Important notes:- For DGPP members outside of Quebec, the provisions of the applicable provincial legislation take precedence over the Plan Regulation and may differ from those presented below.
The definition of a spouse for the purposes of the Desjardins Group Pension Plan (DGPP) is as follows:
- The spouse is the person who is married to or united in civil union with the member and who is not legally separated from bed and board from the member.
- If the member is neither married nor civilly united, the spouse is a person who has been living with the member in a marital relationship for at least 3 years or, in the following cases, for at least 1 year,
- if (at least) one child has been born or will be born of their union;
- if they have jointly adopted at least one child during their marital relationship;
- if one of them has adopted at least one of the other’s children during this period.
- If no one meets any of the above definitions, the spouse is a person who the member has designated in writing to the Desjardins Group Retirement Committee, and who has been living in a marital relationship with the member for at least 1 year.
- Finally, if no one meets any of the above definitions, the member is deemed not to have a spouse for the purposes of the DGPP.
If you get married, your spouse will be recognized automatically for the purposes of the DGPP. If you die before you retire, your spouse will receive the total value of your annuity. When you retire, this spouse will be automatically designated as such and will, upon your death, be entitled to an annuity of at least or equal to 60% of your annuity with no guarantee period (legal requirement) or otherwise as chosen by you upon your retirement.
Your spouse can, however, waive this benefit by signing the form (pdf - 40 kb) provided for this purposes. If, upon your retirement, your spouse wishes to waive your survivor annuity, he or she may do so by signing the survivor annuity waiver form.
There will be no impact if you marry after you retire. Your spouse is the person named as such at the time of your retirement and cannot be changed thereafter. You cannot modify or add a spouse or any other dependent person after you retire.