First I had to apply for a Personal Access Code and wait for it to arrive in the mail from the federal government. Then, I had to use my PAC to set up a GCKey to use online. Now, finally, I should be able to sign in to the Service Canada website and look up my CPP contributions.
Specifically, I want to see how many years of maximum contributions I have made. The monthly Canada Pension Plan payment I will get in the future depends on how much I have contributed each year since I turned 18, excluding only my 7 lowest income earning years and the years I was not employed at all while I provided child care for my children under the age of 7, if applicable.
In general, most Canadians are NOT eligible for the maximum monthly CPP payment because most of us had jobs that paid too little for at least some of our working years. Remember, even the years you attended school after high school count in the CPP calculations. Somehow the government expected you to be making a good-sized annual pay cheque without any higher education! They also assume you will not take early retirement or be forced into it by a layoff or company restructuring.
Checking my CPP Contributions Online at the My Service Canada Website
To Learn About Your CPP Statement of Contributions
Visit http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/services/pensions/cpp/contributions/soc.shtml and read about how and why you may want to view or print your Statement of Contributions to the Canada Pension Plan. For example, it’s a good idea to get any errors fixed a few years before you want to start claiming CPP.
This page also explains the short forms used on your report.
To Get Your CPP Statement of Contributions
- Next, go to http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/online/mysca.shtml
- Click on the link called: Are you a returning user? Log in now!
- Click on the button: Access My Service Canada Account.
- Near the bottom of the Access My Service Canada Account screen, click on the GCKey button.
On the GCKey Log In or Register screen
- In the User ID field, type your GCKey.
- In the Password field, type your password.
- Click on the Log In button
On the Welcome User ID screen
- Click on the Continue button.
Review the Privacy Notice and Terms and Conditions screen. If it’s acceptable, click on the button: I agree
The My Service Canada Account welcome screen opens.
There’s quite a list of links to choose from.
About half way down the screen is a Tab called View/Print.
Under it is listed a heading Canada Pension Plan (CPP) / Old Age Security (OAS) Pension.
- Click on the link: View my CPP Contributions.
It may take a minute or so to open the next screen.
The CPP Earnings and Contributions screen opens.
It should list each year you worked, and how much you contributed to CPP.
[This is hilarious: Apparently during a year in the last century my husband contributed $0.14. That must have been some part time job!]
Interestingly enough, there is no convenient way to print the information.
You have to either use the print function for your internet browser, or
copy and paste the information into a word processor program and print it from here.
To Copy the CPP Statement of Contributions Into a Word Document.
- Open MS Word.
- Click on your contributions statement in your internet browser.
- To select everything, while holding down the Ctrl key, press the A key.
- :Click on your new, empty Word document.
- To paste all the information, while holding down the Ctrl key, press the V key.
- Highlight and delete all the stuff you don’t want or need like links to the various Service Canada web pages.
- Save your Word document and/or print it.
Securely end your My Service Canada session
- Click on the red Log out button near the top of the screen.
- Click on the grey Log out button on the next screen.
So what do all those contributions and letters mean? Well, that’s what I’ll have to find out and report on next.
Related Reading
- How to Register for a GCKey To Look Up Your CPP Information Online: Part One Get a PAC
- How to Get a GCKey for My Service Canada After You Get Your Personal Access Code, PAC
Join In
Did you find any incredibly silly contribution amounts when you looked at your contribution history? Was it unnerving to see very few Ms (for maximum contribution) on your report. Please share your experiences with a comment.