So what's going on with MP Retirement Credentials?

Retirement Credentials

Not a day goes by that we don't get a question about "retirement badges".  There's a lot of confusion out there, some of it of our own making due to confusing policies and mixed messages over the years.  To be clear, the CMPA offers two seperate gifts to CMPA members that are releasing or retiring:  the CMPA Departure Gift and the MP Retirement Credentials. 

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We’ve received a lot of feedback from members about the current retirement credentials program...concerns that the application process was overly complex, that it was excessively expensive for retired members…and some excellent suggestions were put forward to us for consideration.

​As a result, we’re making a lot of fundamental changes to the Retirement Badge program.

​First, the application process is going to be significantly streamlined to eliminate a lot of the bureaucracy, including the elimination of the role of the chain of command.  There will still be a review conducted to ensure the applicant meets all eligibility requirements, but the initial request no longer needs to be staffed through your chain of command when you retire.  You’ll have enough to do without a lot of extra paperwork.

You no longer have to purchase a 5-year membership to obtain the retirement credentials.  So long as you have an existing CMPA membership that’s in good standing and meet the other basic requirements (not have your MP credentials under suspension, not be dishonorably released, etc.), the retirement credentials will now essentially be a “kit shop purchase” and all you’ll be required to pay is a one-time fee for the badge, ID card, and wallet.

You will no longer have to maintain a continuous CMPA membership after you retire in order to keep the retirement credentials.  This was a particularly big bone of contention, and it’s now been eliminated.  If you are in possession of retirement credentials that are expired or about to expire, you don’t have to “renew” them.  We are reworking the design of the ID card to eliminate the expiry date.  If you want to replace your ID card if its been damaged or you want to update the photo, you’ll only have to pay a modest fee to cover production and shipping

While we are making some changes to better serve our retired members, one thing that won’t be changing is the fundamental criteria for qualification:  you must be retired (or in the process of retiring) to obtain the retirement credentials.  In other words, you’ve must have completed your Terms of Service and be receiving a pension for that service.  If you’ve been medically released as a result of an injury sustained on duty and are receiving a medical pension for that injury you also qualify for retirement credentials.  However, personnel who release from the CAF without receiving a pension will not be considered to be “retired” and will not be eligible for retirement credentials.

CMPA Departure Gift

However, every member of the CMPA who releases or retires will still be entitled to the CMPA Departure Gift (formerly called the “retirement gift”…which created a great deal of confusion as you might imagine).  ​The Departure Gift is your actual MP badge that you carried on duty, encased in a shadow box.  We’re also making a few minor changes to Bylaw #5, which governs the CMPA Departure Gift program, and we’ll be announcing those changes soon.

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In the days and weeks to come, we’ll be publishing an updated Bylaw #6 that governs the retirement credentials, as well as a new application process.  Speaking of paperwork on retirement, we are going to be producing a CMPA aide-memoire for inclusion in the DWD handbook to ensure that Departure gifts and retirement credentials every MP who releases or retires.