India - Pensions and benefits

Available benefits

If you lived in Canada or contributed to the Canada Pension Plan and have valid contributions under the Employees' Pension Scheme (EPS), 1995 in India, this agreement may help you qualify for:

• Canadian old age and disability benefits
• Indian old age and disability benefits

If you are the widow, widower, child or eligible individual of a person who contributed to both the Canada Pension Plan and the EPS the pension programs of both countries, this agreement may help you qualify for:

• Canadian survivor benefits
• Indian survivor benefits

If you, or the deceased, did not have valid contributions under the Indian EPS of 1995, or have contributions under the EPS of 1995 but have received a lump-sum withdrawal of those contributions, this Agreement will not assist you in qualifying for a Canadian or an Indian pension.

You may qualify for a Canadian or an Indian benefit, or both. However, under the Agreement, the benefit paid by each country will be based solely on your creditable periods under that country's pension program. In other words, Canada will pay a benefit amount reflecting the portion of your periods that are creditable under Canada's pension program, and India will pay a benefit amount reflecting the portion of your creditable periods under the EPS.

The Agreement can also help you to obtain a lump-sum benefit or refund of contributions to the Indian Employees' Provident Fund Scheme (EPFO), 1952 and the Employees' Deposit-Linked Insurance Scheme (EDLI), 1976.

Eligibility

Indian benefits

The Indian Employees' Pension Scheme (EPS), 1995 pension program of India is similar to the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and covers many employed persons in India.

To qualify for a benefit under the Indian EPS, you normally must have contributed to the scheme for a minimum number of years.

If you do not have contributions under the EPS of 1995, for the minimum period to qualify for an Indian old age benefit, under the Agreement, the EPS may consider periods of contribution to the CPP and periods of residence in Canada after the age of 18 as creditable periods under the Indian EPS to help meet the eligibility requirements. To determine eligibility for Indian invalidity benefits, India may consider periods of contribution to the CPP as creditable periods under the EPS. To determine eligibility for Indian survivor benefits, the deceased's periods of contribution to the CPP may be considered as creditable periods under the EPS.

It is important to note that if you have received a refund of your contributions to the Indian EPS, this Agreement cannot assist you in qualifying for Indian benefits.

The Agreement can also help you to obtain a lump-sum payment from the Indian Employees' Provident Fund Scheme (EPFO), 1952, and the Employees' Deposit-Linked Insurance Scheme (EDLI), 1976. It can also assist you in obtaining a lump-sum refund of your EPS contributions if you still do not have sufficient periods to qualify for a pension from the EPS after combining your EPS periods with creditable periods from Canada.

Apply

Print and complete one of the following application forms:

India's social security

• Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO)
• Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India

Resources

• Agreement on Social Security between Canada and the Republic of India
• General overview of India's social security system
• Information and access to programs and services for Canadians living abroad
• Information on contributing to the Canada Pension Plan while working abroad and contact information for the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)