Long Term Disability Plan for B.C. government employees

On this page

• Eligibility
• Applying for LTD
• Your responsibilities
• Payments
• Other benefits
• Rehabilitation and returning to work
• Coverage period
• Feedback
• LTD report

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Eligibility

Regular employees can qualify for long term disability (LTD) if they:

• Work in a position that's at least half-time
• Have six months of active service
• Have completed six months of Short Term Illness and Injury Plan (STIIP) benefits
• Are under the regular care of a doctor*
• Have sufficient medical evidence to support their LTD claim

* BCGEU, PEA and excluded employees may be under the regular care of a nurse practitioner registered to practice in B.C.

Since very specific conditions apply, please contact AskMyHR (IDIR restricted) for details about eligibility. 

Submit a service request using the categories Myself (or) My Team or Organization > Leave & Time Off > Sick Leave. Add 'LTD' in the subject line.

Applying for LTD

Make an application at least 8 weeks before your Short Term Illness and Injury Plan benefits end.

You must submit all portions of your completed Long Term Disability Application (PDF, 475KB), including the medical portion, within four weeks after the Short Term Illness and Injury Plan period. 

If you fail to submit your application within that time, it is assumed you have abandoned your claim.

If you have not abandoned your claim, you must demonstrate to the plan administrator that there were reasonable grounds for not applying during the prescribed period.

To apply

• Read the guide
• Complete the employee's portion of the application
• Get your doctor* to complete the physician’s portion of the application and supply you with all available medical information (such as test results, specialist reports and x-rays). These records will help expedite your application

Email, fax or mail the completed package to:

Canada Life
Suite 1500 – 1055 Dunsmuir Street
Vancouver, BC  V7X 1K8

Phone: 1-888-292-4111
Fax: 1-844-816-1038
Email

Once all documentation has been submitted, call Canada Life to check the status of your application.

Your responsibilities

Employees on LTD are required to:

• Make every effort to manage and recover from the illness or injury
• Remain under the care of a doctor*
• Provide Canada Life with any requested information about their medical condition, treatment, and possible return to work
• Fully participate in recommended treatment programs
• Participate in, and cooperate with, rehabilitation and return to work planning, when appropriate
• Stay in touch with their supervisor and any other professionals involved, such as an occupational health nurse, injury recovery specialist, or corporate advisor

* Effective April 1, 2022, BCGEU, PEA and excluded employees may be under the regular care of a nurse practitioner registered to practice in B.C.

Payments

Benefits are paid by direct deposit at the end of each month:

• Effective April 7, 2024, Bargaining Unit employees receive 70% of the first $3087.47 of their regular monthly earnings plus 50% of earnings above $3087.47
• Effective April 7, 2024, excluded employees receive 70% of the first $3387.47of their regular monthly earnings plus 50% of earnings above $3387.47

Please contact Canada Life to report any other income received, such as:

• WorkSafeBC
• ICBC
• Private insurance
• EI
• CPP
• Income assistance
• Other employment income

Other benefits

While on LTD, you’ll continue to be covered if you enrolled in any of the following benefits:

• Group life insurance
• Extended health care
• Dental plan
• Optional Life Insurance for employee, spouse or dependent child(ren)

You’ll continue to be covered if you enrolled in any of the following benefits but you’ll be required to pay the premiums from monthly LTD benefits in order to maintain the coverage:

• Optional Family Funeral Benefit
• Employee Optional Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance
• Spouse Optional Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance
• Child Optional Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance

You’ll continue to be covered for Employee and Family Assistance Services (EFAS). Learn more about health and well-being services.

Public Service Pension Plan contributions are not required while on LTD. However, employees continue their membership and will be credited with pensionable service.

Rehabilitation and returning to work

Employees and supervisors will need to work together with a Corporate Advisor (during the LTD period) and an occupational health nurse or an injury recovery specialist to achieve the best outcome. Options include modified job duties, reduced hours, or retraining and finding an alternate job if an employee is permanently medically prevented from returning to their own job.

Plan a trial period with your support team for a gradual return to work to readjust and build up endurance. Employees are paid for hours worked during the trial and will continue to receive LTD benefits for hours not worked. If you have questions about your pay, contact AskMyHR (IDIR restricted) by submitting a service request using the categories Myself (or) My Team or Organization > Pay > Salaries & Other Wages.

Coverage period

LTD benefits start after the STIIP period ends, provided that Canada Life has reviewed and accepted your application for LTD benefits. Benefits continue as long as you meet the conditions of the LTD plan and remain disabled, but finish on the last day of the month in which you turn 65 (60 for BC Corrections correctional centre employees).

If you're on LTD and nearing the age of 65 (60 for BC Corrections correctional centre employees), or for any other questions related to LTD, contact AskMyHR (IDIR restricted) by submitting a service request using the categories Myself (or) My Team or Organization > Leave & Time Off > Sick Leave. Add 'LTD' in the subject line.

Feedback

After you submit an application, we will send you a confidential survey conducted by BC Stats to help us learn more about your experience with the LTD application process. We appreciate this is a challenging time, and we hope you will participate in this confidential survey to help us in our improvement efforts. You can expect to receive a survey invite coming from BC Stats via a letter in the mail three months after you submit the LTD application.

LTD report

Read the current BC Public Service Agency 2023 to 2024 Long Term Disability Plan Annual Report (PDF, 977KB).