Contributions
You and your employer contribute to the Pension Plan, and these contributions
are used to fund your pension. Employees are required to make regular contributions
each pay period. Employers match employee contributions either in cash or cash in combination with a transfer from the City Account—a reserve within the Program available
to the City and other Participating Employers.
Employee contributions are made by payroll deduction. Your contributions are tax-deductible
up to current Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) limits, which means they will reduce the
amount of income tax you pay each year. Your member contributions will not exceed
the amount required to fund your share of the maximum annual pension permitted under
the Income Tax Act (your full annual pensionable earnings will still be
used to calculate your best 5-year average).
To see what you contribute to the Pension Plan, check your Annual Statement of Benefits, your pay advice, or your T4 slip.
While contributions are important, your pension is based on service and earnings,
not the amount you contribute.
Contributions are lower on earnings up to the YMPE (Year's Maximum Pensionable
Earnings) and higher on earnings above it. The
YMPE is set by CRA and changes every year to reflect increases
in the average wage. See the definition of CPP Earnings on the
Pension Basics page for an explanation of the YMPE.
The average contribution rate to the Program is 10.0% of pensionable earnings for both employees and employers.
Employees contribute:
- 9.5% on pensionable earnings up to the maximum pensionable earnings under the Canada
Pension Plan (CPP); and
- 11.8% on pensionable earnings above the maximum pensionable earnings under the CPP.
Your contributions stop automatically when you leave the Pension Plan or retire. Under current tax rules, you must stop contributing to the Pension Plan (and begin collecting your pension) no later than December 31 of the year in which you reach age 71.
The Winnipeg Civic Employees’ Pension Plan allows contributing members to make voluntary Employee Additional Contributions. The employer does not match these contributions and they do not provide the member with any additional credited service.
Voluntary Employee Additional Contributions are an alternative to making contributions to a Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP). If you are making your maximum contributions to your RRSP, you cannot make Employee Additional Contributions. Employee Additional Contributions do not in any way increase your regular defined pension benefit, but are like a separate investment account. At retirement you may convert the accumulated value of your Employee Additional Contributions into an annuity from the Plan and have the annuity paid in addition to your regular pension, transfer the accumulated value to your RRSP, or receive the monies as a taxable lump sum.
Employee Additional Contributions are invested within the bond portfolio of your Pension Plan. The rate of return for each calendar year is based on the market rate of return of the bond portfolio for the year, net of 0.5% to cover administration costs, and can be positive or negative. For members who withdraw during the year, the rate of return used will include the net market rate of return earned for the part year.
You may start, increase, decrease or stop your Employee Additional Contributions during any pay period by completing an Employee Additional Contributions form. Lump sum contributions are not permitted.
Employee Additional Contributions can be refunded to you on a one-time basis while an employee, or otherwise at retirement, termination of employment, or death. If you elect to make the one-time withdrawal while an employee, you will not be allowed to contribute under the Employee Additional Contributions provision again.