Evaluation of the Administration of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Pension Continuation Act - Summary

About the program

The objective of the RCMP Pension Continuation Act (PCA) is to provide a lifetime pension for RCMP members and their survivors engaged prior to March 1, 1949, excluding those under the RCMP Superannuation Act.

The administration of the PCA is guided by three parts:

  • Part II (Officers' Pensions)
  • Part III (Constables' Pensions)
  • Part IV (Widows' and Orphans' Pensions)

A statutory grant provides payments for Parts II and III of the PCA, while a contributory dependents fund pays the pensions to survivors under Part IV.

As of October 2018, there were 223 recipients remaining under the PCA.

The overall management of the PCA is the responsibility of RCMP National Compensation Services; however, the day-to-day administration of the PCA was transferred to the Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) Pension Centre from the third-party administrator, Morneau Shepell (MS), on July 2, 2014.

What we examined

The objective of the evaluation was to determine whether the PCA was administered in an effective and efficient manner from April 1, 2013 to March 31, 2018.

The evaluation assessed whether:

  • Roles and responsibilities for the administration of the PCA are clearly defined and understood
  • Pensions under the PCA are being administered in a timely and effective manner
  • The administrative transfer of the PCA to PSPC has resulted in efficiencies

The PCA was previously evaluated in 2013-14. The evaluation found that the program was managed in an efficient and effective manner and thus had no recommendations.

What we found

Roles and responsibilities of the RCMP and the PSPC Pension Centre regarding the administration of the PCA are clearly defined and individuals understand their respective roles. There are clear service-level standards in place.

The administration of the PCA and delivery of pensions were facilitated in a timely and effective manner, as demonstrated by having no late pension payments from 2013 to 2017 and the existence of internal committees that oversee pension services.

There are no identified challenges or barriers impacting the administration of the PCA overall; however, the RCMP should continue to monitor and manage any surplus Part IV funds in the account.

The evaluation found the administration of the PCA remained essentially unchanged after the administrative transfer to the PSPC Pension Centre from MS.

What we recommend

No recommendations are required, as the administration of the PCA continues to be managed in an effective and efficient manner.

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