Overview

The UBC Staff Pension Plan (SPP) was established on January 1, 1972 and serves current and past staff employees and retirees, as well as employees of the University’s related employers. The Plan is sponsored by the University and it provides retirement, termination and death benefits for members. The Plan is among the most valued benefits offered by the University and is designed to provide stable lifetime retirement pensions.

About the Plan

The key features of the Staff Pension Plan design are its target benefit plan nature and its funding policy. Contributions are fixed and benefit payments are subject to the Plan’s ability to pay these benefits. This helps to ensure the Plan is sustainable for the long term. Learn more About the Plan.

The Plan is administered by the UBC Pension Administration Office, under the direction of the SPP Board.

What are the benefits of being a member of the Staff Pension Plan? How can the SPP help you save for your retirement? Watch the video below to find out:

If you are viewing this video remotely on your work computer, we recommend viewing the video on your local computer for better streaming quality. Copy and paste the following link: https://youtu.be/evn5vfZvCVQ

Eligibility

Full-time and part-time salaried employees as well as CUPE 116 and CUPE 2950 hourly employees are required to join the SPP on the same date that you are enrolled for basic life insurance.

Ineligible Employees

The following appointments are not eligible for the Staff Pension Plan:

  • Faculty and student appointments.
  • Hourly appointments other than CUPE 116 and CUPE 2950.
  • Individuals hired on and after January 1, 2007 whose earnings exceed the earnings threshold defined in the Staff Pension Plan will be ineligible for the Staff Pension Plan. They will join the Faculty Pension Plan instead. The earnings threshold in the Staff Pension Plan is $200,555.56 in 2024 and will be indexed each calendar year.
  • Individuals hired on and after January 1, 2007 who have already joined the Staff Pension Plan and whose earnings at a later date exceed the earnings threshold, will be transferred to the Faculty Pension Plan. For individuals who transfer to the Faculty Pension Plan, benefits earned under the Staff Pension Plan will be calculated and indexed until such retirement or earlier termination of employment.

Contributions

Each month, you and the University make contributions to the pension plan.

Your contributions are made by payroll deduction on a semi-monthly basis as follows:

  • 6.5% of your gross pensionable earnings (basic salary)

Our contributions calculator in myPension can help you determine your required contributions.

The University, or a related employer, contributes:

  • 9.4% of your gross pensionable earnings (basic salary)

You can view the details of your and the University’s contributions on your payslips in Workday.

Members are not permitted to transfer funds from an RRSP or another employer’s pension plan into the SPP.

Taxes

Contributions to registered pension plans are not taxed. The amount of your income that’s taxable is reduced each month by the amount you contribute to the SPP. In essence, you receive a tax refund each month, rather than waiting until you file your income tax return. You do not pay tax on the University’s contributions.

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) restricts the amount of income that can be sheltered from taxation each year in registered vehicles such as pension plans and RRSPs.

The CRA uses a formula to estimate the value of your earned pension each year, and this value, called the Pension Adjustment (PA) is deducted from your overall RRSP contribution room. Be sure to review the Notice of Assessment you receive from the CRA after you file your income tax each year to see your RRSP room.

The Pension Benefit

You can start your pension from the SPP as early as age 55 and as late as December 1 of the year in which you turn age 71. At retirement, you are entitled to the value of your earned pension, calculated according to the pension formulas. If you retire before age 65, the calculated pension value may be reduced.

If you have pensionable service Pre and Post-July 1, 2009, your pension benefit will be calculated using both of the formulas listed below:

1. If you only have Pre-July 1, 2009 pensionable service, your benefit will be calculated using the following formula:

2% of your Best Average Pensionable Earnings X your years of pensionable service
less
0.7% of your Best Average Pensionable Earnings up to the Average Year’s Maximum Pensionable Earnings X your years of pensionable service

2. If you only have Post-July 1, 2009 pensionable service, your benefit will be calculated using the following formula:

1.8% of your Best Average Pensionable Earnings X your years of pensionable service

Normal & Special Early Retirement

You’ll receive an unreduced pension, calculated according to the formula(s) above if:

  • you retire at or after age 65, or
  • you retire at age 60 and you are eligible for Special Early Retirement

Normal retirement age is age 65.

Early Retirement

If you are not eligible for Special Early Retirement, your pension will be adjusted for each year that you retire before age 65 to account for the longer period you will be receiving a pension. An early retirement reduction factor of 4% will be applied to any pensionable service accrued up to and including December 31, 2011. Effective January 1, 2012, an actuarially equivalent early retirement reduction factor will be applied to pensionable service accrued on and after January 1, 2012.

For further information regarding early retirement and Special Early Retirement, please review our Retirement Ages & Early Retirement Considerations Information Sheet.

Leaving UBC & Retirement

Under Age 55

If you are under age 55 and leave UBC or move to an ineligible position within UBC, you are entitled to one of three options:

  • A monthly lifetime pension that you may start as early as age 55 and as late as age 71
  • A lump sum amount, which is the contribution refund or the commuted value of your accrued pension, whichever amount is greater at the time of calculation. Please note: Once you turn age 55, this option is only available if you have a small benefit.
  • Defer making a decision on your pension benefits.

For more information, visit the Leaving UBC page.

Age 55 or Over

If you are age 55 or over and leave UBC, retire, or move to an ineligible position within UBC, you are entitled to one of three options:

  • A monthly lifetime pension that you may start immediately or defer to as late as age 71.
  • A monthly lifetime pension with lump sum amount, which allows you to take a reduced monthly lifetime pension and a lump sum transfer out of the Plan. Only members who have made contributions to the Plan prior to 1993 are eligible for this option.
  • Defer making a decision on your pension benefits.

For more information, visit the Retiring page.

Potential Changes in Plan Benefits

The University cost commitment to the Staff Pension Plan is a fixed percentage of earnings. The Plan has a written Funding Policy as part of the Plan text that calls for the Plan’s actuary to perform certain funding tests and for the Pension Board to take appropriate action if the Plan’s funding level falls outside certain limits. Where the Benefits/Funding Test shows that the funding is insufficient or more than sufficient, the Pension Board must follow certain steps to restore the balance, with future indexing being the first item to be addressed. Please refer to the Plan’s Funding Policy for additional information.

Investments

The UBC Staff Pension Plan (SPP) funds are invested in variety of asset classes through external investment managers and in accordance with the Plan’s Statement of Policies and Procedures (SIPP). Please refer to the Investments page for further information.