Free accrual of service

Who is eligible for free accrual?

To be eligible for free accrual, you must meet the following criteria:

• Be employed by a HOOPP employer
• Under age 65 with less than 35 years of contributory service
• Have contributed to the Plan before your health leave
• Be assessed by HOOPP as partially disabled, totally disabled, or totally and permanently disabled
• Have been on a health leave for 15 weeks (known as the qualifying period) or more

How to apply

Applying for disability benefits at HOOPP is easy.

1. Your employer lets us know when you start a health leave, and when your qualifying period ends we will send you an Application for Disability Benefits.
2. Complete the short application and submit it to HOOPP, along with some required medical information. There are multiple options to choose from for medical evidence, and these are all clearly explained in the application.
3. When our review is complete, we will contact you to let you know what disability benefits you qualify for and to outline next steps.

If you are approved, your free accrual typically begins as soon as your qualifying period ends.

If you are not approved for free accrual, we will reach out to explain your options. As long as you continue to be on a health leave, you can reapply with new medical information anytime during the four-year period after the start of your leave. You may also be able to continue making your pension contributions, if approved by your employer.

About the qualifying period

The first 15 weeks of a health leave is called the qualifying period. During this time, you and your employer continue to make contributions to your pension based on any pensionable earnings that you receive.

Free accrual can start after the qualifying period has ended.

During the qualifying period, you can:

• Choose to top up your contributions based on your pre-leave earnings, if your income is reduced or you have no earnings during the qualifying period. This will maintain your contributory service for the period, which can make a difference in the pension amount you receive in retirement. Speak to your employer about setting this up, and they can submit your top-up contributions to HOOPP on your behalf, either through regular deductions from your pay or as a lump-sum payment (within six months after your qualifying period ends).
• Return to work for up to three consecutive weeks without interrupting your 15-week qualifying period. If during this three-week period, you stop work again for the same health reason, you won’t have to start a new qualifying period.

Please note that the qualifying period applies only to HOOPP’s free accrual of service benefit option.

Continuing your free accrual

HOOPP will reach out periodically to confirm your continued eligibility for free accrual, and this may include a request for updated medical information.

Your continued eligibility depends on your level of disability and other factors.

If you are assessed by HOOPP as partially disabled, totally disabled or totally and permanently disabled your free accrual can begin after your 15-week qualifying period and last as long as you continue to qualify, until one of the following occurs:

• You return to work and start contributing again
• You reach 35 years of service or age 65
• You end your membership in HOOPP or decide to start an early retirement pension

In addition, if you are assessed as partially disabled, your free accrual can last until you reach four years from the date your health leave started.

If your employment ends while you are receiving free accrual, you will receive termination options. One of the options is to remain a member and continue receiving free accrual. In this case, we may reach out to request additional medical information to confirm your eligibility.