The United Church of Canada provides a Defined Benefit Pension Plan for all employees who work more than 14 hours a week.
Visit CHURCHx for a recording of the 90 minute Pension Information Seminar to learn about how the plan works, what it costs, what it provides, and how to apply for your pension when you're ready. In this program, we will describe:
To view the recording and get all the handouts:
Click here to view a recording of this seminar on YouTube.
It’s almost lunchtime. You meant to cook a nutritious meal—but it would be so much easier to just order takeout online. Before you know it, you’re reaching for your phone.
Sound familiar?
Building new habits is hard. Our old habits are so much easier, but that doesn’t mean they’re better for us.
Healthy habits are the foundation of a happy and meaningful life. In this campaign, our experts will help you integrate mindfulness into your routine, prepare nutritious meals, discover the right workout for you and much more. Positive habits are the building blocks of a resilient mind and healthy body. They help you enjoy the success you seek in your personal and professional life.
On February 22nd at 12:00 p.m. ET the Ask the Expert web chat by Reena Kotecha will share some lifestyle tweaks to improve your mental and physical health.
Check out your LifeSpeak platform now! Log in using the Group Account option. The password is "wellness".
Connex is your newsletter that provides information about your pension, benefits, and payroll. If you were previously receiving an email about Connex and didn’t see it in your inbox, check your spam folder! If it’s still not there and you would like to receive Connex, please sign up for the latest news and updates by filling out the form below.
The accrual rate is the rate at which you earn your pension. In 2023, you will earn your pension at the rate of 1.85% of your pensionable earnings.
You earn a piece of pension every year that you work and contribute to the plan―like building blocks.
For example, let’s assume that a member’s pensionable earnings stayed constant at $60,000 every year (for easy figuring). From 2019 to 2024, that member would earn:
| Year | Accrual Rate | Formula | Pension Credit Earned |
| 2019 | 1.4% | 1.4% of $60,000 | $ 840 |
| 2020 | 1.85% | 1.85% of $60,000 | $ 1,110 |
| 2021 | 1.625% | 1.625% of $60,000 | $ 975 |
| 2022 | 1.85% | 1.85% of $60,000 | $ 1,110 |
| 2023 | 1.85% | 1.85% of $60,000 | $ 1,110 |
| 2024 | 1.4% | 1.4% of $60,000 | $ 840 |
At the end of your career, the annual pension amounts earned each year (pension credits) will add up to the total annual pension you will receive every year for the rest of your life. So, the higher amount earned in 2023 will continue to benefit you for the rest of your retired life.
There is no automatic indexing or increases in our pension plan. Each year, the Pension Board and Pension Plan Advisory Committee assess the resources available and determine whether there are surplus funds that can be used to increase benefits.
This December, it is time to pause and think about how work can impact us, and reflect on how we can better our work environment and life with a few simple tips to feel less stressed and more organized on a day to day basis.
Learn more now with LifeSpeak experts.
On December 14th at 12:00 p.m. ET the Ask the Expert web chat by Janna Comrie addresses how to Support Your Kids' or Your Aging Parents' Mental Health
Check out your LifeSpeak platform now! Log in using the Group Account option. The password is "wellness".
More than 400 million people around the world live with diabetes. 1.5 million deaths are directly attributed to it each year.
This month, join us in recognizing World Diabetes Day that is on November 14th. Created by the WHO and IDF in 1991, the day is now observed by more than 1 billion people in 160 countries. Learn more about the condition with the LifeSpeak resources below.
Learn more now with LifeSpeak experts.
On November 22nd at 12:00 p.m. ET the Ask the Expert web chat by Jennifer Mervyn addresses how to manage stress and build resilience.
Check out your LifeSpeak platform now! Log in using the Group Account option. The password is "wellness".
We all know that feeling. Something isn’t quite right. We’re stressed and tired, anxious or depressed. We know we need to make a change but don’t know exactly what—or how.
Developing and maintaining a healthy mental state is critical to almost every aspect of our lives, from our relationships to our diet to our professional success. If we want to remain balanced, focused and productive, we need to take care of our mental health in the same way we take care of our physical health.
To do so, we need the right tools and the right information from people we can trust.
In this campaign, our experts will help you understand mental illness, navigate the mental health care system as a racialized person, find the right therapist, cultivate emotional intelligence and much more. They’ll facilitate your personal growth so you can embrace challenges and enjoy the success you seek in all areas of your life.
On October 26 at 12:00 p.m. ET the Ask the Expert web chat by Russell Kolts addresses how to take care of your mental health.
Check out your LifeSpeak platform now! Log in using the Group Account option. The password is "wellness".
UCRD
On this topic the United Church Bookstore has The Healing Oasis: Guided Meditations for Mind, Body, and Spirit and Returning to the Healing Oasis: Guided Meditations for Mind, Body, and Spirit. These resources provide spiritually-minded guided meditations suitable for individuals and groups for both church and non-church settings to help you take the time to cultivate to your mental wellbeing as we do our physical wellbeing.
The Benefits Centre team is pleased to announce that we have made 17 lump sum payments and 4,768 regular pension payments following the transition from RBC Investor and Treasury Services to LifeWorks in May. All thanks to LifeWorks' Ariel payroll system that streamlined the payroll run and generated one payroll run instead of two for monthly pensions and lump sums. Check out more details below!
The last couple years have been unlike anything we’ve experienced before. We’ve had so much to manage, it’s no surprise that some of us have slipped into unhealthy habits – but that’s okay! During unprecedented times, we need to be gentle with ourselves, but it’s also good to take a moment to re-evaluate our habits. This month LifeSpeak experts will talk about different health aspects and help us becoming the CEO of our own health!
On September 21st at 12:00 p.m. ET, the Ask the Expert web chat by Marty Martin addresses how to fall asleep and stay asleep during the night.
Check out your LifeSpeak platform now! Log in using the Group Account option. The password is "wellness".
The last two years brought a lot of changes to our lives. Work has been one of them and we had to adapt to remote and flexible work. This month, our LifeSpeak expert will give practical tips on how to make flexible and remote work a success!
On Aug 24 at 12:00 p.m. ET the Ask the Expert web chat by Sharon Selby addresses how to Prepare for Back to School and Return to Office.
Check out your LifeSpeak platform now! Log in using the Group Account option. The password is "wellness".
