General information

You must complete the attached application if you want to apply to a financial institution (bank, insurance company, etc.) to withdraw or transfer money from your Ontario locked-in account (LIRA, LIF or LRIF)1 for any of the following reasons:

  • You have an illness or physical disability that is likely to shorten your life expectancy to less than two years.
  • You are at least 55 years old and the total value of all assets held in every Ontario locked-in account you own is less than $27,400 (for applications signed in 2024).
  • The amount of money that was transferred from your former pension plan into your Ontario locked-in account exceeded the Income Tax Act (Canada) limit. (For more details about this type of withdrawal, please see the section on How to Complete Part 2C of the Application - Withdrawal Related to an Amount Exceeding Income Tax Act (Canada) Limit of these instructions.)
  • You are a non-resident of Canada and at least 24 months have passed since your date of departure from Canada.

Do not use the attached application to apply to withdraw or transfer money from your LIRA, LIF or LRIF if:

  • Your locked-in account is governed by the laws of the federal government or a province other than Ontario. You can only use the attached application to apply to withdraw or transfer money from an Ontario locked-in account governed by the Ontario Pension Benefits Act.
  • You want to apply to withdraw money from your Ontario locked-in account because you are experiencing financial hardship. You must contact the financial institution that holds and administers your locked-in account(s).
  • You want to apply to a financial institution to withdraw or transfer up to 50% of the money transferred into an Ontario life income fund that is governed by the requirements of Schedule 1.1 to Regulation 909, R.R.O. 1990.

If you are unsure whether you can use the attached application to apply to withdraw or transfer money from your Ontario locked-in account, or if you have any questions about completing the application, please contact the financial institution that administers your Ontario locked-in account.

Any withdrawal or transfer from your Ontario locked-in account may have tax consequences. To find out more about any possible tax consequences, contact the Canada Revenue Agency at 1-800-959-8281.

Any withdrawal or transfer from your Ontario locked-in account may also affect your eligibility for certain government benefits. To find out more about the effect a withdrawal or transfer may have on your eligibility for government benefits, contact the government department or agency that provides those benefits.

Please be aware that when money is withdrawn or transferred from an Ontario locked-in account to an unlocked account, the money may lose the creditor protection provided by the PBA and Regulation.

If you own more than one Ontario locked-in account, you must make a separate application for each Ontario locked-in account from which you want to withdraw or transfer money.

When you have completed the required Parts of the application, give it and any other required document to the financial institution that administers your Ontario locked-in account. Do not send your application to the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario.

Note: Under privacy legislation, it is the responsibility of your financial institution to advise you of the purposes for which personal information is collected, used or disclosed, and to obtain any necessary prior consent from you to any such collection, use or disclosure.

How to complete the application

Before completing any Part of the application, please read all of these instructions. When completing the application, please type or print in ink. Please keep a copy of the completed application and any other required document for your records.

You do not need to complete every Part of the application. The Parts of the application that you need to complete depend on the type of application you wish to make:

If you have an illness or physical disability that is likely to shorten your life expectancy to less than two years, you can apply to withdraw all or part of the money in your Ontario locked-in account. If you want to apply for this type of withdrawal, complete the following Parts of the application:

  • Part 1
  • Part 2A
  • Part 3
  • Part 4 (Only if you certify in Part 3 that your spouse consents to the withdrawal of money from your Ontario locked-in account.)
  • Part 5 (If Part 5 is not completed, you must provide a separate written statement from a physician. See "How to Complete Part 2A of the Application -  Withdrawal based on Shortened Life Expectancy" of these instructions for more details.)

If you are at least 55 years old and the total value of all money held in every Ontario locked-in account you own is less than $27,400 (for applications signed in 2024)2, you can apply to withdraw or transfer all the money in your Ontario locked-in account. If you want to apply for this type of withdrawal or transfer, complete the following Parts of the application:

  • Part 1
  • Part 2B
  • Part 3
  • Part 4 (Only if you certify in Part 3 that your spouse consents to the withdrawal of money from your Ontario locked-in account.)

If the amount of money that was transferred from your former pension plan into your Ontario locked-in account exceeded the Income Tax Act (Canada) limit, you can apply to withdraw the excess amount from your Ontario locked-in account. (For more details about this type of withdrawal, please see "How to Complete Part 2C of the Application - Withdrawal Related to an Amount Exceeding Income Tax Act (Canada) Limit" of these instructions.) If you want to apply for this type of withdrawal, complete the following Parts of the application:

  • Part 1
  • Part 2C (You must also provide a separate written statement from the administrator of your former pension plan or the Canada Revenue Agency. The statement must set out the excess amount that was transferred into your Ontario locked-in account. See section “How to Complete Part 2C of the Application - Withdrawal Related to an Amount Exceeding Income Tax Act (Canada) Limit” of these instructions for more details.)
  • Part 3

If you are a non-resident of Canada and your departure from Canada took place at least 24 months before the date of this application, you can apply to withdraw all the money from your Ontario locked-in account. If you want to apply for this type of withdrawal, complete the following Parts of the application and include a written determination from the Canada Revenue Agency that you are a non-resident of Canada for the purposes of the federal Income Tax Act at the time you sign the application:

  • Part 1
  • Part 2D
  • Part 3
  • Part 4 (Only if you certify in Part 3 that your spouse consents to the withdrawal of money from your Ontario locked-in account).

The following sections contain more detailed instructions on how to complete each specific Part of the application.

How to complete part 1 of the application - information about the owner of the Ontario Locked-in Account

1. Provide the following information about yourself:

Please fill in your full name, date of birth, mailing address (including postal code), telephone number (including area code and, if applicable, extension), fax number (if you have a fax number) and email address (optional).

2. Provide the following information about your Ontario locked-in account:

Please fill in the name of the financial institution that administers your Ontario locked-in account and the policy number or account number of your Ontario locked-in account. Check your Ontario locked-in account contract, or the statements you have received from your financial institution (bank, insurance company, etc.). If necessary, ask your financial institution.

How to complete part 2A of the application - withdrawal based on shortened life expectancy

Complete Part 2A of the application only if you are applying to withdraw money from your Ontario locked-in account because you have an illness or physical disability that is likely to shorten your life expectancy to less than two years.

1. How much money do you want to withdraw from your Ontario locked-in account?

Please indicate how much money you wish to withdraw. If you want to withdraw all of the money in your Ontario locked-in account please check the first option. If you want to withdraw less than all of the money in your Ontario locked-in account please check the second option and fill in the amount you wish to withdraw. If you fill in a specific dollar amount and it is greater than all of the money in your Ontario locked-in account, you will be deemed to have requested all of the money in your Ontario locked-in account.

Note: To qualify for this type of withdrawal, your application must include a statement signed by a physician licensed to practice medicine in a jurisdiction in Canada. It must state that, in the physician’s opinion, you have an illness or physical disability that is likely to shorten your life expectancy to less than two years. To satisfy this requirement, you must either:

  • have the physician complete Part 5 of the application
  • provide a separate statement (such as a letter) signed by the physician. It must state that the physician is licensed to practice medicine in a jurisdiction in Canada and that, in the physician’s opinion you have an illness or physical disability that is likely to shorten your life expectancy to less than two years

How to complete part 2B of the application - full withdrawal or transfer of a small amount after age 55

Complete Part 2B of the application only if you are applying to withdraw or transfer all the money from your Ontario locked-in account because you are at least 55 years old and the total value of all money held in every Ontario locked-in account you own is less than $27,400 (for applications signed in 2024).3 You must withdraw or transfer all of the money in your Ontario locked-in account if you apply and qualify under this Part of the application.

1. What is the total value of all the money held in all your Ontario locked-in accounts, including the one you from which you are applying to withdraw or transfer money?

Table 1 will help you calculate the total value of all the money held in every Ontario locked-in account you own. In the Table, list every locked-in account you own that is governed by the Ontario Pension Benefits Act. Do not list any locked-in account that is governed by the laws of another province or the federal government. If you are not sure whether a locked-in account you own is governed by the Ontario Pension Benefits Act, ask your financial institution.

The value of the money held in each Ontario locked-in account you own must be based on the most recent statement given to you by your financial institution. The statement must not be dated more than 1 year before the date you sign Part 3 of the application.

Table 1
Name of the Financial Institution that administers the Ontario locked-in account Policy no. or account no. of the Ontario locked-in account Date of the most recent statement for the Ontario locked-in account Value of all the money held in the Ontario locked-in account
       $
       $
       $
       $
       $
       $
       $
       $
       $
   
Total
 $

Please use additional pages if necessary.

2. Do you want to withdraw all the money held in your Ontario locked-in account, or transfer all the money in your Ontario locked-in account to an RRSP or RRIF?

Make only one selection. You must withdraw all the money OR transfer all the money.

3. If you want to transfer all the money to a Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) or Registered Retirement Income Fund (RRIF), provide the name of the financial institution that administers the RRSP or RRIF, and the policy number or account number of the RRSP or RRIF.

Check the RRSP or RRIF contract, or the statements received from the financial institution (bank, insurance company, etc.) that administers the RRSP or RRIF. If necessary ask the financial institution. If the money to be transferred consists of identifiable and transferable securities, contact your financial institution about the possibility of transferring them in that form.

How to complete part 2C of the application - withdrawal related to an amount exceeding Income Tax Act (Canada) limit

Complete Part 2C of the application only if you are applying to withdraw money from your Ontario locked-in account because the amount of money that was transferred from your former pension plan into your Ontario locked-in account exceeded the Income Tax Act (Canada) limit. (For more details about this type of withdrawal, please footnote 4)4

1. How much money do you want to withdraw from your Ontario locked-in account?

If you want to withdraw the maximum allowed please select the first option. If you want to withdraw less than the maximum allowed please select the second option and indicate how much money you wish to withdraw. You cannot withdraw more than the maximum amount allowed. If you fill in a specific dollar amount and it is greater than the maximum amount allowed, you will be deemed to have requested the maximum amount allowed.

Note: To qualify for this type of withdrawal, your application must include a written statement (such as a letter) from the administrator of your former pension plan or the Canada Revenue Agency. The statement must set out the excess amount that was transferred from your former pension plan into your Ontario locked-in account.

How to complete part 2D of the application - full withdrawal related to a non-resident of Canada

Complete Part 2D of the application only if you are a non-resident of Canada applying to withdraw all the money from your Ontario locked-in account, and 24 months have passed since your date of departure from Canada.

1. What was the date of your departure from Canada?

Fill in the date of your departure from Canada.

Note: To qualify for this type of withdrawal, your application must include a written determination from the Canada Revenue Agency that you are a non-resident of Canada for the purposes of the Income Tax Act (Canada) at the time you sign the application. If you have any questions about the written determination, please contact the Canada Revenue Agency at 1-800-959-8281.

How to complete part 3 of the application - certification by the owner of the Ontario Locked-in Account

You must complete Part 3 of the application. Please follow the instructions in Part 3 of the application.

Part 3 will not be valid for the purposes of your application if it is signed on a date more than 60 days before the date your financial institution receives your completed application.

The following is an example of a situation where you would selection the option that says “I have a spouse, but all of the money in my Ontario locked-in account was originally earned by my former spouse under their pension plan, and I became the owner of that money as a result of the breakdown in my relationship with my former spouse.”

Before you signed the Certification in Part 3 of the application, you had been in a relationship with a (now former) spouse and that relationship had broken down.

  • As part of the settlement with your former spouse after the breakdown of your relationship, you became entitled to a share of the pension benefits that your former spouse was entitled to through their employment.
  • Your share of the pension benefits that your former spouse was entitled to through their employment was transferred to an Ontario locked-in account that you are the owner of, and none of money in that Ontario locked-in account is related to any pension benefits that you yourself became entitled to through your own employment.
  • You subsequently started a new relationship with your current spouse, and while in this new relationship, you now apply to withdraw or transfer money from the Ontario locked-in account using the application.

In this situation, you do not need to get the consent of your current spouse to your application. Instead, you may select the option in Part 3 of the application that says “I have a spouse, but all of the money in my Ontario locked-in account was originally earned by my former spouse under their pension plan, and I became the owner of that money as a result of the breakdown in my relationship with my former spouse.”

It is a criminal offence under sections 366 to 368 of the federal Criminal Code for anyone to knowingly make or use a false document with the intent that it be acted on as genuine, punishable on conviction by a maximum term of 10 years imprisonment.

How to complete part 4 of the application - consent of the owner’s spouse to the withdrawal or transfer

Part 4 of the application needs to be completed only if you certify in Part 3 of the application that you have a spouse who consents to the withdrawal or transfer of money from your Ontario locked-in account. If you certify this in Part 3, you must obtain your spouse’s consent to your application.

Your spouse is not obligated to consent to your application. If your spouse agrees to consent, please have your spouse complete Part 4 of the application by following the instructions in Part 4 of the application. You, the owner, cannot complete Part 4 of the application.

Part 4 will not be valid for the purposes of your application if it is signed by your spouse on a date that is more than 60 days before the date your financial institution receives it.

How to complete part 5 of the application - statement of a physician for a withdrawal based on shortened life expectancy

Part 5 of the application is optional and can be completed by a physician licensed to practice medicine in a jurisdiction in Canada if you are applying to withdraw money from your Ontario locked-in account because you have an illness or physical disability that is likely to shorten your life expectancy to less than two years. (For more details, please see these instructions regarding “How to Complete Part 2A of the Application”.) You, the owner, cannot complete Part 5 of the application.

What to do once you have completed all required parts of the application

Once you have completed the required Parts of the application for the type of withdrawal or transfer you wish to make, please give the application and any other required document to the financial institution that administers your Ontario locked-in account. The financial institution must give you a receipt stating the date it received your completed application.

Please note that Part 3 (and, if applicable, Part 4) of the application will not be valid for the purposes of your application if signed on a date that is more than 60 days before the date the financial institution receives it.

Do not send your application to the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario.

If you qualify for the withdrawal or transfer you apply for, your financial institution must pay you the money or transfer it within 30 days after it receives your completed application.

Please keep these instructions and a copy of the completed application and any other required document for your records. You may also wish to fill out the following information about the financial institution that administers your Ontario locked-in account:

  • Name of Financial Institution
  • Contact Name
  • Date Application Submitted
  • Address information (Street Number and Name, Suite number, City, Province, Postal code)
  • Telephone number
  • Fax number

1 LIRA – Locked-in retirement account
LIF – Life income fund
LRIF – Locked-in retirement income fund

2 This amount is equal to 40% of the Year’s Maximum Pensionable Earnings (YMPE) for 2024. The YMPE is a dollar amount set each year in relation to the Canada Pension Plan. A new YMPE is set every year, which means that the amount used to determine if a person is eligible for this type of withdrawal or transfer will change each year.
3 This amount is equal to 40% of the Year’s Maximum Pensionable Earnings (YMPE) for 2024. The YMPE is a dollar amount set each year in relation to the Canada Pension Plan. A new YMPE is set every year, which means that the amount used to determine if a person is eligible for this type of withdrawal or transfer will change each year.
4 If you are not sure what this type of withdrawal involves, please read the following explanation:
When a person working in Ontario who is a member of a pension plan terminates employment and is eligible to receive a deferred pension, that person has the right to transfer the value of the deferred pension from the pension plan into an Ontario locked-in account. The income Tax Act (Canada) sets a limit on how much money can be transferred from a pension plan into an Ontario locked-in account on a tax-deferred basis. If the money transferred exceeds this Income Tax Act (Canada) limit, the excess amount transferred may be subject to additional tax under the Income Tax Act (Canada).
Normally, if the value of a person's deferred pension exceeds the Income Tax Act (Canada) limit, the total amount transferred from the pension plan is divided into two portions. An amount up to the Income Tax Act (Canada) limit is transferred into an Ontario locked- in account, and the excess is transferred to the person in a non-locked-in form (such as cash or as a regular RRSP or RRIF).
Sometimes the portion that exceeds the income Tax Act (Canada) limit is also transferred into the Ontario locked-in account. If this happens, that portion also becomes locked-in. This excess portion may be subject to additional tax under the Income Tax Act (Canada) unless it is withdrawn from the Ontario locked-in account. To withdraw the excess portion and avoid this additional tax, the owner of the Ontario locked-in account may apply to the financial institution that administers the Ontario locked-in account as described in these instructions.