June 29, 2026 - Defence Stories

Estimated read time: 2:09

The Early Retirement Incentive (ERI) came into effect across the federal public service following Royal Assent of Budget 2025 on March 26, 2026. The Department of National Defence (DND) is participating in this temporary and voluntary program.

Under the ERI, eligible employees can apply to retire based on age and years of service with no reduction for early retirement, subject to approval based on organizational needs and priorities. The annual pension amount will be calculated using the total years of pensionable service up to the early retirement date.

A web page providing an Overview of ERI at the DND for employees offers information specific to the ERI at DND, including the detailed process and timeline for the program. Employees interested in applying are encouraged to review the available information, consider their options, and make an informed decision based on their individual circumstances.

Eligible employees who are interested in the ERI may submit an application through the Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) Application Portal (TAP) until July 24, 2026. All applications will be reviewed against established Treasury Board criteria prior to Deputy Minister (DM) certification. While the criteria used to assess ERI applications are the same across the federal public service, other departments/agencies face different workforce situations and may conduct their ERI programs differently. The final decision for ERI certification at DND rests with the DM, who is reviewing applications on an ongoing basis.

Employees who have already submitted a resignation or started Pre-Retirement Transition Leave under the normal pension provisions are not eligible to participate in the ERI. This also applies to employees who submit an ERI application after their resignation has been accepted.

Employees participating in the ERI process may withdraw their application at any time before management formally accepts their resignation. Once an employee's manager accepts their resignation through the Notice of Departure (accessible only on the National Defence network), the employee can no longer withdraw their ERI application. At that point, the retirement date is irrevocable, unless the Pension Centre later determines that the employee does not meet the age, service, and employment eligibility parameters.

Separate from the ERI, employees can choose to retire under the normal pension provisions at any time and should advise their manager accordingly.

Resources

Early Retirement Incentive (ERI) at the Department of National Defence

Early Retirement Incentive - Canada.ca

Voluntary Early Retirement Incentive Program - Canada.ca

Pension Centre

Early Retirement Incentive Program: Pension counselling booking for employees - Canada.ca

My GC Pension

Basic pension calculator

Contacts

If employees believe they are eligible for the ERI but did not receive a letter in the My GC Pension Portal or by mail (for those without access to the portal), they should contact the Pension Centre.

DND employees who do not have access to TAP should complete and submit the Request for the Early Retirement Incentive form (PWGSC-TPSGC 2025E) to the following positional mailbox: earlyretirementincentive-incitationretraiteanticipee@forces.gc.ca.

For departmental support and questions related to the ERI process, DND employees and managers may contact HR Connect RH or call 1-833-747-6363.