Retirement: Quebec is abandoning the idea of ​​raising the age of eligibility for a pension

The Quebec Pension Plan belongs to all Quebecers. We do not intend to force choices that people do not wantMinister Gerrard said. We will continue the analyzes, completing the reading of all the notes in detail, he added. He said the decision will be taken on the day the next budget is presented, March 21.

Speaking in the House of Representatives, Mr. Gerrard explained that this procedure Did not reach a consensus During the last public consultations in Parliamentary Committee, which take place every six years as required by the law on QPP.

The measure discussed was to postpone the age at which one can take early retirement from 60 to 62 The most controversialAccording to the Minister of Finance.

” I admit it myself, there were more dissenting people, for whom they came. […] This is a proposal that did not gain consensus, but we have to ask the question. »

Mr. Gerrard makes it clear Life expectancy increased to 40 yearsThat is, from 76 in 1984 to 83 in 2023, and to be 85 in 2030, according to estimates.

Among the arguments in favor of raising the minimum retirement age, the Minister mentioned thishe [fallait] We realize that in 2023, people study longer. So if you study longer, live longer and work the same amount of time, […] The period of accumulating your income compared to your age, well, it’s shorter and your percentage goes down.

On the other side, Mr. Gerrard said he saw An alliance of libertarians and individualists who have come to tell us: We have the right to make a suboptimal financial decision, it’s a right. It looks a bit like smoking right.

However, the Minister of Finance confirmed that if this proposal is approved by the government, It is absolutely necessary to pay attention to 10%. […] That is, people who have no choice, because of their precarious employment, […] He retires at the age of sixty.

Two measures are welcome

Apart from the age of eligibility, two other measures appear to have the support of the majority of those participating in the consultations.

First, that of making a contribution to QPP Pension recipients as of December 31 of the year of their 65th birthday, an election promise from the Coalition of Avenir Quebec (CAQ). This means that if you are already receiving your pension, it means that you have already activated your plan […] And after you return to work, you will not be required to contribute. It is a measure of liquidity that gives you money instantlyMr. Gerrard explained. This action was greatly appreciated. I wouldn’t go so far as to say it was unanimous, but it was unanimous.

Another well-received provision is an amendment to the pension calculation rules in order to prevent the working earnings of a person applying for a pension after the age of 65 from reducing the average income used in calculating his or her pension. I think that’s a great metricsaid the minister.

Finally, Mr. Gerard wanted to check on the condition of the QPP. He said there are 4.2 million plan members and 2.2 million beneficiaries in Quebec. It’s 17.7 billion [de dollars] It is collected in the form of subscriptions and 16 billion is paid in the form of benefits. There are also 102 billion in reserves which are managed in Caisse de Depot et placement. […] We have a group plan that belongs to Quebecers who are otherwise healthyHe said.

Mixed reactions

The CEO of the Federation of Quebec Chambers of Commerce, Charles Milliard, said to himself Disappointed to see that the government does not seem to be following this thinking that is happening in all countries right now with aging populations and the challenges of labor shortages, inflation and economic downturns.

According to him, the debate was influenced by the situation in France, where pension reform was hotly contested. Mr. Millyard mentions, however, that the system is in Quebec Completely different from France.

” The unfortunate thing is that we do retirement counseling every six years, so we should at least set ourselves the goal of talking about this more often. »

The same remark was made by François Vincent, Quebec Vice-President of the Canadian Confederation of Independent Business, who invited Minister Girard to Take your time to reach the right decision. We are asking the Minister not to put forward a proposal that would benefit 90% of the people concerned and would also be beneficial for businesses.He said. For us, the best decision we can make is to lift [l’âge minimal] 62 years old.

At the other end of the spectrum, many civil society organizations opposed the measure, including the Beneficiary Council (CPQ), which welcomed the move. resolution By Minister Eric Girard According to the consensus of the groups that were consulted in the committee. We are of the opinion that freedom of choice should be guaranteed to everyone, and especially to workers who perform physical tasksAl said CPQ on Twitter.

With information from Marie-José Paquette Cuomo