Find out about a previous pension plan

Do you think you have already participated in a pension plan? Perhaps you have benefits under a plan that were never claimed? The following questions will help you find out.

Do you have documents which refer to a pension plan?

• an annual statement
• a statement of account or participation
• a booklet or other documents which explain a pension plan

Do you have proof that confirms your participation in a pension plan?

• a pay stub with a deduction for a pension plan
• an income tax slip (T-4 or Relevé 1) from your employer with an amount entered in the box for pension plan contributions or in the box for the pension adjustment (PA)
• an income tax return with a deduction for a pension plan, called registered pension plan (RPP) for income tax purposes

Who were your employers and in what years did you work for each of them?

Make a complete list of your employers and include the years in which you participated in a pension plan, if appropriate.

Do you meet the minimum conditions for eligibility for a pension for each of your employers and for the years in which you contributed to each of the plans?

Since 1 January 2001, once you stop participating in a pension plan you are eligible for a pension. The pension includes the employer share.

If your participation in a pension plan ended before 1 January 2001, the following conditions apply:

• For work done between 1 January 1990 and 31 December 2000, you will be eligible for a pension if you were an active member of the plan for at least 2 years.
• For work done before 1 January 1990, you will be eligible for a pension if you are aged 45 or over and:
  • you have 10 years of continuous service with the employer
    or
  • you have 10 years of participation in the plan
     

Your plan may allow you to be eligible for a pension without fulfilling these conditions.

Have you contacted each of your previous employers?

To make your research easier, consult the list of pension plans currently supervised by the Régie des rentes du Québec. The list will help you find the address of the contact person of each plan.

If the list of pension plans supervised by the Régie does not contain the name of the plan that you are looking for, you may be in one of the following situations:

• Your plan is registered in another Canadian province
• You were an employee of a public or parapublic agency in Québec (employees of the Québec public service, employees in the education and health sectors, employees of the Sûreté du Québec, peace officers, municipal elected officials, judges of the Court of Québec, etc.) and your plan is administered by the Commission administrative des régimes de retraite et d'assurances (CARRA)
• You were an employee of a federal public agency (employees of the federal public service, the Canadian Forces, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, etc.)
• You were an employee of a private organization under federal jurisdiction (banks, interprovincial transport, telecommunications, etc.)

You haven't found what you are looking for?

• Ask the Canada Revenue Agency or Revenu Québec if you have made contributions to a pension plan.
• If you have not made any contributions and you do not fulfil the minimal conditions for eligibility for a pension, it is possible that you have not accumulated any benefits in a pension plan.
• Contact Revenu Québec, to whom unclaimed amounts may have been transferred.
• Contact the Régie des rentes du Québec to find out if your name is on the list of members who have accumulated benefits that have not been claimed from plans that have been terminated.

By e-mail
By regular mail :	Information Officer Direction des régimes de retraite Régie des rentes du Québec Case postale 5200 Québec (Québec) G1K 7S9
By telephone :	418 643-8282