Details on transfer payment programs
On this page
- List of acronyms and abbreviations
- List of tables
- Contributions to the Provinces and Territories and to Aboriginal and/or Other Communities and Organizations (not-for-profit) (Voted)
- Grant to Compensate Members of the RCMP for Injuries Received in the Performance of Duty (Voted)
- Pensions under the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Pension Continuation Act (Statutory)
- Grant to Promote Law Enforcement through Crime Prevention, Training, and Public Relations (Voted)
- RCMP Survivor Income Plan (Voted)
List of acronyms and abbreviations
- RCMP
- Royal Canadian Mounted Police
List of tables
- Table 1: Contributions to the Provinces and Territories and to Aboriginal and/or Other Communities and Organizations (not-for-profit) (Voted) - Financial information (dollars)
- Table 2: Grant to Compensate Members of the RCMP for Injuries Received in the Performance of Duty (Voted) - Financial information (dollars)
- Table 3: Pensions under the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Pension Continuation Act (Statutory) - Financial information (dollars)
- Table 4: Grant to Promote Law Enforcement through Crime Prevention, Training, and Public Relations (Voted) - Financial information (dollars)
- Table 5: RCMP Survivor Income Plan (Voted) - Financial information (dollars)
Contributions to the Provinces and Territories and to Aboriginal and/or Other Communities and Organizations (not-for-profit) (Voted)
Start date
- December 18, 1997, for Firearms Funding Program for Opt-in Provinces and Territories.
- December 1, 1998, for Aboriginal and/or Other Communities and Organizations.
End date
- Ongoing
Type of transfer payment
- Contribution
Type of appropriation
- Appropriated annually through the Estimates
Fiscal year for terms and conditions
- 2010-11 for the Firearms Funding Program for Opt-in Provinces and Territories; however, the terms and conditions are under review to make certain they align fully with new contribution agreements (for 2022-23 to 2026-27).
- 2012-13 for Aboriginal and/or Other Communities and Organizations.
Link to departmental result(s)
- Modern specialized services and technology support Canadians and law enforcement.
Link to the department’s Program Inventory
- Canadian Firearms Licensing and Registration
Purpose and objectives of transfer payment program
Firearms Funding Program for Opt-in Provinces and Territories
- Section 95 of the Firearms Act allows the Minister of Public Safety — with the approval of the Governor in Council — to enter into agreements with provinces and territories that opt to designate a Chief Firearms Officer and administer certain aspects of the firearm regulatory regime and to compensate them for actual administrative costs incurred in the delivery of firearms services relating to, for example, licenses, transfers, authorizations to transport and carry, and shooting clubs and ranges.
Aboriginal and/or Other Communities and Organizations
- The Aboriginal and/or Other Communities and Organizations funding program supports Canadian Firearms Program collaboration with Indigenous communities and groups and/or other not-for-profit non-Indigenous groups — including national, provincial and territorial organizations — to provide information, training and other services to promote firearms safety and compliance with the law.
Results achieved
Firearms Funding Program for Opt-in Provinces and Territories
- During the reporting period, the 7 opt-in provincial Chief Firearms Officers issued 349,510 new and renewed licences — 348,857 to individuals and 653 to businesses and museums. They also refused 660 applicants and revoked 2,769 licences.
Aboriginal and/or Other Communities and Organizations
- During the reporting period, two agreements in support of firearms service delivery to Indigenous communities were successfully completed. Through these projects, 55 firearms safety courses were delivered and 339 individuals were safety trained and certified. Other firearms services, including licence application assistance and firearms safety guidance and information, were provided to over 1,000 community members.
Findings of audits completed in 2022-23
- No audit was completed during the reporting period.
Findings of evaluations completed in 2022-23
- An evaluation of Firearms Funding Program for Opt-in Provinces and Territories and Aboriginal and/or Other Communities and Organizations agreements is planned for fiscal year 2024-25 and will be conducted by RCMP Internal Audit, Evaluation and Review.
Engagement of applicants and recipients in 2022-23
Firearms Funding Program for Opt-in Provinces
- The Canadian Firearms Program continued to negotiate with Opt-in Provinces to develop a contribution agreement template that would be used by all provinces for five years.
- Provincial and territorial Chief Firearms Officers met regularly with the RCMP Canadian Firearms Program to discuss operational matters and attended an annual meeting to discuss emerging issues relating to the administration of the Firearms Act. Managers from Chief Firearms offices across Canada took part in monthly teleconferences to promote dialogue and consistency in business operations.
Aboriginal and/or Other Communities and Organizations
- In collaboration with provincial Chief Firearms Officers, the Canadian Firearms Program developed a new application form to simplify and clarify the proposal process. The program plans to implement the form in the upcoming fiscal year. Next year, the Canadian Firearms Program also plans to engage Indigenous and northern communities about how the program can better its services in these communities.
| Type of transfer payment | 2020–21 actual spending | 2021–22 actual spending | 2022–23 planned spending | 2022–23 total authorities available for use | 2022–23 actual spending (authorities used) | Variance (2022–23 actual minus 2022–23 planned) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total grants | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total contributions | 14,344,730 | 8,359,000 | 17,487,000 | 87,464,000 | 88,259 | (17,398,741) |
| Total other types of transfer payments | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total program | 14,344,730 | 8,359,000 | 17,487,000 | 87,464,000 | 88,259 | (17,398,741) |
Explanation of variances
The contribution agreements with 7 opt-in provinces for the period of 2022-23 to 2027-28 have been signed by the Minister of Public Safety and are awaiting signatures from the provinces. Currently, both New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island have signed agreements in place. Due to the delay in the process, the agreements were not signed by the opt-in provinces before the end of2022-23. This resulted in a $17.4M variance between 2022-23 actual spending and 2022-23 planned spending. 2022-23 authorities available for use were increased by $69.8M in comparison to the 2022-23 planned spending. This is mainly due to a reprofile of $64.5M for Quebec retro payment for the period of 2011-12 to 2021-22 and $5.3M in payments to two new opt-in provinces, Alberta and Saskatchewan ($2.3M out of $5.3M is for the period of September 2021 to March 2022 and $3M for 2022-23).
Of the $87.4M lapse in comparison to total authorities available for use, $87.2M is related to the contribution agreements. Of that total, $64.5M is for a Quebec retro payment for the period of 2011-12 to 2021-22. $2.3M out of $87.2M is for retro payments to Alberta and Saskatchewan for the period of September 2021 to March 2022. Note that the Canadian Firearms Program expects to reprofile $81.6M in support of contribution agreement payments for 2023-24.
Any fiscal 2022-23 actuals were related to Aboriginal and Other Communities and Organizations contribution agreements. Two agreements were entered into with Indigenous recipients in 2022-23.
Grant to Compensate Members of the RCMP for Injuries Received in the Performance of Duty (Voted)
Start date
- July 8, 1959
End date
- Ongoing
Type of transfer payment
- Grant
Type of appropriation
- Appropriated annually through Estimates
Fiscal year for terms and conditions
- Not applicable
Link to departmental result(s)
- Canada and Canadian interests are safe and secure against serious and complex criminal threats
- Law enforcement and Canadians have access to modern specialized policing services
- The RCMP provides modern contract policing services
- The RCMP is a healthy and inclusive organization
Link to the department’s Program Inventory
- Federal Policing Intelligence
- Federal Policing Investigations
- Federal Policing National Governance
- International Operations
- Protective Operations
- Canadian Firearms Investigative and Enforcement Services
- Canadian Firearms Licensing and Registration
- Canadian Police College
- Criminal Intelligence Service Canada
- Departmental Security
- Forensic Science and Identification Services
- National Cybercrime Coordination Unit
- Operational IM/IT Services
- Sensitive and Specialized Investigative Services
- Specialized Technical Investigative Services
- Contract and Indigenous Policing Operations Support
- Force Generation
- Indigenous Policing
- Municipal Policing
- Provincial/Territorial Policing
Purpose and objectives of transfer payment program
This program significantly contributes to the higher-level expected results of the organization's mandate in that it protects members of the organization in a real way in the event they become disabled as a result of carrying out the duties and activities associated with endeavouring to ensure a safe and secure Canada. It provides both financial and health care assistance to members of the RCMP and their families in the event of injuries/illness and/or death occurring to members as a consequence of their duties.
Results achieved
Eligible clients were appropriately compensated for the non-economic effects of a service-related illness/injury and/or death. RCMP current and former member well-being is supported.
Findings of audits completed in 2022-23
The Office of the Auditor General completed an audit of ‘VAC’s processing of disability benefits for Veterans’ in 2021 with the final report being tabled in the Spring 2022. The findings included:
- Veterans Affairs Canada and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police should work together to establish a formal costing process and determine the right level of funding needed for processing applications from RCMP veterans in a timely manner.
- To provide useful waiting-time information for veterans, Veterans Affairs Canada should review the end date it uses to calculate the period under its service standard so that it can report consistently and accurately on its performance against this standard.
- Veterans Affairs Canada should address weaknesses in the quality and organization of its data. This would allow the department to better monitor the Disability Benefits program and use the data to inform decision making about efficiency improvements.
Veterans Affairs Canada should work with central government agencies to establish a sustainable long term resourcing plan for processing disability benefit applications in a timely manner. This plan should consider the number of applications the department expects to receive and the efficiency it expects to gain from its process improvement initiatives.
Findings of evaluations completed in 2022-23
An evaluation is conducted every five years, with the next planned evaluation scheduled for 2024-25.
Engagement of applicants and recipients in 2022-23
The administration and payment of the grant are managed and delivered by Veterans Affairs Canada. As the Administrator of the benefit, on behalf of the RCMP, Veterans Affairs Canada consults with applicants and recipients in numerous ways such as through the 1-800 number, MYVAC portal, case management services, and outreach sessions.
| Type of transfer payment | 2020–21 actual spending | 2021–22 actual spending | 2022–23 planned spending | 2022–23 total authorities available for use | 2022–23 actual spending (authorities used) | Variance (2022–23 actual minus 2022–23 planned) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total grants | 370,020,252 | 470,629,569 | 407,200,000 | 577,200,000 | 523,620,448 | 116,420,448 |
| Total contributions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total other types of transfer payments | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total program | 370,020,252 | 470,629,569 | 407,200,000 | 577,200,000 | 523,620,448 | 116,420,448 |
Explanation of variances
Planned spending is based on the Main Estimates allocation, which did not include a significant amount of funding received in year that is based on updated forecasts from the Annual Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions Actuarial Report as well as Veterans Affairs Canada. Given the delay in receiving the funding, it was not included in the Main Estimates, which has resulted in an annual variance in the Departmental Results Report. In 2022-23, the variance of $116.4M between actual and planned spending for the RCMP members and their survivors — who receive benefits under the Grant to Compensate Members of the RCMP for Injuries Received in the Performance of their Duties — is the result of planned spending not reflecting the actual amount and rate of assessed claims. The variance of $53.6M between total authorities available for use and actual spending is a result of forecasted amounts exceeding final payments for the period.
Pensions under the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Pension Continuation Act (Statutory)
Start date
- 1959
End date
- Ongoing, so long as there are remaining plan members and survivors
Type of transfer payment
- Statutory Grant
Type of appropriation
- Through statutory authority named “Pension under the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Pension Continuation Act”
Fiscal year for terms and conditions
- Not applicable
Link to departmental result(s)
- Canada and Canadian interests are safe and secure against serious and complex criminal threats
- Law enforcement and Canadians have access to modern specialized policing services
- The RCMP provides modern contract policing services
- The RCMP is a healthy and inclusive organization
Link to the department’s Program Inventory
- Federal Policing Intelligence
- Federal Policing Investigations
- Federal Policing National Governance
- International Operations
- Protective Operations
- Canadian Firearms Investigative and Enforcement Services
- Canadian Firearms Licensing and Registration
- Canadian Police College
- Criminal Intelligence Service Canada
- Departmental Security
- Forensic Science and Identification Services
- National Cybercrime Coordination Unit
- Operational IM/IT Services
- Sensitive and Specialized Investigative Services
- Specialized Technical Investigative Services
- Contract and Indigenous Policing Operations Support
- Force Generation
- Indigenous Policing
- Municipal Policing
- Provincial/Territorial Policing
Purpose and objectives of transfer payment program
The Pension Continuation Act is a defined benefit pension plan whose purpose is to provide a lifetime benefit for RCMP members and, at their option through a separate Fund, their survivors. It provides for the payment of pensions to Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers, and Constables engaged prior to March 1, 1949, except those who elected to come under the RCMP Superannuation Act. The Pension Continuation Act is predecessor to this Act.
Results achieved
To provide a pension benefit for life to eligible RCMP pensioners and survivors.
Findings of audits completed in 2022-23
No audit was completed during the reporting year.
Findings of evaluations completed in 2022-23
No evaluations were completed during the reporting year. There are currently no plans to evaluate this grant program in the near term. A risk-based approach is used when developing the multi-year departmental audit and evaluation plan. This approach takes into consideration the risks associated with activities undertaken in support of RCMP grant and contribution programs. An audit and/or evaluation will be undertaken if warranted by the results of a risk assessment.
Engagement of applicants and recipients in 2022-23
All plan participants are either existing pensioners or survivors. There will be no new pensioners entering the plan. Current pensioners and survivors receive correspondence via the Government of Canada Pension Centre.
| Type of transfer payment | 2020–21 actual spending | 2021–22 actual spending | 2022–23 planned spending | 2022–23 total authorities available for use | 2022–23 actual spending (authorities used) | Variance (2022–23 actual minus 2022–23 planned) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total grants | 4,996,555 | 4,326,758 | 5,000,000 | 3,511,604 | 3,511,604 | (1,488,396) |
| Total contributions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total other types of transfer payments | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total program | 4,996,555 | 4,326,758 | 5,000,000 | 3,511,604 | 3,511,604 | (1,488,396) |
Explanation of variances
The variance between actual spending and planned spending is due to the declining population eligible for this pension.
In addition, due to the difficulty in predicting mortality rates, the planned spending has been historically higher. Planned spending in the Departmental Plan will continue to be reviewed and revised as required based on observed trends.
Grant to Promote Law Enforcement through Crime Prevention, Training, and Public Relations (Voted)
Start date
Treasury Board Decision of August 1984 approved transfer payment program without condition on an ongoing basis.
End date
Ongoing
Type of transfer payment
Grant
Type of appropriation
Appropriated annually through Estimates
Fiscal year for terms and conditions
Approval of the amended terms and conditions of the RCMP transfer payment program, published in the Main Estimates under the title of “Grant to Promote Law Enforcement through Crime Prevention, Training and Public Relations”, was obtained in April 26, 2012.
Link to departmental result(s)
- Canada and Canadian interests are safe and secure against serious and complex criminal treats
- Law enforcement and Canadians have access to modern specialized policing services
- The RCMP provides modern contract policing services
- The RCMP is a healthy and inclusive organization
Link to the department’s Program Inventory
- International Operations
- Canadian Police College
- Provincial/Territorial Policing
- Contract and Indigenous Policing Operations Support
Purpose and objectives of transfer payment program
The program supports lateral initiatives related to law enforcement, public relations, and relationship building with communities, and provides grants to not-for-profit organizations for the purpose of crime prevention, crime awareness, and training.
Attendance at a training or developmental activity offered by the Canadian Police College by personnel of Canadian police services other than the RCMP increases the level of competencies within the national police community. Attendance by personnel of foreign police services at a training or developmental activity offered by the Canadian Police College facilitates international relationships to advance Canadian investigations abroad and combat transnational criminality. It also offers opportunities for police personnel from different jurisdictions to share skills and techniques, and to network in the advancement of policing techniques to a nationally consistent level.
Results achieved
The Canadian Police College achieved a rate of 98% in disbursement of total annual amount allocated over the 2022-23 fiscal year, with over 700 course participants benefitting from the grant.
Findings of audits completed in 2022-23
There are currently no plans to evaluate this grant/contribution program in the near term. A risk-based approach is used when developing the multi-year departmental audit and evaluation plan. This approach takes into consideration the risks associated with activities undertaken in support of RCMP grant and contribution programs. An audit will be undertaken if warranted by the results of a risk assessment.
Findings of evaluations completed in 2022-23
There are currently no plans to evaluate this grant/contribution program in the near term. A risk-based approach is used when developing the multi-year departmental audit and evaluation plan. This approach takes into consideration the risks associated with activities undertaken in support of RCMP grant and contribution programs. An evaluation will be undertaken if warranted by the results of a risk assessment.
Engagement of applicants and recipients in 2022-23
Participants are informed via the Canadian Police College’s web site and upon registration when applying for the Travel Grant.
| Type of transfer payment | 2020–21 actual spending | 2021–22 actual spending | 2022–23 planned spending | 2022–23 total authorities available for use | 2022–23 actual spending (authorities used) | Variance (2022–23 actual minus 2022–23 planned) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total grants | 674,258 | 642,015 | 1,000,000 | 1,375,000 | 916,239 | (83,761) |
| Total contributions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total other types of transfer payments | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total program | 674,258 | 642,015 | 1,000,000 | 1,375,000 | 916,239 | (83,761) |
Explanation of variances
There are several elements of the Law Enforcement Grant, managed by different areas within the RCMP. The majority of the actuals was consumed by the Canadian Police College (98%) and Contract and Indigenous Policing (99%). The lapse in comparison to the total authorities available for use is related to incremental in-year funding of $375K for the RCMP-Indigenous Co-Development, Collaboration and Accountability (RICCA) grant approved through the Addressing Systemic Racism initiative. None of this amount was used due to operational matters, organizational capacity, and the impacts of the global pandemic. Indigenous communities were not prepared to engage on non-operational initiatives resulting in RICCA being unable to propose engagement plans. Additionally, the RCMP’s National Reconciliation Strategy was delayed, and in effort to reduce duplication RICCA's priority was shifted to External Outreach.
RCMP Survivor Income Plan (Voted)
Start date
1980
End date
Ongoing
Type of transfer payment
Grant
Type of appropriation
Appropriated annually through Estimates
Fiscal year for terms and conditions
Approval of the updated terms and conditions of the RCMP Survivor Income Plan was obtained in April 2022.
Link to departmental result(s)
- Canada and Canadian interests are safe and secure against serious and complex criminal threats
- Law enforcement and Canadians have access to modern specialized policing services
- The RCMP provides modern contract policing services
- The RCMP is a healthy and inclusive organization
Link to the department’s Program Inventory
- Federal Policing Intelligence
- Federal Policing Investigations
- International Operations
- Protective Operations
- Canadian Firearms Investigative and Enforcement Services
- Canadian Police College
- Criminal Intelligence Service Canada
- Forensic Science and Identification Services
- Sensitive and Specialized Investigative Services
- Specialized Technical Investigative Services
- Contract and Indigenous Policing Operations Support
- Indigenous Policing
- Municipal Policing
- Provincial/Territorial Policing
Purpose and objectives of transfer payment program
The Survivor Income Plan provides compensation to survivors of Regular and Civilian Members who suffer a duty-related death and was designed to replicate an income level for survivors equal to that which the member would have received had they survived.
Results achieved
Provision of pension benefits to eligible survivors of Regular and Civilian Members who suffer a duty-related death.
Findings of audits completed in 2022-23
No audit was completed during the reporting year.
Findings of evaluations completed in 2022-23
No evaluations were completed during the reporting year. There are currently no plans to evaluate this grant program in the near term. A risk-based approach is used when developing the multi-year departmental audit and evaluation plan. This approach takes into consideration the risks associated with activities undertaken in support of RCMP grant and contribution programs. An audit and/or evaluation will be undertaken if warranted by the results of a risk assessment.
Engagement of applicants and recipients in 2022-23
Not applicable
| Type of transfer payment | 2020–21 actual spending | 2021–22 actual spending | 2022–23 planned spending | 2022–23 total authorities available for use | 2022–23 actual spending (authorities used) | Variance (2022–23 actual minus 2022–23 planned) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total grants | 2,127,046 | 2,929,123 | 2,586,483 | 2,886,483 | 2,610,676 | 24,193 |
| Total contributions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total other types of transfer payments | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total program | 2,127,046 | 2,929,123 | 2,586,483 | 2,886,483 | 2,610,676 | 24,193 |
Explanation of variances
Planned spending is based on the Main Estimates allocation and expenditures are based on payments to survivors and dependents of members who have lost their lives in the line of duty. Given the nature of policing, deaths in the line of duty are difficult to predict thus resulting in an annual variance between the planned and actual spend for this grant.
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