Complaint Escalation Process - SBBP

The aim of the Government of Canada Pension Centre is to ensure that plan members of the Public Service pension plan, which is governed by the Public Service Superannuation Act (PSSA), receive accurate and timely information concerning their pension and benefits. The Pension Centre's staff successfully field thousands of inquiries from active plan members each year. There are occasions, however, when a plan member may request a further review and/or clarification of an unfavourable decision.

The Pension Centre has an internal complaint escalation process, which ensures that if the employee responsible for the case cannot resolve a concern, it is automatically raised to the next level for consideration. This ensures that another staff member reviews every complaint and that issues are raised to management's attention when requested or warranted. Where appropriate, management will intervene to expedite the processing of a case and, if necessary, staff with additional policy expertise will be consulted to ensure the proper application of plan rules.

The steps below are followed, as warranted:

1. The plan member's file and related documentation is automatically transferred to the next level of authority for consideration.
2. The inquiry is raised to the attention of management.
3. Policy and pension experts from the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) and Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) are consulted to ensure full compliance of the Public Service pension plan policies and procedures.

Text Description for the chart with the different flows for the Complaint Escalation Process

Should you have inquiries throughout any stage of this process, you are invited to write to the Pension Centre at the following address:

Public Works and Government Services Canada
Government of Canada Pension Centre - Mail Facility
150 Dion Blvd
PO Box 8000
Matane QC G4W 4T6