Retired soldier questions Defence Minister Sajjan – just where is my pension?

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Defence Watch often receives complaints from retired Canadian Forces personnel about the delays they face in receiving their pensions. Michael Prendergast falls in this category but has sent a letter to the Defence Minister with more than a few pointed questions about the issue of delayed pensions. He has decided to share with Defence Watch what he wrote to the Minister:

March 22, 2016

The Honourable Harjit Sajjan, P.C., M.P.

Minister of National Defence

Dear Minister,

I am writing this letter to request a Ministerial Investigation into the pension administration of the Canadian Armed Forces.

I retired in September 2015 after 38 years of service in the Canadian Armed Forces having served in two Army Reserve units, The Royal Winnipeg Rifles and The Loyal Edmonton Regiment, the last unit as Commanding Officer (2008-2011). I deployed on four tours of duty in Bosnia (1999 and 2003), the Sudan (2008) and Afghanistan (2011) in addition to instructing on Military Training and Assistance Program courses in Ghana and Kenya (2012).

Prior to retiring I was the Senior Reserve Advisor, Class B’A’, 3^rd Canadian Division (3 Cdn Div) Headquarters. In this position I had numerous duties including reserve succession planning, interaction with Honorary Colonels as the Division Commander’s representative, mitigating reserve training and personnel issues, Executive Assistant to the Division Deputy Commander (Class A Reservist, part time soldier) as well as other assigned duties.

When I retired I was initially told in an email correspondence from Daphne Millar, Pension Specialist, dated September 23, 2015 that it would take “4 to 6 months to receive your pension cheque.”

On December 9, 2015 I was in email correspondence with a Sergeant Deborah Simms who informed me that my PERS file/Release TD had been received at DMCA4 Release section on October 13, 2015 and that the wait period once received at DMCA would be 12 to 14 weeks.

I corresponded again on January 20, 2016 with Sergeant Simms who informed me that there were further delays with the processing of files due to a “large influx of files and some unforeseen staffing shortages especially during the Christmas Leave Period.”

To date I have yet to receive a pension cheque after six months of patient waiting.  As a result I have been living off of my savings which are being depleted. In addition, I have had to pay for health and dental bills out of pocket as I am not entitled to pensioner health and dental benefits until I am in receipt of a pension. Recently, I have had to pay for two root canals which cost approximately $2200 for both. Any further delays in the pension and no access to pensioner health and dental benefits will end up causing me undo financial hardship.

 I would like the following questions answered for the public record.

1. At what stage of the pension administration process is my pension at?
2. When will I start receiving a pension cheque including the months in arrears?
3. Will interest be paid to me for the arrears? If not, why not?
4. How many staff, military and civilian, administers Regular Force pensions in fiscal years 2012-2016?
5. How many staff, military and civilian, administers Reserve Force pensions in fiscal years 2012-2016?
6. What are the longest, shortest and average lengths of time that a Regular Force member had to wait before receiving a pension cheque for fiscal years 2012-2016?
7. What are the longest, shortest and average lengths of time that a Reserve Force member in the part-time pension plan had to wait before receiving a pension cheque for fiscal years 2012-2016?
8. What are the longest, shortest and average lengths of time that a Reserve Force member in the full-time pension plan had to wait before receiving a pension cheque for fiscal years 2012-2016?
9. What is the average wait time for a General Officer/Flag Officer for a pension cheque in fiscal years 2012-2016?
10. What is the average wait time for an officer for a pension cheque in fiscal years 2012-2016?
11. What is the average wait time for a non-commissioned member for a pension cheque in fiscal years 2012-2016?
12. In comparison with the general public service pension and the RCMP pension what are their average wait times for a pension cheque?
13. Are pensions that take longer than 30 days to implement, and that are paid in arrears to service members, paid with the prevailing interest rate as compensation for the unnecessary delay?
14. Regarding question 6, if interest is not paid on pensions delayed and in arrears to service members, why not?
15. What is the Government of Canada’s policy regarding paying interest on pensions in arrears?
16. What is the Canadian Armed Force’s policy regarding paying interest on pensions in arrears?

Minister, I hope that you take this request seriously and order a Ministerial Inquiry into the concerns that I have raised.

very respectfully,

Michael J. Prendergast CD, MBA

Lieutenant Colonel (retired)

cc: The Honourable Scott Brison, P.C., M.P., President of the Treasury Board of Canada

Ziad Aboultaif, M.P. Edmonton-Manning