Change in eligibility period for the Pensioners’ Dental Services Plan
What’s changing
Effective , to be eligible for coverage under the Pensioners’ Dental Services Plan (PDSP), retiring individuals of the federal public service must be in receipt of an ongoing monthly public service pension, based on a minimum of six years of cumulative pensionable service.
This change was announced in Budget 2025 and aligns the PDSP eligibility period with that of retired members in the Public Service Health Care Plan (PSHCP).
The new requirement does not affect:
- members who joined the PDSP before
- Canadian federal public servants who retired before (even if they are not currently PDSP members)
Note: The six-year cumulative service eligibility requirement will apply should an individual become re-employed in the public service. In such cases, pensionable service credited prior to the individual’s first retirement will be added to the pensionable service accrued before their second retirement. Previous enrolment will not guarantee future eligibility.
Some exceptions may apply. Consult the PDSP Rules for more information.
Pensionable service
Pensionable service means the complete or partial years of service credited at retirement, and it is used to calculate the pension benefits to which an individual is entitled. Total pensionable service includes:
- the sum of all periods of service
- service that has been bought back
- service transferred through a Pension Transfer Agreement
About the plan
The PDSP is a voluntary dental services plan offered to eligible retired members from the federal public service and their eligible dependant(s). This includes those who are in receipt of a pension, annuity or annual allowance, including a survivor pension under one of the recognized federal superannuation acts listed in Rule 2 of the PDSP Rules such as:
- members of the federal public service
- members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)
- members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF)
- members of Parliament
- federal judges
- members of designated agencies and corporations
To become a member of the PDSP, an individual must also meet the eligibility criteria described in Rule 2.
More information
For more information regarding the new PDSP eligibility period, consult the PDSP Rules or contact the Government of Canada Pension Centre.