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No. On September 1st, 2022 there will be no changes to your benefit coverage, your plan coverage will remain the same. There has been no changes in coverage since changes made in September 2021.
Yes, you may opt out of the basic or enhanced extended health at any time. If you would like to come back to our plans in the future you must have continuous extended health coverage elsewhere (MSP does not qualify as extended health) and you must return to the same plan. For dental, you may opt out after you have served your initial two year enrolment. To opt out simply send a request in writing asking that your plan(s) be cancelled. Please include your SIN or Pacific Blue Cross ID number and the date you would like your benefits cancelled. This date must be the last day of a month and must be after the date the letter is written, we will not backdate cancellations.
Premiums are based on many factors including market factors, such as inflation, and the claims paid out of the plan, otherwise known as the experience of the plan; as the plan is solely funded by the premiums paid by the members, changes in any of these factors will cause the premiums to go up. The plans are not subsidized by the pension plan or the Union. The TWPP simply administers deducting premiums from member payments and provides them to PBC. MyUnionPlan@Work negotiates with PBC using this group arrangement to negotiate a more affordable plan than what you may find available as an individual.
Yes. The Trustees and their Advisors have reviewed plans elsewhere; their goal is to ensure that the retiree plans continue to provide excellent coverage to participants while managing costs. At this time the Trustees believe the plans offered provide more comprehensive benefits at a more reasonable cost than other products in the market place. You will need to determine if our plans best fit your needs and those of your family.
The answer to both of these questions is no. Once you have chosen a plan you cannot change to the other.
That depends on what option you chose at retirement. If you chose a Joint and Survivor option the answer is no. If you chose a Single Life option with a guarantee period then you may, provided that you have not reached the end of your guarantee period. Once you reach the end of your guarantee period there is no need to change a beneficiary as there is no longer a benefit payable upon your death.
We aim to have our T4As and NR4s out as early as possible, but we cannot guarantee a date. They will be mailed out on or before February 28th. Please do not call the office to enquire about your T4A until the end of March to allow for enough time for your mail to arrive. Your T4A will also be efiled and should be available in your myCRA account through service Canada/CRA by mid March.
We no longer produce a separate statement for medical and dental premiums. You will find this information in Box 135 on your T4A. If you have both extended health and dental, the amount listed in this box is the total premiums paid for both.
We deduct taxes based on the TD1 forms (provincial and federal) filled out at the time of your retirement. The amount of tax deducted depends on what exemptions you claimed on these forms. The more deductions you have claimed, the less tax we will take.
Yes. Go to the booklets and forms section under retirees and download the TD3 form. This form allows you to increase or set the amount of tax that you pay. Please note you cannot decrease your tax below the amount we are required to withhold unless you have a letter from Revenue Canada confirming a decrease in tax is allowed.
We require your change in account to be submitted on our Direct Deposit Form; you will need to include with this form a void cheque or a MICRO ENCODING form generated by your banking institution. You can download the Direct Deposit Form under the booklets and forms section.
If your spouse has had continuous coverage he or she can be added to your benefits when their coverage ends. Please phone the office at 604-430-1317 to request the forms to do so. If your spouse has not had continuous coverage, or has their own coverage that is still active, they are required to complete a medical questionnaire to be approved by Pacific Blue Cross. If you submit a change form to add a dependent of any type the TWPP will begin taking the appropriate deductions right away, if your dependent is denied coverage these funds will be refunded to you once we are notified of the denial.
No. Once you have enrolled in one of the group extended health plans you cannot switch to the other one.
Yes, as long as coverage has been continuous (you’ve had dental through another plan). If you have not had continuous coverage your yearly claim limits will be lower than normal for the first year. You must remain on this coverage for a minimum of two years before you can cancel.
Yes, as long as coverage has been continuous (you’ve had extended health coverage through another plan), and your other plan is ending. If you have not had continuous coverage, or you have other active coverage, you will be required to complete a medical questionnaire to be approved by Pacific Blue Cross. Once you send in an application we will begin taking the appropriate deductions right away, if you are denied coverage these funds will be refunded to you once we are notified of the denial. If you are approved for extended health coverage you may cancel at any time.
For questions regarding benefit coverage please call Pacific Blue Cross directly and quote your group and ID numbers found on your extended health/dental cards.
Direct Deposit is ONLY available to a retired participant that has an account at a Canadian financial institution.
Currently it is an option to have cheques mailed internationally; however, it has come to our attention that you may have difficulty cashing a cheque if you reside out of Canada. Please be advised that there is no guarantee you will be able to cash your pension cheque in another country. You are responsible for any additional fees or charges your financial institution may apply.
If you are currently receiving a pension cheque and have not received it by the 1st of the month, please contact the Plan Office. If you moved recently, we may not have a current address.
Pension cheques are automatically deposited in your bank account on the 1st of every month (or the first banking day of the month for your institution if the first is on a holiday/weekend). If your cheque does not arrive in your bank account by midnight on the 1st (or the first banking day of the month if the first is on a holiday/weekend), you may contact the Plan Office. If you have not changed your account information the problem is likely to do with your financial institution. We cannot reissue payments until they have been rejected by your banking institution which may take up to 5 days. If you have changed bank accounts recently, we may not have the correct account information.

Changes to your banking information do not occur automatically; you need to complete a new direct deposit authorization form.

Many banks allow payment to be deposited on weekends and holidays. Please check with your financial institution to see what their processes are.
You must complete a new direct deposit authorization form and return it to the Plan Office in order for us to make changes to your banking information.
There is no indexing and no promise of a pension increase. However the Trustees do review the financial position of the Plan annually and have provided ad-hoc increases depending on if there is a sufficient excess of funds to provide an increase over and above providing an "Updated" benefit to active members.
Every pension plan is different. This pension plan provides certain benefits such as the subsidized early retirement benefit (which half of all retirees receive) and the target benefit/ Updating formula used to calculate the best pension benefit possible. Indexing is not available for this plan. The terms of the pension plan are established by the board of trustees, who are appointed by USW 1944 and by TELUS. At the Plan Office, we simply administer the pension plan according to the plan rules.
Please contact the Plan Office as soon as possible. Any payments made to the pensioner in the month following the month of the pensioner's death must be returned to the plan. Plan Office staff will review the pensioner's file and determine if any death benefits are to be paid (depending on the option chosen by the member) and will adjust the records and, if applicable, the pension benefit amount, accordingly. The Plan Office also requires a copy of the death certificate.
Please see the Benefit Comparison under Booklets and Forms Benefit Comparison 2021