How to address a concern or appeal a decision

Find out the steps you can take if you have a concern about how the plan rules were applied.

Filing an appeal

You can only appeal a decision once the following has occurred:

• You reported your concern to Pension Corporation and completed the administrative review process
• At the end of that process, you received a letter from the corporation's director of pension operations confirming the original decision

You must start an appeal within 12 months of the date you receive the director's written letter confirming the corporation's original decision.

How to appeal

To file an appeal, you must contact the appeals registrar.

Step 1: Contact the appeals registrar

Write to the appeals registrar, stating your concerns and desired outcome. Include a copy of the director's written confirmation of the decision you are appealing and any other related documents you have.

Appeals Registrar
Pension Board Secretariat
PO Box 9460
Victoria BC V8W 9V8
Email: Pension.Appeals@pensionsbc.ca
Fax: 250-387-4199

The appeals registrar will acknowledge your correspondence and send it to the corporation to review and provide an appeal report. This report is prepared by corporation staff who were not involved in your file or the administrative review. The report includes all relevant information from your file, a chronology of the facts involved and an assessment of how the plan rules were applied. The appeals registrar will send you the report within 30 days.

Step 2: Continue your appeal to the board

If you wish to continue your appeal after reading the appeal report, you must respond within 30 days of receiving it.

Send a Notice of appeal – step 2 form (included with the appeal report) or write to the appeals registrar, enclosing any additional material you consider relevant to your appeal. This step allows you and the corporation to review all information relevant to your concern and make further submissions to ensure the board receives all the information it needs to make a decision.

If this exchange of information does not lead to a resolution, the appeals registrar will submit the appeal to the board for review at its next regularly scheduled quarterly meeting. The board will issue its decision in writing within 15 days of the board meeting.

What if I disagree with the board's ruling?

You may seek a remedy through other agencies, such as the Office of the Ombudsperson or the courts.