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Your bridge benefit and retirement income

The bridge benefit is an important feature of your Ontario Teachers’ pension. It provides additional income on top of your lifetime pension, helping support you until you become eligible for an unreduced Canada Pension Plan (CPP) retirement pension, or earlier if you start receiving a CPP disability pension.

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We provide a bridge benefit to supplement your Ontario Teachers’ pension. It’s designed to “bridge” the gap between when you start your Ontario Teachers’ pension and when you turn 65, at which point you become eligible for an unreduced CPP retirement pension. It’s a valuable benefit but it’s temporary. It’s also just one of the possible components of your retirement income.

When does the bridge benefit end?

Regardless of when you decide to receive government retirement benefits, your bridge benefit ends the month after you turn 65, or earlier if you start a CPP disability pension.

If you start a CPP disability pension before age 65, you must contact us immediately so we can adjust your pension.

What happens when the bridge benefit ends?

In the month before the bridge benefit drops off (i.e. in the month you turn 65), we'll inform you of the amount of the adjustment to your Ontario Teachers’ pension income. From that point forward, you’ll only receive your lifetime Ontario Teachers’ pension.

Here are a few things to keep in mind:

  • You'll notice a decrease in your Ontario Teachers’ pension income when the bridge benefit ends.
  • The impact to your overall retirement pension income could depend on whether you’re already collecting a reduced CPP pension or waiting until age 65 or later to start an unreduced or improved CPP pension.
  • If you wait until age 65 or later to start an unreduced or improved CPP pension, and you’ve contributed to CPP for your entire career, you’ll most likely see an increase in your combined pension income when your bridge benefit ends.

Where can you find your bridge benefit amount?

If you’re a retired member, you can see the exact current annual amount of your temporary bridge benefit by accessing your pension summary details or viewing your Retired Member Statement. You can also get an estimate of it by using this estimator tool.

If you’re an active member, you can get an estimate of your temporary bridge benefit by accessing your personalized pension calculator to see the amount based on various retirement scenarios.

Estimating your bridge benefit

Use this tool to get an idea of your bridge benefit amount. Keep in mind the estimate doesn’t include future inflation increases.

×
Your bridge benefit amount, without inflation, is about
$ 0

DISCLAIMER

This calculator provides an estimate of your bridge benefit amount. This isn’t your final bridge benefit amount. Your final bridge benefit amount will include future inflation adjustments. This calculator assumes that you contributed to both CPP and Ontario Teachers’ while you worked. It doesn’t take partial years or part-time employment into consideration.

How is the bridge benefit calculated?

The formula used is:

CPP adjustment factor (0.45%)
x
Years of service in Ontario Teachers’ during which you also contributed to CPP
x
Year’s Maximum Pensionable Earnings average or best-five salary (if less)
=
Bridge benefit amount

What are other possible components of your retirement income?

The CPP and Old Age Security (OAS) may complement your Ontario Teachers’ pension income. The earliest you may qualify to receive a CPP retirement pension is at age 60. You may also be eligible to apply for OAS at age 65. It’s important to know that the start of a CPP retirement pension and OAS payments can be deferred until age 70. In the simplest terms, starting earlier means smaller monthly CPP or OAS payments, starting later means bigger monthly CPP or OAS payments.

Your decision on when to start collecting a CPP retirement pension or OAS payments has no impact on your Ontario Teachers’ pension.

Before deciding when to take your CPP retirement pension or OAS benefits, we recommend you go directly to the source. To get estimates of your reduced, unreduced or enhanced CPP retirement pension or OAS benefits, visit the CPP or OAS websites, call 1-800-277-9914 or contact your local Service Canada office.

Summary of your Ontario Teachers’ and government pensions

AgeOntario Teachers’ Pension Plan (OTPP) retirement pensionCanada Pension Plan (CPP)Old Age Security (OAS)
50 to 59
  • Unreduced with 85 factor.
    To age 65, your pension equals 2% × credit × best-five years’ salary.
  • Reduced for early retirement (if applicable)
The bridge benefit ends immediately if you start to receive a CPP disability pension.		Not availableNot available
60 to 65
  • Unreduced with 85 factor.
    To age 65, your pension equals 2% × credit × best-five years’ salary.
  • Reduced for early retirement (if applicable)
The bridge benefit ends immediately if you start to receive a CPP disability pension.

Eligible to apply for a reduced CPP retirement pension

To learn about the factors to consider when deciding when to start receiving your CPP retirement pension, go to www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/publicpensions/cpp/when-start.html.

You must contact us immediately if you start receiving a CPP disability pension.

Not available
65 and olderYour Ontario Teachers’ pension is adjusted the month after you turn 65 to reflect the end of the bridge benefit and decreases by an amount that’s likely less than your unreduced CPP pension.*

Eligible to apply for an unreduced CPP retirement pension.

To learn about the possible advantages of waiting until 65 or older to start your CPP pension, go to www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/publicpensions/cpp/when-start.html.

Eligible to apply

* Applicable for career teachers; a different adjustment may apply for occasional teachers.