After months of waiting, retired and former PSAC members finally have access to Phoenix general damages.
Any former member, legal representative of a former member or estate of a deceased member who worked for the federal public service between 2016 and 2020, and is eligible, can now claim the maximum lump sum of $2,500. This includes compensation for the late implementation of collective agreements during those years due to the Phoenix pay system. Entitlement to compensation is as follows:
| 2016–17 | $1,000 |
| 2017–18 | $500 |
| 2018–19 | $500 |
| 2019–20 | $500 |
These damages were negotiated in October 2020 by PSAC under the Phoenix pay system damages agreement.
To be eligible to claim each year of the financial compensation, a worker must have been a PSAC member, had their pay processed by Phoenix, and been on strength for at least one day in the applicable fiscal year. To clarify, “on strength” means an employee who was actively working, on leave, on assignment, on long-term disability or otherwise not active, but remained employed.
To receive the amount you are entitled to, you must submit a claim, either online or by mail. Once the claim is evaluated, and you have agreed the government’s calculation of monies owed is correct, the amounts will be paid in one instalment. Please note that general damages payments are subject to overpayment recovery.
Submit your claim online
Submit your claim by mail
If you have questions or need help with the claim process, contact your departmental claims officer. If you have other concerns, please contact the Client Contact Centre.
For more information on Phoenix general damages for retired and former PSAC members please see our FAQs.
This article was first posted on the PSAC website.
