Plan Members

Having your beneficiary designation up-to-date is an important step in making sure your pension assets are paid as intended if and when survivor benefit payments are made. When updating your beneficiaries, it is important to note that survivor benefits for pension plans are automatically payable to your spouse (if applicable). Your designated beneficiary will only receive survivor benefits in the event that:

• you do not have an eligible spouse, 
• your spouse pre-deceases you, or 
• your spouse has waived their rights to any death benefits payable (by completing a spousal waiver form)

If you do not have a spouse, and have not designated a beneficiary, your survivor benefits will be paid to your estate.

If you are an active employee – and you have already received your first annual statement – you can view your beneficiary information on file by logging in to your personal profile on the Pension Plan’s Employee Self Service Website and clicking on 'Annual Statements' in the top menu bar.

Beneficiary Designation Forms

If you would like to update your designated beneficiary you may do so by completing the appropriate Beneficiary Designation form below and forwarding it to our office.

Beneficiary Designation Form (Non HRCE Employees)

Beneficiary Designation Form (HRCE Employees)

In accordance with the plan administration policy, we require original, signed copies of spousal & beneficiary designation forms.

Definition of Spouse

It is important to note that Nova Scotia has adopted a formal definition of who qualifies as a spouse. The definition of 'spouse' in accordance with the Nova Scotia Pension Benefits Act means either of two persons who:

1. are married to each other;
2. are married to each other by a marriage that is voidable and has not been annulled by a declaration of nullity;
3. have gone through a form of marriage with each other, in good faith, that is void and are cohabiting or, where they have ceased to cohabit, have cohabited within the twelve-month period immediately preceding the date of entitlement;
4. are domestic partners within the meaning of Section 52 of the Vital Statistics Act; or
5. not being married to each other, cohabiting in a conjugal relationship with each other and have done so continuously for at least:
   1. three years, if either of them is married, or
   2. one year, if neither of them is married.