The Brock University Pension Plan is a hybrid pension plan that provides a Money Purchase Pension (Defined Contribution), with an underlying Minimum Guaranteed Pension (Defined Benefit) that acts as a “safety net” in the event that the Money Purchase Pension falls below the Minimum Guaranteed Pension. 

If you are an ongoing employee, enrolment in the Brock University Pension Plan is completed in Workday as part of your onboarding process. Pension contributions will appear on your payslip.  

As well, you will be required to complete a Spouse and Beneficiary Designation Form (.pdf). Completed forms may be submitted to our secure Pension Upload Site. 

Part time contract and casual employees must meet the eligibility requirements to enroll in the Brock University Pension Plan. An employee must earn at least 35% of the YMPE (Yearly Maximum Pensionable Earnings) in each of the two previous calendar years or work at least 700 hours in each of the two previous calendar years. 

Employees meeting the eligibility requirements are notified in March of each year. 

As a member, you make the following contributions by payroll deduction to your Money Purchase Account (the defined contribution portion of the Plan):  

• 4.4% of your pensionable earnings up to the YMPE plus 6% of your pensionable earnings above the YMPE.  

The University is required to make the following contributions to your Money Purchase Account: 

• 7.4% of your pensionable earnings up to the YMPE plus 9% of your pensionable earnings above the YMPE.  

*YMPE (year’s maximum pensionable earnings) is the earnings maximum used to determine contributions and benefits under the Canada Pension Plan. The YMPE is adjusted each year. In 2026, it is $74,600.  

The Plan allows you to make additional voluntary contributions through payroll deductions. These contributions are accounted for in a separate Additional Voluntary Contribution Account in your name, that is, they are not co-mingled with your required contributions to the Money Purchase Account. The additional voluntary contributions, however, are credited with the rate of return that is earned by the Brock University Pension Plan. The University does not make any contributions related to the additional voluntary contributions and there is no guaranteed level of pension with respect to these contributions. 

The Income Tax Act limits contributions to the defined contribution component of the plan. Contact pension staff for further information.

Each year, you will receive your Personal Pension Statement as at June 30. The statement will include: 

• your personal information on record (including the names of your spouse and beneficiary);
• total contributions to your Money Purchase Account over the past year;
• your account balances; and
• the pension you have earned as of the statement date and the projected pension on your normal retirement date.

Statements for the current plan year are released in the Fall. Active members of the Brock University Pension Plan can access their statement via the Brock Pension Estimator. Deferred members statements will be mailed to their home address. 

If you have a spouse on the date of your death, pension legislation requires that your spouse receive any death benefit payable from the Brock University Pension Plan, unless your spouse has waived their entitlement to this benefit. Without a spousal waiver, any death or survivor benefit will be paid to your spouse, regardless of whom you have named as your beneficiary.

Please see the back of the Spouse & Beneficiary Designation Form for the definition of a spouse for pension purposes.  

If you do not have a spouse on the date of your death or your spouse has completed a waiver, your designated beneficiary will be entitled to receive the death benefits payable under the Brock University Pension Plan. Your beneficiary can be any person of your choice. 

If you wish to name a child who is younger than age 18 as your beneficiary, it is recommended that you consult your lawyer before completing the beneficiary designation

Complete the Spouse and Beneficiary Designation Form. Active members can submit the completed form by uploading it to the secure Pension Upload Site. Deferred members are required to return the form by mail: 

Brock University 

Pension Office, 12th Floor 

1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way  

St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A1 

The Brock Pension Estimator provides pension estimates for active Plan members. 

You can access the Estimator from your “My Work” tab in the “my.brocku.ca” portal. Instructions for using the Brock Pension Estimator can be found here. 

Pension legislation states that funds within a registered pension plan are ‘locked-in’ to provide you with retirement income. You cannot withdraw your pension funds until you leave employment with Brock, at which time, you can transfer your pension benefit to another locked-in vehicle (e.g. a LIRA or potentially another registered pension plan). 

Once you enroll in the Brock University Pension Plan, you cannot cease participating in the Plan until you terminate employment or retire.

You cannot use Brock University Pension Plan contributions in this way. They cannot be assigned to anyone, for example, to pay a debt or secure a loan.

Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) introduced changes to the family law provisions of the Pension Benefits Act (Ontario) as of January 1, 2012. The process enacted requires the Plan Administrator (Brock University) to calculate the value of the pension (the “Family Law Value”) and provide for immediate division of assets as prescribed by FSRA, using the FSRA approved forms throughout the process. 

Steps to take to request a Family Law Value can be found under Pensions upon Separation and Family Law Values.

More information on pensions and marriage breakdown can be found on the FSRA website.

If you were a member of a registered pension plan in Canada before joining the University, you may be able to transfer the lump-sum value of your prior benefit into the Brock University Pension Plan. The administrators of the transferring plan would need to agree to the terms of the transfer and you must complete the required paperwork. 

This lump-sum transfer is accounted for in a separate Special Transfer Account in your name, that is, the associated funds are not co-mingled with your required contributions to the Money Purchase Account. The lump-sum transfer, however, is credited with the rate of return that is earned by the Brock University Pension Plan.  

The University does not make any contributions related to a transfer and there is no guaranteed level of pension or service earned with respect to the lump-sum transfer.  

The lump-sum transfer must stay in the plan, within the separate Special Transfer Account, until you leave Brock. The University administers the funds on a locked-in or non-locked-in basis, according to instructions received from the other plan administrator.

Funds held in a LIRA or RRSP are not eligible for transfer into the Brock University Pension Plan. However, funds from another registered pension plan may qualify for a lump sum transfer into the Brock University Pension Plan. 

If you leave employment with the University before you reach age 55, the Plan provides a termination benefit that allows you some flexibility. You can choose: 

• a deferred pension; or
• to transfer your Money Purchase Account balance together with the commuted value, if any, of the excess of your Minimum Guaranteed Pension over your projected Money Purchase Pension to: 
• your new employer’s pension plan, if allowed; or 
• a locked-in retirement account (LIRA).

 If your pension benefit is considered to be a “small benefit” under pension legislation, you must take your Money Purchase Account balance together with the commuted value, if any, of the excess of your Minimum Guaranteed Pension over your projected Money Purchase Pension:  

• in cash, less withholding taxes; or 
• transfer it to a non-locked-in RRSP.

The University will provide you with a Statement and Election of Benefits on Termination of Employment form that will detail all of your pension benefits, their value, and your options. The forms are normally sent within 30 days of your termination date and are mailed to your residential address on record in Workday. It’s important that you complete the required paperwork and return it to the Office of People & Culture so that your benefits can be paid to you according to your wishes. 

To update your address, beneficiary information or banking information, contact pension staff at (905) 688-5550, extension 3186 or via email at [email protected] 

If you leave employment with the University after you reach age 55, the Brock University Pension Plan offers you flexibility. At normal, early, or postponed retirement, you have two choices.  

You can:  

• stay within the Plan and take a pension; or
• transfer your Money Purchase Account balance together with the commuted value, if any, of the excess of your Minimum Guaranteed Pension over your projected Money Purchase Pension to:
• a locked-in retirement account (LIRA); or
• a life income fund (LIF).

Contact pension staff at least three months in advance of your pension commencement, and they will guide you through the process. 

If you die before pension commencement, your eligible spouse or beneficiary will receive a survivor benefit based on your Money Purchase Account balance together with the commuted value, if any, of the excess of your Minimum Guaranteed Pension over your projected Money Purchase Pension. 

 Note: If you have an eligible spouse, and unless your spouse has waived their entitlement to the survivor benefit, your spouse will receive the survivor benefit even if they are not your designated beneficiary. 

If you die while collecting a pension, the survivor benefit depends on the form of pension you chose at pension commencement. For example, if you chose a joint- and-survivor 60% with a 15-year guarantee: after your death your spouse would receive 60% of your pension amount for the rest of your spouse’s life. Both Money Purchase and Minimum Guaranteed Pension amounts are reduced by 60% and both amounts continue to be adjusted on an annual basis.

Only the spouse you have on your pension commencement date, if any, is eligible to receive a spousal pension. If you remarry or enter into a common-law relationship after the date your pension payments begin, your new spouse will not be eligible to receive a spousal benefit.

Your first pension payment will be processed to be deposited to your account within three weeks of the pension commencement date. Thereafter, the payment will be deposited into your account on the first business day of the month. If you choose a lump-sum transfer rather than a pension, the transfer typically will be processed within three weeks of your retirement date.

No, your pension amount does not change after a spouse’s death.

An executor or next of kin should contact pension staff at (905) 688-5550 ext.3186 or via email at [email protected] 

Contact Pension Staff at (905) 688-5550 ext. 3186 or via email at [email protected] of your spouse’s death if you retired with a joint-and-survivor pension, as it is important to ensure that your records are up to date. 

You can contact Brock University Pension Plan’s custodian, CIBC Mellon at 1-800-565-0479 for North America or 1-519-873-2218 internationally.

You can contact Brock University Pension Plan’s custodian, CIBC Mellon at 1-800-565-0479 for North America or 1-519-873-2218 internationally. They will inform you of the steps to take to change your banking information.

In September, University pension staff will send you a Pensioner Adjustment Letter, which will explain your new adjusted Money Purchase Pension amount, your new adjusted Minimum Guarantee Pension Amount and your new monthly (gross) payment amount. The new payment amount is retroactive to July 1; however, you will receive the first adjusted payment in October.

Active members may update their contact information in Workday. Deferred members may contact University staff directly to update their address. Pensioners may contact CIBC Mellon Directly at 1-800-565-0479 for North America or 1-519-873-2218 internationally).

You can contact CIBC Mellon directly at 1-800-565-0479 for North America or 1-519-873-2218 internationally.