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HOOPP

Working After Retirement

Working After Retirement

Working After Retirement

Members Life Changes Working After Retirement

While retirement opens up a whole new world of possibilities, it doesn't necessarily mean you won't work again. If you find yourself working in retirement with a non-HOOPP employer, your HOOPP pension is unaffected.

Can I take my pension and still work at a HOOPP employer?

If you return to work at a HOOPP employer, you will have two options.

  • Continue to receive your HOOPP pension and build no further benefits in the Plan
  • Re-enrol in the Plan and continue to build your HOOPP pension until you turn 71

How does re-enrolling impact my pension?

If you re-enrol in HOOPP, you will stop receiving your HOOPP pension temporarily as you will be making contributions to the Plan.

When you begin to collect your pension again, it will be adjusted to reflect the additional benefits you have built. You are able to contribute to the Plan until December of the year in which you turn age 71, at which point you will need to begin receiving your pension payments.

Considerations for re-enrolling 

To help you determine whether re-enrolling would make sense for you, you may want to consider the following:

  • Can you afford to forego your HOOPP pension income while you work?
  • Will you accumulate sufficient benefits to make foregoing the HOOPP pension income worthwhile? Not only will you forgo your monthly pension, but you must also resume making contributions to HOOPP which reduces your take-home pay as well.
  • Will resuming contributions allow you to reach an eligibility service milestone, such as 15 or 30 years? The more eligibility service you have, the less your pension is reduced if you retire before age 60. Find out more about milestones.
The following example demonstrates the impact re-enrolling in HOOPP can have on your pension income:

Working after retirement example: Kristen

Meet Kristen

Retired at age: 55
Started HOOPP pension: January 1, 2020
Years of service: 14
Average annualized earnings: $70,000


Kristen retired at age 55 and started collecting her pension on January 1, 2020. She had 14 years of eligibility and contributory service and average annualized earnings of $70,000. In January 2022, at age 57, she decided to go back to work. Kristen called HOOPP to discuss her options, and decided to put her pension on hold to re-enrol in the Plan and start contributing again to continue building her pension. During this period, she worked for two years with annualized earnings of $70,000.

The amount of monthly pension Kristen would have received for those two years, had she not re-enrolled as member, was $27,600, plus any cost of living adjustments (COLA) as approved by HOOPP’s Board of Trustees.

When Kristen decided to stop working and start collecting her pension again on January 1, 2024, at age 59, she had built a bigger pension for her retirement during those two years. Until she reaches age 65, she will receive an extra $375 per month (including her bridge benefit) and an extra $330 per month every month after she turns 65. This increase to her pension helps to increase her financial security in retirement.

It would take Kristen about six years after restarting her pension to collect the $27,600 she would have received in pension payments had she not returned to work. However, the extra two years of contributions will still pay off in the long run. For example, if she lives to age 75, she will receive an additional $39,000 in pension payments over and above the pension she would have received if she had not gone back to work.

Let’s take a closer look at Kristen’s options in the next tab.

Kristen's options

Because Kristen is going back to work for two years, she can afford to pause her pension payments since she will receive higher pay than her pension would provide. Plus, as a result of her extra contributory service, her pension will be even higher when she retires.

Monthly income before resuming contributions and going back to work Monthly income after working and resuming contributions
Monthly income after restarting her pension after the additional two years
Monthly lifetime pension $1,010 $0 $1,340
Monthly bridge benefit $140 $0
 $185
Total monthly pension $1,150 N/A $1,525
Monthly pay from work N/A $5,833 gross amount, less HOOPP contributions and any other payroll deductions N/A

All amounts shown are gross, before tax or payroll deductions.

  • Meet Kristen

    Working after retirement example: Kristen

    Meet Kristen

    Retired at age: 55
    Started HOOPP pension: January 1, 2020
    Years of service: 14
    Average annualized earnings: $70,000


    Kristen retired at age 55 and started collecting her pension on January 1, 2020. She had 14 years of eligibility and contributory service and average annualized earnings of $70,000. In January 2022, at age 57, she decided to go back to work. Kristen called HOOPP to discuss her options, and decided to put her pension on hold to re-enrol in the Plan and start contributing again to continue building her pension. During this period, she worked for two years with annualized earnings of $70,000.

    The amount of monthly pension Kristen would have received for those two years, had she not re-enrolled as member, was $27,600, plus any cost of living adjustments (COLA) as approved by HOOPP’s Board of Trustees.

    When Kristen decided to stop working and start collecting her pension again on January 1, 2024, at age 59, she had built a bigger pension for her retirement during those two years. Until she reaches age 65, she will receive an extra $375 per month (including her bridge benefit) and an extra $330 per month every month after she turns 65. This increase to her pension helps to increase her financial security in retirement.

    It would take Kristen about six years after restarting her pension to collect the $27,600 she would have received in pension payments had she not returned to work. However, the extra two years of contributions will still pay off in the long run. For example, if she lives to age 75, she will receive an additional $39,000 in pension payments over and above the pension she would have received if she had not gone back to work.

    Let’s take a closer look at Kristen’s options in the next tab.

  • Kristen's options

    Kristen's options

    Because Kristen is going back to work for two years, she can afford to pause her pension payments since she will receive higher pay than her pension would provide. Plus, as a result of her extra contributory service, her pension will be even higher when she retires.

    Monthly income before resuming contributions and going back to work Monthly income after working and resuming contributions
    		Monthly income after restarting her pension after the additional two years
    Monthly lifetime pension $1,010 $0 $1,340
    Monthly bridge benefit $140 $0
    		 $185
    Total monthly pension $1,150 N/A $1,525
    Monthly pay from work N/A $5,833 gross amount, less HOOPP contributions and any other payroll deductions N/A

    All amounts shown are gross, before tax or payroll deductions.

Get a pension estimate

HOOPP offers pension estimates to help you decide whether re-enrolling in HOOPP makes sense for you. Before you decide to accept a new position, contact us to discuss your options. If you’re receiving a HOOPP pension and are — or will be — working for a HOOPP employer, you can get an estimate of what your pension would be if you temporarily stopped receiving it, and began building pension benefits again. Simply complete a Re-enrolment Estimate Request form. HOOPP will provide an estimate that can help you decide whether or not to re-enrol. After reviewing the estimate, if you wish to proceed with the re-enrolment, please contact HOOPP.

We're here to help! Contact our Member Services team for more information.

This document provides a simplified overview of HOOPP's benefits based on the terms of the HOOPP Plan Text at the time of publication. From time to time, HOOPP may amend the HOOPP Plan Text. In cases where the information provided in this document differs from that contained in the HOOPP Plan Text, the HOOPP Plan Text will govern. More details, including the full HOOPP Plan Text and a complete description of the Plan and its benefits, can be found on hoopp.com.