Accessing Additional Information About Your Pension Plan

Pension plan records may be requested from your pension plan administrator or FSRA, depending on the type of records you are looking for.

Who can make a request

Document requests related to pension plans can be made by:

• Pension plan members, former members or retired members
• The spouse (or former spouse) of a plan member, former member or retired member
• Any other person entitled to benefits under a pension plan
• Trade union representative
• Participating employer
• Any person required to make contributions on behalf of an employer
• An agent of any of the above (written authorization required)

Pension administrator requests

A written request must be made to the plan administrator if you want to inspect the plan administrator’s records. See How to Contact the Pension Plan Administrator for plan administrator information.

You and your representatives may inspect the plan records only once in a calendar year.

If you are a member, former member or a retired member, the plan administrator must make the records available at your current or former place of employment.

The plan administrator is also required to make the records available at a location that is mutually agreed upon by the plan administrator and the person making the request.

If the plan administrator does not respond to your written request for inspection of the plan records within 30 days after receipt of the request, FSRA staff may be contacted for assistance.

Inspection of plan administrator’s records by the former spouse of a member, former member or retired member

If you are a member, former member or retired member your former spouse (including his/her representative) is entitled to access the plan administrator’s records, provided that: 

• your former spouse has applied for a Statement of Family Law Value (FSRA Family Law Value Form 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D or 4E); or
• the member, former member or retired member has applied for a Statement of Family Law Value.

[Note: The application for the Statement of Family Law Value must be made using the Application for Family Law Value (Family Law Form FL-1).]

Your former spouse has time-limited access to the plan administrator’s records. The plan administrator is not required to make the records available to your former spouse (including his/her representative) after the earlier of: 

• one year after the date the plan administrator provides the Statement of Family Law Value to you and your former spouse and the member, former member or retired member; and
• the date the plan administrator transfers a lump sum to your former spouse, or they start to receive a share of your pension.

Plan administrator’s fees

a) Making Copies during Plan Inspection

The plan administrator may charge up to 25 cents per page for each paper copy, if copies of the plan records are requested. However, the plan administrator cannot charge you for inspecting the plan records or making copies of the records at the place of inspection.

b) Requesting Copies by Mail or Electronically

The plan administrator may charge up to 25 cents per page for each paper copy, for delivery by mail.

The plan administrator may charge up to $5.00 for each request for plan records that will be provided electronically. Each request may include more than one plan record. However, you cannot make a request for the same record during each calendar year.

How to request access to FSRA’s plan records

FSRA does not keep personal data about individual plan beneficiaries.  Detailed information about your membership in the pension plan (e.g., copies of annual pension statements) can only be obtained from the plan administrator.

You can contact FSRA staff to make an appointment to inspect those plan records listed above and that are filed with FSRA.

Please contact us during regular business hours (Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.).

Tel: 416-250-7250
Toll free: 1-800-668-0128

Email: [email protected]