Her Excellency the Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson, C.C., C.M.M., C.D.
Governor General of Canada
Excellency:
I have the honour to submit to Your Excellency the annual Report
on the Administration of the Supplementary Retirement Benefits Act for
the Fiscal Year Ended March 31, 2004.
Respectfully submitted,
The paper version was signed by Reg Alcock
President of the Treasury Board
This is the 34th annual report on the administration of the Supplementary
Retirement Benefits Act (the Act), which came into force on April 1, 1970.
The Act makes it possible to provide supplementary benefits for - that is, to
index - pensions or allowances payable under the Acts or
regulations listed in the Appendix, as at March 31, 2004.
The original Supplementary Retirement Benefits Act of
1970 provided for increases in pensions of a maximum of 2 per cent per year,
based on the year of retirement going back to 1952. The increases were payable
at the age of 60, or earlier under specific conditions.
Effective January 1, 1974, the 2 per cent ceiling on increases
was removed and an annual increase in pensions reflecting the full increase in
the cost of living was permitted. The annual increase in pensions is payable in
January of each year. This increase is based on the percentage increase in the
average of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the 12 months ended on the
preceding September 30 over the CPI average for the 12 months ended a year
earlier.
The Act was amended in 1975 to permit interest to be paid on
returns of contributions. The interest rate is 4 per cent compounded annually.
Since 1982, the legislation has required that the increase
payable in the first year after a person retires be pro-rated according to the
number of complete months of retirement.
In 1983 and 1984, the increases were limited to 6.5 and 5.5 per
cent, respectively, under amendments to the Act passed in 1983.
In 1992, the Act was amended because changes were being made to
the statutes governing four federal public sector pension plans: the Public
Service Superannuation Act (PSSA); the Canadian Forces Superannuation Act
(CFSA); the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Superannuation Act (RCMPSA);
and the Members of Parliament Retiring Allowances Act (MPRAA). The
amendments meant that the Act did not apply to pensions payable under those
statutes. Consequently, each of those statutes now permits increases in these
pensions, which are determined as they were under the Act. The amendments to the
Act related to benefits payable under the PSSA, the CFSA and the RCMPSA were
made retroactive to April 1, 1991. Those related to the MPRAA became effective
on January 1, 1992. For more information on these amendments, see the section
titled "Funding."
The increase in pensions payable in January 2004 was 3.3 per
cent.
The Act establishes an account known as the Supplementary
Retirement Benefits Account (the Account). Plan members who have not yet
retired, except the Governor General, contribute to this account. The government
matches these contributions.
Between April 1, 1970, and December 31, 1976, members
contributed 0.5 per cent of their salary. Effective January 1, 1977, this rate
was increased to 1 per cent.
Interest on the Account is payable at the end of each quarter.
It is calculated monthly on the minimum balance in the Account at an interest
rate that represents the yield on outstanding Government of Canada bonds having
a term to maturity of five years, less one eighth of 1 per cent.
Before January 1, 1974, all supplementary benefits were charged
to the Account. Since that date, however, the benefits paid to a former
contributor have been charged to the Account only until they equal the total
amount credited to the Account for that person. Supplementary benefits paid in
excess of that total have been charged to the Consolidated Revenue Fund.
Under the 1992 amendments mentioned in the preceding section,
the appropriate portions of the Account were transferred to the superannuation
accounts established under the PSSA, the CFSA, the RCMPSA and the MPRAA. These
transfers greatly reduced the size of the Account.
During the fiscal year 2003-04, total receipts from contributors
and the government, including interest, amounted to $8.3 million. The total
amount paid under the Act was $46.442 million, of which $43,445 was charged to
the Account; the remaining $46.399 million was charged to the Consolidated
Revenue Fund, in accordance with subsection 8(2) of the Act. The balance in the
Account at the end of the year was $98.4 million.
Details of the transactions in the Account during the fiscal
year appear in Tables 1 and 2.
Table 3 is a comparative statement of receipts and payments
since the Act came into force.
On March 31, 2004, there were 1,068 contributors to the Account
and 1,978 beneficiaries.
Table 1
Supplementary Retirement Benefits Account (in thousands of
dollars)
Balance as at March 31, 2003 |
90,133 |
Receipts |
|
Contributions |
|
- Members |
2,278 |
- Government |
2,278 |
Interest |
3,745 |
Total Receipts |
8,301 |
|
|
Payments |
|
Annuities |
46,442 |
Less charges to the Consolidated
Revenue Fund in accordance with subsection 8(2) of the Act |
46,399 |
Net Payments |
43 |
Increase (Decrease) |
8,257 |
Balance as at March 31, 2004 |
98,390 |
Note
Totals may not add up due to rounding.
Table 2
Supplementary Retirement Benefits Account
Details of Receipts and Payments for 2003-04 (in thousands of dollars)
|
|
Judges |
Others |
Total |
|
Balance as at March 31, 2003 |
89,675 |
459 |
90,133 |
Receipts |
|
|
|
Contributions |
|
|
|
- Members |
2,264 |
14 |
2,278 |
- Government |
2,264 |
14 |
2,278 |
Interest |
3,729 |
16 |
3,745 |
|
|
Total Receipts |
8,257 |
44 |
8,301 |
|
|
|
|
Payments |
|
|
|
Annuities1 |
- |
40 |
40 |
Return of Contributions |
- |
3 |
3 |
|
|
Total Payments |
- |
43 |
43 |
Increase (Decrease) |
8,257 |
- |
8,257 |
Balance as at March 31, 2004 |
97,931 |
459 |
98,390 |
|
1. In addition to these charges to the Account, $46,399,248
was charged to the Consolidated Revenue Fund under subsection 8(2) of the Act.
Note
Totals may not add up due to rounding.
Table 3
Supplementary Retirement Benefits Account
Comparative Data-April 1, 1970, to March 31, 2004 (in thousands of
dollars)
|
Fiscal Years |
Members'
Contributions |
Government
Contributions |
Other
Receipts |
Interest |
Total
Receipts |
Annuities |
|
Apr. 1, 1970-Mar. 31, 1993 |
1,731,128 |
1,478,374 |
256,508 |
3,379,474 |
6,845,483 |
9,583,734 |
1993-94 |
1,393 |
1,265 |
- |
1,762 |
4,420 |
48,580 |
1994-95 |
1,239 |
1,304 |
- |
3,848 |
6,391 |
48,357 |
1995-96 |
1,365 |
1,364 |
- |
3,487 |
6,216 |
44,422 |
1996-97 |
1,408 |
1,406 |
- |
2,980 |
5,794 |
42,997 |
1997-98 |
1,451 |
6,713 |
- |
2,187 |
10,350 |
47,050 |
1998-99 |
1,703 |
1,704 |
- |
3,502 |
6,909 |
40,568 |
1999-00 |
1,727 |
1,722 |
- |
3,546 |
6,995 |
38,712 |
2000-01 |
1,959 |
1,770 |
- |
4,062 |
7,791 |
37,721 |
2001-02 |
1,313 |
1,312 |
- |
3,932 |
6,558 |
27,230 |
2002-03 |
1,771 |
1,736 |
- |
3,982 |
7,489 |
28,342 |
2003-04 |
2,278 |
2,278 |
- |
3,745 |
8,301 |
46,442 |
|
|
Totals |
1,748,735 |
1,500,948 |
256,508 |
3,416,507 |
6,922,698 |
10,034,1552 |
|
Table 3 (cont'd)
Supplementary Retirement Benefits Account
Comparative Data-April 1, 1970, to March 31, 2004 (in thousands of
dollars)
|
Fiscal Years |
Return of
Contributions |
Transfers |
Charges to
the Account |
Yearly Net
Increases
(Decrease) |
|
Apr. 1, 1970-Mar. 31, 1993 |
198,253 |
5,957,7541 |
873,170 |
32,599 |
1993-94 |
- |
- |
66 |
4,354 |
1994-95 |
- |
- |
46 |
6,345 |
1995-96 |
- |
- |
37 |
6,179 |
1996-97 |
8 |
- |
1,688 |
4,107 |
1997-98 |
12 |
- |
66 |
10,284 |
1998-99 |
- |
- |
45 |
6,864 |
1999-00 |
- |
- |
39 |
6,956 |
2000-01 |
4 |
- |
9,229 |
(1,438) |
2001-02 |
5 |
- |
35 |
6,523 |
2002-03 |
- |
- |
119 |
7,370 |
2003-04 |
4 |
- |
43 |
8,257 |
|
|
|
Totals |
198,286 |
5,957,754 |
884,583 |
|
|
1. Includes $5,939,714 aggregate amounts transferred to the
superannuation accounts established under the PSSA, the CFSA, the RCMPSA and
the MPRAA, as explained earlier in this report.
2. Includes approximately $9.4 billion charged to the
Consolidated Revenue Fund from 1973-74 to 2003-04 under subsection 8(2) of the
Act.
Note
Totals may not add up due to rounding.
The Supplementary Retirement Benefits Act applies to
pensions or allowances payable under the following Acts or Regulations:
1. Governor General's Act
2. Part VI of the Members of Parliament Retiring Allowances
Act, R.S.C. 1970,
c. M-10
3. Lieutenant Governors Superannuation Act
4. Judges Act
5. Diplomatic Service (Special) Superannuation Act
6. Civil Service Superannuation Act
7. Defence Services Pension Continuation Act, R.S.C.
1970, c. D-3
8. Royal Canadian Mounted Police Pension Continuation Act,
parts II and III, R.S.C. 1970, c. R-10
9. subsection 15(2) of the Currency, Mint and Exchange Fund
Act
10. subsection 25(10) of the War Veterans Allowance Act
11. Annuities Agents Pension Regulations
12. Canadian Overseas Telecommunications Corporation Pension
Regulations
13. Sydney Pilots Pension Regulations
14. National Harbours Board Pension Regulations
15. Atlantic Pilotage Authority Pension Regulations
16. Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. Pension Regulations
|