Leaving your job

Leaving a job with an employer participating in the plan? Find out what you can do with your plan contributions.

1. Defer your pension and keep your benefit in the plan until you retire

3. Apply for an immediate pension

2. Transfer your pension to a locked-in retirement vehicle

4. Transfer your service to another plan

Your pension is a significant financial asset. If you leave your current job before you retire, you’ll need to decide what to do with your pension contributions.

Depending on your age when you leave your job, you may be able to:

Defer your pension and apply at a later date
Transfer the commuted value of your pension to a locked-in retirement vehicle
Apply for a monthly pension (if you've reached your earliest retirement age)
Transfer your service to another pension plan

If you left your job before September 30, 2015, contact BC's Teachers' Pension Plan and we'll explain your options.

If you are younger than the earliest retirement age of 55 when you leave your job, we will send you a Termination selection statement form six months after we receive your termination information from your employer. This statement outlines your options.

If you are at least 55 when you leave your job, we will send you a pension estimate showing your options.

If you work for more than one employer participating in the plan, we will not send you a statement or estimate unless you have left all your jobs with all participating plan employers.

Unless we hear otherwise from you, your pension will stay in the plan until you are eligible for and apply for your pension.

If you want to buy service for a leave that you took while you were working for a plan employer, you must apply to buy service for the leave within 30 days of leaving your job.

The video below outlines your pension options should you choose to leave your job and the pension plan. You may want to talk with an independent financial advisor to determine which option is best for you and your situation.