LWOP pensionable limit calculator
This tool was built in partnership with Amy Richardson.
LWOP pensionable limit calculator
This page is a planning tool to help you estimate pensionable LWOP usage against the commonly cited caps referenced in public service pension guidance and the Income Tax Act.
Reference links Income Tax Act Public service pension plan LWOP information
Notes
This tool does not validate whether a specific leave period is eligible for a specific bucket based on timing around birth or adoption. It assumes you enter periods in the correct section. If rules around extended leave options change how eligibility works, you should rely on official guidance or the Pension Centre.
Summary
Two buckets are tracked
Bucket 1 is the parenting bucket with a planning cap of 365 times 3 days
This section is for maternity and parental leave, up to one year per child, up to 3 children
Bucket 2 is the general LWOP bucket with a planning cap of 365 times 5 days
This section is for LWOP and LIA and other pensionable LWOP types that count toward the five year cap, including additional maternity or parental leave beyond 3 children
Part 1
Parenting bucket
Maternity and parental
Planning cap 1095 days
How many children did you take maternity and or parental leave for
Part 2
General LWOP bucket
Planning cap 1825 days
Export and import
Exact math used
Caps used by this tool for planning
Parenting bucket cap
365 × 3 = 1095 calendar days
General LWOP bucket cap
365 × 5 = 1825 calendar days
How days are counted per line
If both Start date and End date are valid, the line day count is:
End date minus Start date plus 1
This is inclusive counting of calendar days, including weekends
If a line has an invalid date or End date is before Start date, that line day count is blank and it is not included in totals
How totals are counted inside each bucket
Totals are de duplicated by calendar day within each bucket
If two lines in the same bucket overlap on the calendar, overlapping days are only counted once in the bucket total
Per child guidance shown by the tool
For Part 1, each child line is flagged if its line day count exceeds 365 days
This is a planning helper only, not an eligibility decision
Over cap reporting
If a bucket total exceeds its cap, the tool reports the number of days over cap as not pensionable for planning purposes
What the tool does not validate
It does not validate the eligibility window around a birth or adoption date
It does not validate special cases, exceptions, buyback rules, or plan specific interpretations