What’s changing - Public Service
Wildfire fighters
April 1, 2026, changes apply to eligible BC wildfire fighters.
What's changing
New wildfire fighter public safety group
A new wildfire fighter public safety group has been established, with the following eligibility rules:
- You must be an active member of the Public Service Pension Plan.
- You must be in an occupation that the BC Public Service Agency determines meets the definition of “wildfire fighter” in the plan rules.
Plan definition
The plan defines a “wildfire fighter” as a member who, on or after April 1, 2026, is employed by the BC Public Service Agency in the BC Wildfire Service and is employed in a “public safety occupation,” as defined in the Income Tax Regulations under the Income Tax Act.
Your employer is responsible for enrolling you in the correct group and confirming whether your role meets the plan’s definition of “wildfire fighter.” If you have questions about your eligibility, please contact the BC Public Service Agency.
For the board’s formal announcement on these changes, read Board communiqué #2.
Earliest retirement age for wildfire fighters before and after plan changes
The earliest retirement age is changing from 55 to 50. You can retire as early as age 50 if you meet any of the following criteria:
- Your last plan employment is in the wildfire fighter public safety group.
- You’re employed as a wildfire fighter and in another role in the regular group and you terminate employment from both roles at the same time.
- You’re employed as a wildfire fighter and in another role in the regular group and you terminate employment as a wildfire fighter after you terminate employment with the regular group.
- Although you can retire as early as age 50, your pension will be reduced if you do not meet the criteria for an unreduced pension. More information about reductions is included below.
Qualifying for an unreduced pension at an earlier age
The earliest unreduced age is the age when you can retire and receive your full pension. It’s determined by your years of contributory service. You earn one month of contributory service for every month you make a contribution to the plan. If you are a seasonal employee, you may take longer to earn a full year of contributory service, depending on how many months you work in the year.
Members in the wildfire fighter public safety group will be entitled to an unreduced pension for wildfire fighter service earned on or after April 1, 2026, at:
- Age 60 with less than 2 years of contributory service
- Age 55 with between 2 years and 35 years of contributory service
- Age 50 with 35 years or more of contributory service
This unreduced age applies only to the portion of your pension calculated using your wildfire fighter service. If you have also earned service in the regular group, there may still be reduction factors applied to a portion of your pension.
The table below shows the difference between the earliest unreduced age for service earned before and after the plan changes became effective on April 1, 2026.
| Years of contributory service1 | Earliest unreduced pension age before April 1, 20262 |
Earliest unreduced pension age on or after April 1, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 2 years | 65 | 60 |
| Between 2 years and 35 years | 60 | 55 |
| 35 years or more | 55 | 50 |
1Refers to total years of contributory service as a plan member across all groups.
2Ages apply to service earned in the regular group. If you have earned service prior to April 1, 2018, different reduction rules apply.
Improved early retirement reductions
The plan is a defined benefit plan, so your pension is calculated using a formula that considers your years of service and the average of your five highest years of salary. If you have earned service across different member groups, the portion of your pension attributed to each type of service is calculated separately. Even if you retire from a role that is not within the wildfire fighter public safety group, if you have earned service as a wildfire fighter on or after April 1, 2026, you will still benefit from this change.
If you also have regular service, this means that the portion of your pension calculated using your wildfire fighter service could be unreduced, even if the portion of your pension calculated using your regular service has a reduction applied. More information about how your retirement age affects your pension is available under Your pension > Planning for retirement > Early retirement.
Service earned before April 1, 2026, while working as a wildfire fighter will be treated as regular service and will be reduced according to the plan rules applicable to regular service.
Contribution rates
These changes do not increase member contribution rates.