Pension Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. P-6)

Definition of overpayment

• 83 (1) In this section, overpayment, in relation to any period, means

  • (a) an award payment that was paid to a person in respect of that period and to which the person had no entitlement; or

  • (b) if an award payment was paid to a person in respect of that period that was in excess of the amount of the award payment to which the person was entitled, the amount of that excess.

• Marginal note:Recovery of overpayments

  (2) If, through any cause, an overpayment is paid to a person, the overpayment is a debt due to Her Majesty by that person or by that person’s estate or succession, and

  • (a) may be recovered by deduction from any future payments made pursuant to this Act to that person or to that person’s estate or succession;

  • (b) may be recovered in accordance with section 155 of the Financial Administration Act; and

  • (c) may be recovered in any court of competent jurisdiction.

• Marginal note:Remission of overpayments

  (3) If a person has received or obtained an overpayment and the Minister is satisfied that

  • (a) the overpayment cannot be recovered within the reasonably foreseeable future,

  • (b) the administrative costs of recovering the overpayment are likely to equal or exceed the amount to be recovered,

  • (c) repayment of the overpayment would cause undue hardship to the person, or

  • (d) the overpayment is the result of an administrative error, delay or oversight on the part of a public servant,

  the Minister may, unless that person has been convicted of an offence under the Criminal Code in connection with the receiving or obtaining of the overpayment, remit all or any portion of the overpayment.

• Marginal note:Erroneous awards

  (4) Notwithstanding anything in this Act, the Minister may continue payment of an award, in whole or in part, to a person who is not entitled to it, or not entitled to a portion of it, if

  • (a) the amount paid to the person to which the person was not entitled is the result of an administrative error, delay or oversight on the part of a public servant and has been remitted pursuant to paragraph (3)(d);

  • (b) no part of the amount paid to the person to which the person was not entitled was the result of a misrepresentation or of concealment of a material fact on the part of the person, in the opinion of the Minister;

  • (c) cancellation or reduction of the award would, in the opinion of the Minister, cause undue hardship to the person; and

  • (d) the award has been paid to the person for five years or more.

• Marginal note:Recovery from survivor or surviving dependant

  (5) Where a survivor or surviving dependant of a deceased member of the forces retains any amount of the member’s award paid after the last day of the month in which the member died, that amount may be deducted from any award granted to the survivor or surviving dependant.