Notice #958 - Rescinding mandatory use date of the 2021-09 versions of the Registered Education Savings Plan transfer form and the Employment and Social Development Canada Application form

Information bulletin

Number:

CESP/PCEE-2022/23-003-958

Date:

July 28, 2022

Subject:

Rescinding mandatory use date of the 2021-09 versions of the Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) transfer form and the Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) Application form

Previous bulletin

This notice follows information bulletin #929.

Purpose

1. To rescind the mandatory use date of the 2021-09 version of ESDC forms.
2. Provide an update on further form changes.

Background

In 2021, ESDC revised the RESP transfer form and the ESDC Application form (for beneficiaries under age 18). This was to comply with Web standards for accessibility.

ESDC now expects more changes to these forms due to program updates. To lessen the impact, ESDC no longer requires promoters to use the 2021-09 form versions.

Future changes to forms

Program updates are needed to:

1. modernize ESDC’s sex and gender information practices for the incentives it delivers
   • ESDC plans to move from sex to gender collection and this will affect data fields on ESDC forms
2. cancel the Saskatchewan Advantage Grant for Education Savings (SAGES) as announced by the Government of Saskatchewan in its 2022-23 budget
   • this will also affect data fields on ESDC forms

ESDC aims to introduce both of these form updates at the same time. New form versions will also include the accessible features of the 2021-09 version.

ESDC will provide timelines and next steps for these program changes, as they are ready.

Mandatory use date

There is no longer a mandatory use date for the 2021-09 form versions. Promoters may choose to use this version at any time.

Until further notice, promoters may use either published version of the forms.

These forms are available online at Canada.ca/RESPresources. Click on the Forms tab to access them.

Contact us

If you have any questions regarding this notice, please contact us:

• by using our online contact page
• by telephone at 1-888-276-3624
• by e-mail at cesp-pcee@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca

Our business hours are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Eastern Time.