Pensionable service

Pensionable service starts to accumulate when you begin contributing to TRAF and determines the amount of pension you will receive. Pensionable service is the actual time spent working full time, part time or under a term contract or in receipt of certain group disability benefits. Pensionable service may also be credited for substitute service for which you have made contributions to TRAF.

Service that counts

• Employment as a teacher, clinician, principal or superintendent in a Manitoba public school division, including fully or partially paid personal leave and sick days
• Employment as an “eligible employee” as outlined in The Teachers’ Pensions Act (TPA) with a school division, The Manitoba Teachers’ Society (MTS), or the Manitoba School Boards Association (MSBA)
• Employment with the Department of Education or the Faculty of Education at a Manitoba university, if you meet all eligibility requirements and elect to participate at the time you are hired
• Eligible purchased service
• Substitute service in certain situations
• Service transferred to TRAF from another pension plan under a reciprocal transfer agreement
• Time while receiving certain short- or long-term group disability benefits
• Permit teaching

Service that does not count

• Deferred salary leave
• Unpaid personal and sick leaves
• Leaves not provided for under the TPA

Part-time service

If you are working part time, the pensionable service credit is pro-rated based on the percentage you are working and therefore, will increase at a slower rate than if you work full time. For example, if you work half time, you will accumulate half the service and therefore, half the pension benefit you would have accumulated as a full-time teacher.

Register for or log in to your Online Services account and refer to your most recent annual benefits statement to find out how much pensionable service you have.

Qualifying service

Generally, one year of qualifying service accumulates for each year in which you have service as a member of TRAF. In your final year of service, qualifying service is calculated on a monthly basis and is credited to the end of the last month in which you have pensionable service.

Qualifying service determines whether you are eligible to receive a reduced or unreduced pension and determines the amount of early retirement penalty (ERP) and offsetting bridging benefits.

Register for or log in to your Online Services account and refer to your most recent annual benefits statement to find out how much qualifying service you have.