Long-Awaited Grow-In, Regulatory Pension Reforms Released

On Monday, April 30, 2012, the Ontario Ministry of Finance published long-awaited, proposed regulatory amendments under the Pension Benefits Act (“Act”), including additional, proposed prescribed “activating events” for the purposes of grow-in benefits that come into force on July 1, 2012, for public commentary.

Regulation Proposed To Extend Filing Deadlines of Public Sector, BPS Pension Plans

The Ontario government has proposed an amendment to Regulation 909 made under the Pension Benefits Act, Filing Extension for Certain Pension Plans in the Public Sector and Broader Public Sector. This regulation would extend the timeframe for these pension plans to file their actuarial valuation reports and extend the time for the commencement of special…

Enhanced Disclosures in Pension Plan Annual Statements

Under the Ontario Pension Benefits Act (“PBA”) pension plan administrators are required to provide annual statements to active plan members within six months of the plan year-end. With many plans having a December 30 or 31 year-end, a large number of administrators are now in the process of preparing statements for 2011. The PBA Regulations…

Supporting Regulations Proposed for Transfer Agreements under Section 80.1

The Ontario government has posted proposed content for Pension Benefits Act regulations for public review and commentary. These regulations are required before amendments to section 80.1 of that Act come into effect. Once proclaimed in force, section 80.1 of the Act will allow the administrators of certain public sector plans to negotiate agreements to give…

Bill 133 Regulations (Asset Division on Marriage Breakdown) Filed Under Pension Benefits Act

On June 24, 2011, the Ontario government filed long-anticipated regulations in support of amendments to the Pension Benefits Act effected by Bill 133, the Family Statute Law Amendment Act, 2009. O. Reg. 287/11 (Family Law Matters) follows the previously reported March 2011 release of draft regulations and a related Consultation Paper, and reflects that consultation…

Pension Agreements With “Designated Jurisdictions,” Aggregate Funding of AbiBow Pension Plan Regulations Filed

On June 3, 2011, the Ontario government filed two regulations under the Pension Benefits Act. O. Reg. 195/11 amends General Regulation 909 by creating a new section, “Designated Jurisdictions and Agreements with Designated Jurisdictions”, and a Table listing multi-jurisdictional agreements entered into under section 100 of the Act, and the date on which the agreement…

Pension Benefits Act JSPP Amendments Come Into Force June 1, 2011

June 1, 2011 has been named as the day on which subsections 1 (9) and 3 (3) and section 16 of Bill 120, the Securing Pension Benefits Now and for the Future Act, 2010, come into force. These provisions relate to the recently reported filing of O. Reg. 177/11, and specifically, the change affecting jointly-sponsored…

Ontario Pension Funding and JSPP Regulations Released

On May 20, 2011, the Ontario government filed amendments to the Pension Benefits Act Regulations (“Regulations”) that implement the first of many anticipated regulatory measures stemming from “Phase II” of Ontario’s pension reform initiative. The amendments outlined in O. Reg. 177/11 are in support of earlier amendments to the Pension Benefits Act made by Bill…

Ontario Files New JSPP and Phase II Funding Pension Regulations, BPS Solvency Funding Relief Regulations

On May 20, 2011, the Ontario government filed two new regulations under the Pension Benefits Act. O. Reg. 177/11 contains several amendments to the Pension Benefits Act General Regulation 909 (“Regulations”) relating to measures first introduced by the government when it tabled Bill 120, Securing Pension Benefits Now and for the Future Act, 2010, which…

Deviation From Prescribed Waiver Form Proves Costly

In the administration of a pension plan, there are a number of situations which call for the use of prescribed forms. These forms often require decisions to be made that can affect the pension plan entitlements of members and other plan beneficiaries. Sometimes, in an effort to adapt and/or make the prescribed forms more readable…