Expand or start a family
Maternity leave
Welcoming a new child is a major life event—and it can impact your future pension. Time away from work during maternity leave creates a gap in pensionable service, which lowers your retirement benefit.
You can bridge this gap by purchasing the service, either by contributing while on leave or after you return. This is the most affordable option: you cover only your contributions, while your employer pays their share.
Exploring your options now can help you make the best choice for your future.
Eligibility
Maternity leave is for pension plan members who are pregnant or have recently given birth and are still part of the plan.
Estimate
Get an information package with the estimated value, costs, and options from CSSB using the form on this page.
Send it directly to CSSB:
Email: askus@cssb.mb.ca
Mail: CSSB, 1200-444 St Mary Avenue, Winnipeg, MB, R3C 3T1
Once you receive the information package, there is no obligation to move forward.
TIP: For a rough estimate, check your paystub for your pension contribution amount. Multiply that by the number of weeks you’ll be away. For example, if you contribute $200 biweekly ($100 weekly) and take 17 weeks off, your cost is $100 x 17 or about $1,700.
How to Apply
Send the form to CSSB at one of these times (choose one):
- Before the leave
- During the leave
- No later than 30 days after returning to work
If maternity and parental leaves are taken together, submit your form no later than 30 days after the last leave ends.
Payment options
Payments can be made by:
- Monthly installments by post-dated cheque or e-transfer while on leave (if you apply before or during the leave)
- A lump sum by e-transfer or direct transfer from an RRSP/LIRA/CSSB Money Purchase Plan after the leave ends
- Biweekly payroll deductions (with interest) after returning to work—must return to work within 30 days of the last leave ending
Good to know
✔︎ Maternity leave is the cheapest service purchase available.
✔︎ You must ask for the information package within 30 days of returning to work.
✔︎ You can buy back the service later but it will cost more.
✔︎ Your contributions are tax deductible (if paid by cash rather than direct transfer from investments).
✔︎ You don’t need to decide until after you get the estimated costs.
✔︎ Whether you choose to contribute while on mat leave, you’ll stay in the plan and continue to earn qualifying service.
Paying for maternity leave makes a difference
At age 35, this member is expecting her first child. After asking for an estimate, she realizes buying her leave is one of the best ways to increase her future pension.
Age: 35
Salary: $71,000
Year: 2023
Maternity leave: 0.3269/year
Cost: $1,830 (tax deductible)*
Pension boost: $368/year
Time to break even: ~5 years
Parental and adoptive leaves
While you’re on parental or adoptive leave, your pensionable service stops growing, which reduces your future pension. To keep your retirement on track, you can buy this service either during your leave or after it ends.
Parental leave is more expensive than maternity leave because your employer does not contribute— you must pay both your share and a matching amount.
Exploring your options now can help you make the best decision for your future.
Eligibility
Parental and adoptive leave is for parents after the birth or adoption of a child.
Estimate
Get an information package with the estimated value, costs, and options from CSSB using the form on this page.
Send it directly to CSSB:
Email: askus@cssb.mb.ca
Mail: CSSB, 1200-444 St Mary Avenue, Winnipeg, MB, R3C 3T1
Once you receive the information package, there is no obligation to move forward.
How to apply
Send the form to CSSB:
- Before the leave
- During the leave
- No later than 30 days after returning to work
If maternity and parental leaves are taken together, submit your form no later than 30 days after you return to work.
In some cases, depending on your age and salary, there may be a cheaper way to buy this service. CSSB will always provide the more affordable option based on your account information at the time.
Payment options
Payments can be made by:
- Biweekly payroll deductions (with interest) after returning to work—must return to work within 30 days of the last leave ending
- Monthly installments while on leave (if you apply before or during the leave)
- A lump sum by e-transfer or direct transfer from an RRSP/LIRA/CSSB Money Purchase Plan after the leave ends
Good to know
✔︎ You must ask for the information package within 30 days of returning to work.
✔︎ Your contributions are tax deductible (if paid by cash rather than direct transfer from investments).
✔︎ If there’s a cheaper way to buy the service, CSSB will let you know.
✔︎ You can buy what you can afford now and buy the rest later through a service buyback (buybacks will cost more as they are calculated based on age and salary).
✔︎ You don’t need to decide until after you get the estimate.
✔︎ Whether you choose to contribute, you’ll stay in the plan and continue to earn qualifying service.
EXAMPLE
The member from our example above also decides to take parental leave.
Age: 35
Salary: $71,000
Year: 2023
Parental leave: 0.7115/year
Cost: $7,968 (tax deductible)*
Pension boost: $802/year
Earn back investment: ~11 years
Fast Forward – The Growing Value of Pensionable Service
The pension boost you see in the estimate isn’t static—it grows with your salary. In other words, that number is just the starting point.
Twenty years from now, if the member in our example were to make $90,000 annually, the maternity leave she bought would be worth an extra $502/year and the parental leave she bought would be worth an extra $1,092/year.
Her investment would pay off in just over six years (assuming 20+ years in retirement).
What to expect: timing and processing
We will send you an information package after your leave starts and after we receive information from your employer. It may take several weeks to receive the information from your employer. A delay by CSSB in providing the information package will not affect your ability to make contributions if you choose to purchase the service.
If your period(s) of leave spans two or more calendar years, we can only provide costing for the years where we know the Canadian Pension Plan (CPP) Year’s Maximum Pensionable Earnings (YMPE) amount. This amount is published each November.
Dependent insurance
Your child will be automatically approved for dependents insurance if you complete the form through your employer within 90 days of their birth.
If you wait longer than 90 days, the insurance company will need medical proof of insurability.
Ask your employer for details about coverage levels, forms, and deadlines.
Many life changes can affect your pension. Explore the different events below to learn more. Contact CSSB if you have questions.
