The following information is intended to help you understand your options in the event that you become disabled or suffer from a long-term illness.

You may want to know…

• What type of leave can you take if you become disabled or suffer from a long-term illness?
• If you are away on sick leave without pay, can this time be counted as pensionable?
• Who determines if you qualify for disability insurance benefits?
• What insurance benefits can you retain if you become eligible for disability insurance benefits or retire on grounds of disability?
• Are you entitled to leave if you become disabled due to an occupational illness or accident?
• Are you still covered under the Supplementary Death Benefit Plan while you are away on sick leave without pay?
• What pension options do you have if you retire on grounds of disability?
• Who determines if you qualify for retirement on grounds of disability?
• What if you regain your health and are able to return to work?
• What if you begin receiving a Canada Pension Plan (CPP) or Quebec Pension Plan (QPP) disability pension?

What type of leave can you take if you become disabled or suffer from a long-term illness?
If you have any paid sick leave remaining, you must first use that leave. Once your paid sick leave is exhausted, you can take a period of sick leave without pay. You may then be eligible for benefits under the Disability Insurance (DI) Plan or the Long-Term Disability Insurance (LTD) portion of the Public Service Management Insurance Plan (PSMIP Both plans provide a monthly benefit for employees who are unable to work for a lengthy period of time because of a totally disabling illness or injury. For more information on these disability benefits, consult Disability Insurance Plan at a Glance.

If you are away on sick leave without pay, can this time be counted as pensionable?
Yes. The first three months of your leave without pay is automatically counted as pensionable. You will be required to pay pension contributions for those first three months when you resume your regular scheduled hours of work. You may, however, choose to count or not to count the leave without pay that extends beyond the first three months as pensionable service.

Further information on the pension implications of taking a leave of absence can be found in the Leave Without Pay Information Package. General information regarding leave without pay can also be found from the Taking a Leave of Absence from the Public Service life event.

Who determines if you qualify for disability insurance benefits?
The insurers of each plan must determine if you are in a continuous state of incapacity due to illness or injury and are prevented from performing all the duties of your regular occupation. Currently, Sun Life Assurance Company is the insurer for the DI Plan and Industrial Alliance Insurance is the insurer for the PSMIP.

What insurance benefits can you retain if you become eligible for disability insurance benefits or retire on grounds of disability?
If you are a member of the Public Service Health Care Plan (PSHCP) and you become disabled, then your coverage will continue.

If you are a member of the Public Service Dental Care Plan and you become disabled, then your employer-paid coverage will continue.

Are you entitled to leave if you become disabled due to an occupational illness or accident?
Yes. You may be entitled to Injury-on-Duty Leave with full normal pay for such reasonable period as is determined by your employer, where the disability is confirmed by a Provincial Workmen's Compensation Board pursuant to the Government Employees Compensation Act.

Are you still covered under the Supplementary Death Benefit Plan while you are away on sick leave without pay?
Yes. You continue to remain covered under the Supplementary Death Benefit (SDB) Plan for the entire period of leave without pay and you will be required to pay SDB contributions to cover the entire period of leave without pay. Further information can be found in the Leave Without Pay Information Package.

What pension options do you have if you retire on grounds of disability?
If you retire because of a disability and you have more than two years of pensionable service, you will receive an Immediate Annuity, regardless of your age.

Who determines if you qualify for retirement on grounds of disability?
In order to qualify, Health Canada must certify that your situation corresponds to the definition of disability:

Disability, under the public service pension plan, is a physical or mental impairment that prevents you from engaging in any employment for which you are reasonably suited by virtue of your education, training, or experience and that can reasonably be expected to last for the rest of your life.

What if you regain your health and are able to return to work?
If you are entitled to an immediate annuity due to disability and later regain your health, your immediate annuity is terminated and converted to a deferred annuity payable at age 60. If you then wish to convert the deferred annuity to an annual allowance, you may do so at any time after reaching age 50 assuming you have not become re-employed as a contributor to the public service pension plan.

What if you begin receiving a Canada Pension Plan (CPP) or Quebec Pension Plan (QPP) disability pension?
If you are receiving a pension under the public service pension plan and you become entitled to a disability pension under the CPP or QPP before you reach age 65, your basic pension under the public service pension plan will be reduced immediately. It is your responsibility to inform the Public Service Pension Centre immediately if you start to receive a disability benefit under the CPP/QPP, otherwise you will be required to repay any overpayments.