Retired Member FAQ

It is important to notify MEBP as soon as possible of any changes to your mailing address. This will ensure that you will receive, without delays, any benefit payments to which you may be entitled and important correspondence from MEBP.

To update your address, please contact our office:

• By phone: you will be required to provide your MEBP Identification Number or Social Insurance Number, your new mailing address and the effective date of the change, or
• By Mail, fax or email: you may send a letter that includes your MEBP Identification Number or Social Insurance Number, your new mailing address and the effective date of the change – or you may print and complete the INFORMATION CHANGE FORM PENSION – RETIRED MEMBER OR SURVIVOR:

It is important to notify MEBP as soon as possible of any changes to your direct deposit banking information.  This will ensure that you will receive your monthly pension benefit without delays.  For your protection, MEBP will not accept changes to your banking information over the telephone.

To update your banking information, please contact our office:

• By phone: to request that an Information Change Form be sent to you, or
• By Mail, fax or email:  you may print and complete the the INFORMATION CHANGE FORM PENSION– RETIRED MEMBER OR SURVIVOR Please send or scan the completed signed form to our office.
• Have your Financial Institution mail, fax or email a signed copy of their Direct Deposit Authorization form.

If you are receiving an MEBP pension and you return to work for a MEBP employer, you can:

• Continue to receive your MEBP pension payments and do not re-enrol in the MEBP Plan; or
• Stop your pension payments for as long as you are employed and re-enrol in the MEBP Plan upon meeting the eligibility requirements. If you re-enrol in MEBP, you or your employer should contact MEBP immediately so we can suspend your pension payments while you are working.  Any pension payments received after re-enrolment must be repaid to the Plan, including any payment made in the month you re-enrol.  When you subsequently retire or reach the latest date you may start to receive a pension your pension will be redetermined to include your additional period of membership. If you work past age 71, your contributions to the Plan must stop by December 30 of the year in which you turn 71, and your MEBP pension will begin in December of that year, regardless of whether you continue working.

If you work for a non-MEBP employer while on pension, it will not affect your MEBP pension payments.

If you and your partner (married or common-law) have separated, it is important to contact MEBP for information on how your pension is affected. 

Your pension is a family asset.  If you experience a spousal relationship breakdown, the pension you accrued during the period of your relationship will be taken into account when your family assets are divided.  The Pension Benefits Act of Manitoba states that the pension benefit must be divided, if there is:

• a court order under The Family Property Act requiring the division of family property, or
• a written agreement between you and your spouse, former spouse or partner about the division of family assets, or
• a court order from another Canadian jurisdiction requiring the division of pension benefits, or 
• an order of the Court of King's Bench requiring the division of pension benefits.

The division of the pension applies retroactively to the date of separation.  If the pension is divided, your monthly payment, including your bridge benefit and any cost of living adjustments, if applicable, is divided between you and your former partner based on the pension credits earned during the relationship.  You will each receive your respective share as a monthly payment from MEBP.  

Separation before October 1, 2021: The following settlement options are available to you and your former partner if your separation date is prior to October 1, 2021:

• Divide the monthly pension payments: You and your former partner may decide to divide 50% of the monthly pension.
• Divide the net difference between two monthly pension payments:  If you each receive a monthly pension, you and your former partner may choose to divide the net difference between the monthly pensions. You must each agree to this in writing and provide MEBP with the required documents, which may include a court order or written agreement.
• Opt out of the pension division:  If you and your former partner choose to opt out of the division of the pension, both parties must enter into a written agreement acknowledging that each of you has (i)   Received a statement from MEBP indicating the monthly pension earned during the relationship; (ii)  Received independent legal advice with respect to the effect of the agreement; and (iii)   Entered into the agreement voluntarily without duress, coercion or compulsion of any kind.  If you and your former partner opt out of pension division, your pension payment will continue according to the form of pension you elected at retirement, and your former partner will continue to be the beneficiary. A new beneficiary can be designated only if you elected a Life Annuity with a guarantee period.

Separation on or after October 1, 2021: The following settlement options are available to you and your former partner if your separation date is on or after October 1, 2021:

• Divide up to 50% of the monthly pension payments: You and your partner may decide to specify the percentage of the monthly pension to be divided, up to a maximum of 50%.
• Not divide the monthly pension payments: You and your former partner do not have to divide your pension. The written agreement or court order may state that your former partner is not entitled to any percentage of the pension. 

MEBP requires a completed RELATIONSHIP BREAKDOWN DATA SHEET (Form 34).  Upon receipt of this form, MEBP will provide you with a statement showing the value of the pension benefit earned during the period of your relationship.  This statement will also provide you with payment options and instructions for how to proceed.

If you appoint a power of attorney for your financial affairs in the event you become incapacitated, send MEBP a copy of the power of attorney document. For pension-related purposes, your power of attorney must be a continuing power of attorney for property in order to administer your affairs after incapacity.

MEBP will respond to requests from your appointed power of attorney provided proof of their identity is received. If you have specified that proof of your incapacity is needed first, MEBP will require this proof as well.

If you are a retired MEBP member and your spouse or partner has died Or If you are the surviving spouse or partner, beneficiary, or the executor, executrix, or personal representative of a MEBP member's estate:

• Please contact MEBP as soon as you can. We are here to help guide you through the process of applying for any money that might be paid out by the Plan,
• Contact the Canada Pension Plan to discuss potential death and survivor benefits,
• Contact your insurance company(ies), if applicable,
• Consider consulting an estate lawyer to help you with this process

The benefits payable to your surviving spouse, partner or chosen beneficiaries in the event of your death depend on the pension option you chose at retirement.

After you retire, your ability to change your beneficiary or name multiple beneficiaries depends on whether you had a spouse at retirement and the pension option you chose. Not all pension options allow you to name or change a beneficiary, and in some cases you may not have a choice, since your spouse may already be your beneficiary.

If you elected a joint and survivor life pension, your spouse/partner named at retirement must remain as your beneficiary, they cannot waive this right nor can you name a new spouse/partner as the beneficiary of this pension.

If you elected a single life pension option with a guarantee period at retirement, you may be able to name a different beneficiary. You may either contact our office to request the CHANGE OF BENEFICIARY FOR A GUARANTEED PENSION form (Form 96) or you may print this form and return the signed original copy to our office. A legal will can also be used to appoint a new beneficiary, however the will must specify that the beneficiary is for either the MEBP pension benefit or your employment-based pension plans.

Certain events can affect the amount of your monthly pension payment. Some of these events are:

• The Canada Revenue Agency has introduced new payroll tax deduction tables (this usually occurs in January or February of each year)
• You requested a change to the additional amount of tax to be withheld from your benefit.
• You have attained age 60. Any eligible bridging benefits that may have been payable to you stop at age 60.
• You have attained age 65 and had elected to have your monthly pension benefits integrated with Old Age Security and or Canada Pension until age 65. The integration payments stop at age 65.
• The previous month was your first pension payment and was either a partial month or included a retroactive payment.

Whenever there is a change to your monthly pension payment amount, you will receive a letter from MEBP explaining the change.