What are the consequences of working beyond 0.6?
Should you earn greater than 0.6 service (contractual and/or substitute) in a school year (September to August), in the month the 0.6 limit is reached your pension will be reduced dollar for dollar by the amount of salary paid for service performed after that limit is reached. The pension payable for the remaining months in the school year is similarly reduced. ATRF performs this calculation for you once your employer has reported data that indicates that you have taught beyond 0.6 in the school year.
When will I be notified that I have worked beyond 0.6?
ATRF will notify you of your overpayment once the information is reported to ATRF by your employer. This information may not become available until the following calendar year. We will include the overpayment calculation broken down by month showing the salary and service for you to review. If the service and/or salary information is incorrect, contact your employer for clarification.
What are my options for repayment?
The following options for repayment are:
- Adjustments to your monthly pension
- Payment by cheque
- Suspension of pension benefits.
In our repayment letter you will be presented with a deadline to contact ATRF to arrange the repayment. If you do not respond by the deadline, your pension will automatically be adjusted.
What if the service reported to ATRF is incorrect?
If you believe there is an error in the service and salary used by ATRF to calculate your overpayment, contact your employer for clarification. Your employer will submit any corrections to ATRF to re-calculate the overpayment.
Why do I have service in July and/or August?
When you work under contract you receive a payout at the end of your contract. The service earned in conjunction with this salary payout is added to the next calendar month. A full time contract earns the maximum of 0.083333 (1/12th) of a year of service per month. A 0.6 part-time contract earns 0.050000 (0.6/12) of a year of service per month.
Who is responsible for this rule?
The 0.6 rule is legislated in the Teachers’ Pension Plans Act. The pension plan is sponsored by the Alberta Government and the Alberta Teachers’ Association.