Deadline for public servants to apply for early retirement arrives

OTTAWA — Public servants have just hours left to apply for the federal government’s early retirement program.

The deadline lands at 2:59 a.m. ET and the Treasury Board website says more than 9,100 applications had been received as of Tuesday, though final numbers aren’t expected until at least next week.

The federal government launched the early retirement program as part of its plan to cut the number of public servants.

In December, the government began sending letters with information on the program to about 68,000 public servants who may be eligible.

Employees as young as 50 with at least 10 years of employment and at least two years of pensionable service are eligible to apply and, if approved, would be able to retire with an immediate pension based on years of service, without penalty for leaving early.

Rola Salem, a spokesperson for the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, said in an email the decision to retire is a personal one and the department doesn’t have a specific target for early retirements.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 24, 2026.

Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press