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Post-employment benefit plans | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2023
Employee Benefits [Abstract] |
Post-employment benefit plans |
Note 27 | Post-employment benefit plans
POST-EMPLOYMENT BENEFIT PLANS COST We provide pension and other benefits for most of our employees. These include DB pension plans, DC pension plans and OPEBs. We operate our DB and DC pension plans under applicable Canadian and provincial pension legislation, which prescribes minimum and maximum DB funding requirements. Plan assets are held in trust, and the oversight of governance of the plans, including investment decisions, contributions to DB plans and the selection of the DC plans investment options offered to plan participants, lies with the Risk and Pension Fund Committee, a committee of our board of directors. The interest rate risk is managed using a liability matching approach, which reduces the exposure of the DB plans to a mismatch between investment growth and obligation growth. The longevity risk is managed using a longevity swap, which reduces the exposure of the DB plans to an increase in life expectancy. COMPONENTS OF POST-EMPLOYMENT BENEFIT PLANS SERVICE COST
FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31 | 2023 | 2022
DB pension | (128) |  | (193) |
DC pension | (133) |  | (118) |
OPEBs | (1) |  | (2) |
Less: |  |
| Capitalized benefit plans cost | 56 |  | 64 |
Total post-employment benefit plans service cost | (206) |  | (249) |
COMPONENTS OF POST-EMPLOYMENT BENEFIT PLANS FINANCING INCOME
FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31 | 2023 | 2022
DB pension | 149 |  | 84 |
OPEBs | (41) |  | (33) |
Total net return on post-employment benefit plans | 108 |  | 51 |
The statements of comprehensive income include the following amounts before income taxes.
|  | 2023 | 2022
Cumulative gains recognized directly in equity, January 1 | 985 |  | 419 |
| Actuarial (losses) gains in other comprehensive (loss) income(1) | (835) |  | 894 |
| Decrease (increase) in the effect of the asset limit in other comprehensive (loss) income(2) | 282 |  | (328) |
Cumulative gains recognized directly in equity, December 31 | 432 |  | 985 |
(1)The cumulative actuarial gains recognized in the statements of comprehensive income are $864 million at December 31, 2023. (2)The cumulative increase in the effect of the asset limit recognized in the statements of comprehensive income is $432 million at December 31, 2023. COMPONENTS OF POST-EMPLOYMENT BENEFIT ASSETS (OBLIGATIONS) The following table shows the change in post-employment benefit obligations and the fair value of plan assets.
|  |  |  | DB PENSION PLANS | OPEB PLANS | TOTAL
|  |  |  | 2023 | 2022 | 2023 | 2022 | 2023 | 2022
Post-employment benefit obligations, January 1 | (19,295) |  | (24,544) |  | (1,138) |  | (1,457) |  | (20,433) |  | (26,001) |
| Current service cost | (128) |  | (193) |  | (1) |  | (2) |  | (129) |  | (195) |
| Interest on obligations | (993) |  | (770) |  | (58) |  | (44) |  | (1,051) |  | (814) |
| Actuarial (losses) gains(1) | (1,572) |  | 4,856 |  | 51 |  | 294 |  | (1,521) |  | 5,150 |
| Benefit payments | 1,401 |  | 1,366 |  | 72 |  | 70 |  | 1,473 |  | 1,436 |
| Employee contributions | (8) |  | (9) |  | — |  | — |  | (8) |  | (9) |
| Other | — |  | (1) |  | — |  | 1 |  | — |  | — |
Post-employment benefit obligations, December 31 | (20,595) |  | (19,295) |  | (1,074) |  | (1,138) |  | (21,669) |  | (20,433) |
Fair value of plan assets, January 1 | 23,355 |  | 28,040 |  | 327 |  | 351 |  | 23,682 |  | 28,391 |
| Expected return on plan assets(2) | 1,195 |  | 875 |  | 17 |  | 11 |  | 1,212 |  | 886 |
| Actuarial gains (losses) (1) | 692 |  | (4,227) |  | (6) |  | (29) |  | 686 |  | (4,256) |
| Benefit payments | (1,401) |  | (1,366) |  | (72) |  | (70) |  | (1,473) |  | (1,436) |
| Employer contributions | 41 |  | 81 |  | 64 |  | 64 |  | 105 |  | 145 |
| Employee contributions | 8 |  | 9 |  | — |  | — |  | 8 |  | 9 |
| Transfers to DC plans | (124) |  | (57) |  | — |  | — |  | (124) |  | (57) |
| Other |  |  | 2 |  | — |  | — |  | — |  | 2 |  | — |
Fair value of plan assets, December 31 | 23,768 |  | 23,355 |  | 330 |  | 327 |  | 24,098 |  | 23,682 |
Plan asset (deficit) |  |  | 3,173 |  | 4,060 |  | (744) |  | (811) |  | 2,429 |  | 3,249 |
Effect of asset limit |  |  | (719) |  | (980) |  | — |  | — |  | (719) |  | (980) |
Interest on effect of asset limit |  | (53) |  | (21) |  | — |  | — |  | (53) |  | (21) |
Post-employment benefit asset (liability), December 31 | 2,401 |  | 3,059 |  | (744) |  | (811) |  | 1,657 |  | 2,248 |
Post-employment benefit assets | 2,935 |  | 3,559 |  | — |  | — |  | 2,935 |  | 3,559 |
Post-employment benefit obligations | (534) |  | (500) |  | (744) |  | (811) |  | (1,278) |  | (1,311) |
(1)Actuarial (losses) gains include experience gains of $734 million in 2023 and losses of ($4,729) million in 2022. (2)The actual return (loss) on plan assets was $1,898 million or 8.8% in 2023 and ($3,370) million or (11.6%) in 2022. FUNDED STATUS OF POST-EMPLOYMENT BENEFIT PLANS The following table shows the funded status of our post-employment benefit obligations.
|  | FUNDED | PARTIALLY FUNDED(1) | UNFUNDED(2) | TOTAL
FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31 |  | 2023 | 2022 | 2023 | 2022 | 2023 | 2022 | 2023 | 2022
Present value of post-employment benefit obligations | (20,004) |  | (18,741) |  | (1,453) |  | (1,461) |  | (212) |  | (231) |  | (21,669) |  | (20,433) |
Fair value of plan assets | 23,703 |  | 23,291 |  | 395 |  | 391 |  | — |  | — |  | 24,098 |  | 23,682 |
Plan surplus (deficit) | 3,699 |  | 4,550 |  | (1,058) |  | (1,070) |  | (212) |  | (231) |  | 2,429 |  | 3,249 |
Effect of asset limit |  | (772) |  | (1,001) |  | — |  | — |  | — |  | — |  | (772) |  | (1,001) |
Post-employment benefit asset (liability) | 2,927 |  | 3,549 |  | (1,058) |  | (1,070) |  | (212) |  | (231) |  | 1,657 |  | 2,248 |
(1)The partially funded plans consist of supplementary executive retirement plans (SERPs) for eligible employees and certain OPEBs. The company partially funds the SERPs through letters of credit and a retirement compensation arrangement account with Canada Revenue Agency. Certain paid-up life insurance benefits are funded through life insurance contracts. (2)Our unfunded plans consist of certain OPEBs, which are paid as claims are incurred. SIGNIFICANT ASSUMPTIONS We used the following key assumptions to measure the post-employment benefit obligations and the net benefit plans cost for the DB pension plans and OPEB plans. These assumptions are long-term, which is consistent with the nature of post-employment benefit plans.
|  |  | DB PENSION PLANS AND OPEB PLANS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31 |  | 2023 | 2022
Post-employment benefit obligations |  |
| Discount rate | 4.6 | % | 5.3 | %
| Rate of compensation increase | 2.25 | % | 2.25 | %
| Cost of living indexation rate(1) | 1.6 | % | 1.6 | %
| Life expectancy at age 65 (years) | 23.4 |  | 23.3 |
(1)Cost of living indexation rate is only applicable to DB pension plans.
|  |  | DB PENSION PLANS AND OPEB PLANS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31 |  | 2023 | 2022
Net post-employment benefit plans cost |  |
| Discount rate | 5.3 | % | 3.4 | %
| Rate of compensation increase | 2.25 | % | 2.25 | %
| Cost of living indexation rate(1) | 1.6 | % | 1.6 | %
| Life expectancy at age 65 (years) | 23.3 |  | 23.3 |
(1) Cost of living indexation rate is only applicable to DB pension plans. The weighted average duration of the post-employment benefit obligation is 12 years. We assumed the following trend rates in healthcare costs: •an annual increase in the cost of medication of 6.5% for 2023 decreasing to 4.0% over 20 years •an annual increase in the cost of covered dental benefits of 4.5% •an annual increase in the cost of covered hospital benefits of 3.7% •an annual increase in the cost of other covered healthcare benefits of 4.5% Assumed trend rates in healthcare costs have a significant effect on the amounts reported for the healthcare plans. The following table shows the effect of a 1% change in the assumed trend rates in healthcare costs.
EFFECT ON POST-EMPLOYMENT BENEFITS – INCREASE/(DECREASE) | 1% INCREASE | 1% DECREASE
Total service and interest cost | 3 |  | (3) |
Post-employment benefit obligations | 64 |  | (47) |
SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS The following table shows a sensitivity analysis of key assumptions used to measure the net post-employment benefit obligations and the net post-employment benefit plans cost for our DB pension plans and OPEB plans.
|  |  |  | IMPACT ON NET POST-EMPLOYMENT BENEFIT PLANS COST FOR 2023 – INCREASE/(DECREASE) | IMPACT ON POST-EMPLOYMENT BENEFIT OBLIGATIONS AT DECEMBER 31, 2023 – INCREASE/(DECREASE)
|  |  | CHANGE IN ASSUMPTION | INCREASE IN ASSUMPTION | DECREASE IN ASSUMPTION | INCREASE IN ASSUMPTION | DECREASE IN ASSUMPTION
Discount rate | 0.5 | % | (83) |  | 78 |  | (1,146) |  | 1,255 |
Cost of living indexation rate | 0.5 | % | 55 |  | (46) |  | 1,007 |  | (822) |
Life expectancy at age 65 | 1 year | 38 |  | (39) |  | 714 |  | (735) |
POST-EMPLOYMENT BENEFIT PLAN ASSETS The investment strategy for the post-employment benefit plan assets is to maintain a diversified portfolio of assets invested in a prudent manner to maintain the security of benefits. The following table shows the target allocations for 2023 and the allocation of our post-employment benefit plan assets at December 31, 2023 and 2022.
|  |  | WEIGHTED AVERAGE TARGET ALLOCATION | TOTAL PLAN ASSETS FAIR VALUE
ASSET CATEGORY | 2023 | December 31, 2023 | December 31, 2022
Equity securities | 0%-40% | 13 | % | 15 | %
Debt securities | 50%-100% | 55 | % | 52 | %
Alternative investments | 0%-50% | 32 | % | 33 | %
Total |  | 100 | % | 100 | %
The following table shows the fair value of the DB pension plan assets for each category.
FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31 | 2023 | 2022
Observable markets data |  |
| Equity securities |  |
|  | Canadian | 858 |  | 824 |
|  | Foreign | 2,265 |  | 2,555 |
| Debt securities |  |
|  | Canadian | 10,284 |  | 9,904 |
|  | Foreign | 1,550 |  | 1,537 |
|  | Money market | 1,222 |  | 739 |
Non-observable markets inputs |  |
| Alternative investments |  |
|  | Private equities | 831 |  | 1,017 |
|  | Hedge funds | 1,268 |  | 1,374 |
|  | Real estate and infrastructure | 4,221 |  | 4,297 |
|  | Private debt | 1,237 |  | 1,048 |
|  | Other | 32 |  | 60 |
Total | 23,768 |  | 23,355 |
Equity securities included approximately $9 million of BCE common shares, or 0.04% of total plan assets, at December 31, 2023 and $11 million of BCE common shares, or 0.05% of total plan assets, at December 31, 2022. Debt securities included approximately $92 million of Bell Canada debentures, or 0.39% of total plan assets, at December 31, 2023 and approximately $85 million of Bell Canada debentures, or 0.40% of total plan assets, at December 31, 2022. Alternative investments included an investment in MLSE of $149 million, or 0.64% of total plan assets, at December 31, 2022. In 2023, BCE repurchased the Master Trust Fund's interest for cash consideration of $149 million. As such, the Master Trust Fund no longer has any investment in MLSE as at December 31, 2023. The Bell Canada Pension Plan has an investment arrangement which hedges part of its exposure to potential increases in longevity, which covers approximately $3 billion of post-employment benefit obligations. The fair value of the arrangement is included within other alternative investments. CASH FLOWS We are responsible for adequately funding our DB pension plans. We make contributions to them based on various actuarial cost methods that are permitted by pension regulatory authorities. Contributions reflect actuarial assumptions about future investment returns, salary projections and future service benefits. Changes in these factors could cause actual future contributions to differ from our current estimates and could require us to increase contributions to our post-employment benefit plans in the future, which could have a negative effect on our liquidity and financial performance. We contribute to the DC pension plans as employees provide service. The following table shows the amounts we contributed to the DB and DC pension plans and the payments made to beneficiaries under OPEB plans.
|  |  | DB PLANS | DC PLANS | OPEB PLANS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31 | 2023 | 2022 | 2023 | 2022 | 2023 | 2022
Contributions/payments | (41) |  | (81) |  | (11) |  | (59) |  | (64) |  | (64) |
We expect to contribute approximately $45 million to our DB pension plans in 2024, subject to actuarial valuations being completed. We expect to contribute approximately $10 million to the DC pension plans and to pay approximately $60 million to beneficiaries under OPEB plans in 2024.

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