions for Prior Years’ Service Retro Pay |
Enter the member’s employee pension contributions amount related to retro pensionable earnings for prior years’ service. Use the applicable pension contribution formula to calculate. The amount must match the retro pensionable earnings multiplied by the appropriate contribution rate —entries that do not match will be rejected. |
|
23 |
Total Pensionable Earnings Paid in Year of Separation |
This field is auto-populated. It reflects the sum of pensionable earnings for the current year’s service and all retro pensionable earnings for prior years. |
|
24 |
Total Employee Contributions Remitted in Year of Separation |
This field is auto-populated. It reflects the total employee pension contributions remitted in the year of separation, including amounts based on current year’s service and retro pay. |
|
25 |
Vacation Pay |
Select the vacation pay option that was applied by checking one of the boxes. |
|
26 |
Employer Information |
Enter the Employer Number, Employer Name, and contact details. A signature is not required if the notice is submitted through the employer’s online portal or employer’s email. |
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27
|
Additional Information |
Enter any notes or relevant details related to the separation notice that may assist the pension administrator in processing the case. |
Supplement Note on Date of Separation
Retirement: The date of separation for a retirement is determined by the employer, based on employer policies and discussions with the employee or by the employee when written notice of retirement is given to the employer. This date can be a weekday, weekend or statutory holiday. In most cases the date of separation is the last day that the employee was paid pensionable earnings which could include salary continuance for vacation or pay in lieu of notice. Review the Vacation Pay Procedures in Section 6 - Additional Employer Information of this Manual.
However, if the employee was on a leave of absence or layoff, gave written notice that they would not be returning to work, and had no further pensionable earnings to be paid out, the separation date would be the retirement date requested by the employee in their written notice to the employer or a termination date initiated by the employer
Termination: The date of separation for a termination is determined by the employer, based on employer policies and discussions with the employee or by the employee when written notice of termination is given to the employer. This date can be a weekday, weekend or statutory holiday. In most cases the date of separation is the last day that the employee was paid pensionable earnings which could include salary continuance for vacation or pay in lieu of notice. Review the Vacation Pay Procedures in Section 6 - Additional Employer Information of this Manual.
However, if the employee was on a leave of absence or layoff, gave written notice that they would not be returning to work, and had no further pensionable earnings to be paid out, the separation date would be the termination date requested by the employee in their written notice to the employer or a termination date initiated by the employer.
If the employee is on a leave of absence or layoff, a separation notice is not required unless the employee resigns or is terminated during the leave or layoff period. If the employee is expected to return to work, a separation notice is not required.
Death: The date of separation for death is the Date of Death.
Completing Form #73 – Notice of Insurance Coverage at Date of Death
INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING – NOTICE OF INSURANCE COVERAGE AT EMPLOYEE DEATH (FORM #73)
IMPORTANT: The Notice of Insurance Coverage at Employee Death (Form #73) should be sent to the MEBP Administration Office along with the completed Separation Notice (FORM-SN) completed for the Employee. The Form is also to be used if an Employee has Family Coverage and one of the covered family members has passed away.
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Type of Coverage: Check the boxes that apply.
Was the Employee on a leave at the time of death: check the appropriate box: yes or no
Employer must complete, date and sign the bottom of the form.
Member Name: Enter the name of the Employee.
S.I.N.: Enter the Employee’s Social Insurance Number.
Employer Number: Enter the Employer Number assigned to you by MEBP. This is used for Identification purposes.
Employer Name: Enter the name of Employer.
Name of Deceased: Enter the name of deceased for whom the insurance benefit is being applied for.
Date of Birth Deceased: Enter the deceased’s date of birth.
Date of Death: Enter the date of death.
Phone Number of Contact Person:
If the deceased is the Employee – enter the name and contact information of the Life Insurance Beneficiary or Executor.
If the deceased is a family member of the Employee, enter the Employee’s name and contact information.
Relationship to the Member:
If the deceased is the Employee – enter the relationship of the Contact Person.
If the deceased is a family member of the Employee, enter the deceased’s relationship to the Employee.
Was the death a result of an Accident? Check the appropriate box.
Member’s Occupation at date of death: Enter the Employee’ job position at the date of death.
Complete for Full-time Permanent Employees only: Current Annual Earnings Rate at date of death - Enter the Employee’s annual earnings rate at the date of death. Effective Date - Enter what date this rate became effective.
Contribution Frequency: Check the frequency of the Employee deductions
Did the Employee pay all the required contributions up the date of death: Check the appropriate box: yes or no
Amount of Insurance: Enter the amount of current coverage for each applicable Insurance Coverage.