2024 Fall Pension Update Newsletter
- Featured Image
-
2025 Cost-of-Living Adjustments
Your pension includes inflation protection every January with cost-of-living adjustments (COLA). Learn what the COLA rates are for 2025.
Upcoming Webinars for Retired Members and Pension Recipients
We are excited to announce a newly developed presentation designed specifically for our retired members and pension recipients. The Pension Basics – Retired Members & Recipients presentation will provide valuable information to help you navigate your pension with confidence.
How to Change Your Tax Deductions
ATRF offers several ways for you to change the taxes withheld from your pension. The easiest option is through MyPension, ATRF’s secure member portal.
Pension Information Statements and Tax Slips
Pension Information Statements and tax slips are coming soon. To avoid any potential delays in receiving your documents, please ensure your contact information with ATRF is current.
Understanding Pension Guarantee Periods
Your ATRF pension provides secure retirement income for your lifetime, and depending on the pension option you chose at retirement, could also cover your nominee for their lifetime.
In addition, many of the pension options include a guarantee that ensures pension payments will continue to the designated beneficiary(ies) or estate until the end of the guarantee period. The guarantee period can be a point of confusion, so we want to reiterate that as the member or surviving nominee, you will continue to receive your pension, even after the guarantee period has expired. In addition, if there is time left on your guarantee period, please keep the contact information for the named beneficiary(ies) up to date.
To find out more about the guarantee period and what happens to your pension after your death, check out the updated pension options webpage for detailed information.
Pension Confirmation Letter Process
ATRF periodically conducts a review to confirm that pensions are being paid appropriately to eligible recipients. ATRF selects different individuals to participate in the review each year, so you may not receive a confirmation letter every year.
If you have been identified to participate in the review, we will contact you by mail to complete the pension confirmation process. You can either complete and return the form that was mailed to you or you can call ATRF to answer a series of authentication questions to confirm your identity, whatever is more convenient for you.
It’s important to keep your contact information current to ensure you receive your pension confirmation letter. An inability to reach you may result in a suspension of your pension, but a prompt response will prevent that.
If you have granted signing authority to another person, please provide ATRF with a certified copy of those relevant documents (Power of Attorney, Guardianship, Trusteeship, etc.) so that they may sign on your behalf.
More information can be found on the Pension Confirmation Letters webpage.
Pension Deposit Dates Now Available
Are you curious about your monthly pension deposit dates in 2025? Those dates are now available on the website.
Canada Post Strike
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) has called a national strike, which means that Canada Post’s operations will be shut down until a resolution is reached. Rest assured, while we continue to work with members to minimize any disruption, monthly pensions are not affected as ATRF issues payments through direct deposit.
However, we strongly encourage all members to register for our secure member portal, MyPension, and ensure their banking information is up-to-date, as well as their email address. ATRF is available to help if a member needs assistance registering for MyPension. For more detailed information, please use the link below to read the full news article.