Buy-back

A buy-back means that, under certain conditions and at a certain cost, we can include in or credit to your pension plan periods of service or absence without pay that have not been recognized.

You can only buy back service if, during each of the periods you wish to buy back, you held a recognized position in the Québec public service, the education sector or the health and social services sector.

Yes. One factor used to calculate your retirement pension is the number of years of service credited at the time of your retirement. Therefore, if you are entitled to buy back certain periods of service or absence without pay, you could have them credited to your public-sector pension plan. This would increase the amount of your pension. Note that only the buy-back of certain periods of service or absence can allow you to retire earlier.

Note: If, on 31 December 2018, you have nearly 40 years of credited service under the RREGOP, the TPP, the CSSP or the PPMP, you should evaluate whether it would be worthwhile to buy back service. For further information in this regard, contact the pension plan administrator at your place of work. This person generally works in the human resources department.

Depending on your pension plan, there are serveral types of buy-backs, such as:

• service as a casual employee (under the RREGOP and the PPMP) AND
• absences without pay (under the RREGOP, the PPMP, the TPP and the CSSP)

In order to buy back a period of service or a period of absence without pay, you must have an employment relationship with your employer (which must be subject to a plan) during that period.

When you work part-time, your employment relationship exists only for the days included in your work schedule. Therefore, since you do not have an employment relationship during the days not included in your work schedule, you cannot buy back the days during which you do not work.

You must file your application for a buy-back while you are still a member of your plan.

To file an application for a buy-back, you must file one of the following forms, or both of them, and send it or them to Retraite Québec, based on your situation:

• Application for a buy-back of one or more periods of absence  (RSP-727-ABS);
• Application for a buy-back of one or more periods of work  (RSP-727-TRA).

To find out which of the above-mentioned forms must be filed based on the type of period, please consult the section entitled The most common type of buy-backs, above. The forms are available on Retraite Québec's website and can be sent using the Sending a document online service.

If you have questions regarding your situation, you can contact:

• the pension plan administrator in your human resources department
• your union, or your professional or managers' association
• Retraite Québec's Centre des relations avec la clientèle.

Once Retraite Québec receives your buy-back application, we will contact your current employer and the employer or employers concerned by the periods to be bought back in order to obtain the information required to process your application.

If the study of your file shows that the periods can indeed be bought back, we will send you a buy-back proposal, which you are free to accept, in whole or in part, or reject. The proposal will indicate the cost and payment terms of the buy-back, and will be valid for 60 days. You can make online bill payments for a buy‑back  through an authorized financial institution.

Please note that if we do not receive the acceptance of this buy-back proposal within 60 days following the date of the proposal, your buy-back application will be considered to never have been made.

No. Under the provisions of your plan, up to 90 days (called 90-day bank) can be automatically added at no cost to your years of service to offset certain periods of absence no cost. The days in your 90-day bank are automatically credited when Retraite Québec determines whether you are entitled to a retirement pension. It provides the same advantages as a buy-back.

Note: The 90-day bank is covered by the following plans: the RREGOP, PPMP, RPSO, PPPOCS and PPCT.

When Retraite Québec processes your buy-back application, it will deduct the number of your days of absence that can be offset at no cost by the 90-day bank from the number of days of service corresponding to the period concerned by your application. It will prevent you from paying to buy back the days of absence that could be credited to you at no cost. However, if you would rather buy back all your days of absence, which means you would like that the 90-day bank not apply while processing your application, it must be specified in the space provided for that purpose in the form entitled Application for a buy-back of one or more periods of absence  (RSP-727A-ABS).

The days credited from the 90-day bank will be fully credited and included in the calculation of your pension. The days of absence that ended before 1987 will also be taken into account to determine your eligibility for benefits.. Days of absence since 1987 have already been credited for eligibility purposes.

We cannot provide a general answer since the cost may vary according to the type of buy-back, the period to be bought back and your age and salary on the date we receive the buy-back application.

However, you can use the Buy-Back Cost Estimator  to quickly and easily estimate the approximate cost of a buy-back of:

• absences without pay; OR
• service as a casual employee.

Please note that periods of maternity leave are usually credited at no cost.

Click below for more information on buy-backs.

• Buy-backs