Legal Scoop | The Pensions (Public Service) Act: Changes to retirement ages
Published:Sunday | April 14, 2019 | 12:00 AMShena Stubbs-Gibson/Contributor
The Pensions (Public Service) Act 2017 came into effect on April 1, 2018. It is very important legislation with far-reaching consequences. As such, Legal Scoop has decided to sensitise readers on the implications of the act in a series of columns. In a previous column, we looked at how the implementation of the act would affect the normal retirement age and early retirement age for existing and new public officers.
In this column, we will focus on the options for normal retirement and early retirement during the transition period.
TRANSITION PERIOD
The transition period spans five years from the coming into effect of the act, that is, from April 2018 to April 2023. During that period, public servants appointed before April 1, 2018, and who are 55 years old and over may apply for early retirement or normal retirement on a phased basis, which is detailed below.
Public servants appointed after April 1, 2018, or appointed before April 1, 2018, but were under 55 years old on April 1, 2018, will not be eligible to take advantage of the option of retiring during the transition period.
NORMAL RETIREMENT
With the coming into effect of the act last year, the normal retirement age for public servants appointed after April 1, 2018 is now 65, up from 60. For public servants appointed before April 1, 2018, however, they may be granted ‘normal retirement’ if they attain the age set out in Column 2 of the table below in the month set out in Column 1.
EARLY RETIREMENT (SECTION 15)
With the coming into effect of the act in April last year, the age at which public servants appointed after April 1, 2018 may be granted early retirement has increased to 60. However, public servants appointed before April 1, 2018, who have attained the age set out in Column 3 of the table below in the month set out in Column 1, may be granted early retirement.
Because one year of the transition period has already passed, the table below starts at April 2019.
It should be noted that provisions for early retirement and normal retirement outlined in this column do not apply to constables.
- Shena Stubbs-Gibson is attorney-at-law and legal commentator. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and shena.stubbs@gleanerjm.com.Twitter:@shenastubbs.
Normal retirement age Early retirement age
April 2019 61 years, 1 month 56 years, 1 month
May 2019 61 years, 2 months 56 years, 2 months
June 2019 61 years, 3 months 56 years, 3 months
July 2019 61 years, 4 months 56 years, 4 months
August 2019 61 years, 5 months 56 years, 5 months
September 2019 61 years, 6 months 56 years, 6 months
October 2019 61 years, 7 months 56 years, 7 months
November 2019 61 years, 8 months 56 years, 8 months
December 2019 61 years, 9 months 56 years, 9 months
January 2020 61 years, 10 months 56 years, 10 months
February 2020 61 years, 11 months 56 years, 11 months
March 2020 62 years 57 years
April 2020 62 years, 1 month 57 years, 1 month
May 2020 62 years, 2 months 57 years, 2 months
June 2020 62 years, 3 months 57 years, 3 months
July 2020 62 years, 4 months 57 years, 4 months
August 2020 62 years, 5 months 57 years, 5 months
September 2020 62 years, 6 months 57 years, 6 months
October 2020 62 years, 7 months 57 years, 7 months
November 2020 62 years, 8 months 57 years, 8 months
December 2020 62 years, 9 months 57 years, 9 months
January 2021 62 years, 10 months 57 years, 10 months
February 2021 62 years, 11 months 57 years, 11 months
March 2021 63 years 58 years
April 2021 63 years, 1 month 58 years, 1 month
May 2021 63 years, 2 months 58 years, 2 months
June 2021 63 years, 3 months 58 years, 3 months
July 2021 63 years, 4 months 58 years, 4 months
August 2021 63 years, 5 months 58 years, 5 months
September 2021 63 years, 6 months 58 years, 6 months
October 2021 63 years, 7 months 58 years, 7 months
November 2021 63 years, 8 months 58 years, 8 months
December 2021 63 years, 9 months 58 years, 9 months
January 2022 63 years, 10 months 58 years, 10 months
February 2022 63 years, 11 months 58 years, 11 months
March 2022 64 years 59 years
April 2022 64 years, 1 month 59 years, 1 month
May 2022 64 years, 2 months 59 years, 2 months
June 2022 64 years, 3 months 59 years, 3 months
July 2022 64 years, 4 months 59 years, 4 months
August 2022 64 years, 5 months 59 years, 5 months
September 2022 64 years, 6 months 59 years, 6 months
October 2022 64 years, 7 months 59 years, 7 months
November 2022 64 years, 8 months 59 years, 8 months
December 2022 64 years, 9 months 59 years 9 months
January 2023 64 years, 10 months 59 years, 10 months
February 2023 64 years, 11 months 59 years, 11 months
March 2023 65 years 60 years
April 2023 65 years 60 years